To that end, his DJ spun through a career-spanning medley of Usher hits that didn't make the setlist, with "My Boo," a 2004 No. He also acknowledged "the original Usher fans" from back in the day, as well as "the teen Usher fans," whom he hoped to expose to some of his earlier work that they may not know. Taking a moment to talk to the crowd, Usher explained that he played the very first concert at FedExForum, a September 2004 bill that he shared with Kanye West. " as a wobbling, bombastic piece of synth-metal, illustrating how R&B has moved from the bedroom to the clubs and festivals. Doubling back to 1997 for his first big hit, he and the band reimagined "You Make Me Wanna.
It occurred to me after the first three numbers how effectively Usher has managed to find the material and the collaborators to keep him on top of musical trends. An interesting add-on: Usher's guitarist stepped to the front of the stage to jam out on the coda from Derek and the Dominoes' "Layla." The sub bass was mixed for maximum rumble effect under the busy arrangement. 1 hit from 2008 that, like much of Usher's more recent work, shows the influence of Vegas-style electronic dance music. Then it was quickly into "Love in This Club," a No. As a huge lighting rig descended over him, Usher took center stage to show off his own moves. The second number, "OMG," an uptempo electronic dance track from 2010 produced with help from will.i.am, introduced some of Usher's eight background dancers, whose theatrical leaps and tumbles recalled at once Russian ballet and "Cats." They entered and exited through a set of cool trap doors different dancers were featured on different numbers. So would the backing band, which featured drums, a DJ/percussionist, guitar, synth bass, keyboards, three background vocalists and a four-piece horn section.
It was clear as Usher came on stage with some fluid, slightly jookin'-influenced dance moves, that movement would be a key part of the show. The opening number was a rocked-out reading of "My Way," the title track off Usher's breakout 1997 album.
Usher's "UR Experience Tour," on which Memphis was one of the final stops, is set up as something of a retrospective, featuring hits from throughout a career in which he has sold more than 65 million albums. He's no longer the up-and-coming teenager fresh out of "Star Search" as he showed in his concert Monday night at FedExForum, he's now a bona fide superstar. And yes, it has been 20 years, and like those of us who remember him from the days of "MTV Jams," Usher will be pushing 40 soon. So it will be when we look back at the career of the R&B singer Usher Raymond IV, who surely has been an important part of the dating and mating rituals of countless fans over the past 20 years. In his remarks praising Al Green during last weekend's Kennedy Center Honors at the White House, President Barack Obama mentioned the soul singer's experience with fans "coming up to him, pulling out a picture of one of their kids, and telling him which of his songs helped that child enter the world."
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