It was a packed house on night one of Usher’s Past Present Future Tour at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday (Aug. 20).
At 8:55 p.m., the lights dimmed, and the eager crowd roared with glee as they anticipated the man of the hour.
A massive LED cube illuminated the stage, displaying imagery of the R&B superstar as a robotic voice prepared the audience to be immersed in Usher’s evolving world, perfected over the last three decades.
“Let us travel through the dimensions of past, present and future. Prepare for an intimate ride,” the artificial voice blared through the speakers.
Shortly after, Usher ascended from the stage, wearing a black cloak, matching fedora, and boots. Screams intensified as he smoothly walked the runway to rhythmic snaps in a Michael Jackson-like manner.
Usher opened his nearly two-hour set with “Coming Home,” the title track of his ninth album, which he released ahead of his record-breaking Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show performance in February. Dancers soon joined him for a more familiar welcoming, “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home).”
“How y’all feeling tonight,” Usher asked fans while he removed his trench coach to unveil his sparkling all-black suit before performing “BIG,” another track from Coming Home.
After warming up the crowd, it was time to revisit Usher’s early beginnings. The 45-year-old entertainer stood on stage to watch a video montage of him as a kid with a big vision for himself. It was chilling to see Usher present in the moment, observing his younger self speak his dreams into existence.
After the quick video, he took us to 1993, when he released his first single, “Call Me a Mack,” from the Poetic Justice soundtrack. While he didn’t sing along, he did perform some choreography in front of the large screen with the younger version of himself.
His first of many outfit changes of the night was during the pitstop to 1994, during which his songs “Think of You” and “Can U Get Wit It” from his self-titled debut album played.
Usher reappeared on stage wearing a black leather trench coat with PPF (Past Present Future) spray painted on the side, a mesh shirt, black pants, and a cane. He was dressed as if he were pulled right out of his “My Way” music video, the title track to his 1997 breakout album. He stayed committed to his “U Make Me Wanna…” video, which had a similar stage design to the Bille Woodruff-directed visual and incorporated his iconic chair choreography.
Paying homage to album three, 8701, Usher breezed through his Grammy-winning hits “U Remind Me” and “U Don’t Have to Call” before teasing his Confessions era with “Caught Up” and a glimpse of “Yeah!” which he later revisited in the show.
While performing “Caught Up,” the screen turned into a word collage with old headlines and pull quotes about Usher, including from his previous relationship with Chilli of TLC.
The Present segment of the show felt like a big party. He turned the stage into a roller skating rink, a la Usher’s Skate Park, gliding like a hot knife through butter as he performed cuts like “Don’t Waste My Time,” “Love in This Club” and “Say What U Want.”
After changing out of his skates and outfits, Usher kept the party going with more bangers like “New Flame,” “Party,” and “Margiela.” He made it rain with Ushbucks while he performed the Nicki Minaj-featured “Little Freak” as a dancer twirled on a pole for a small crowd on stage.
Taking a break from the party vibe, Usher serenaded the audience with smooth jams like “Nice & Slow,” “U Got It Bad,” “Climax,” “Burn,” and “Confessions” parts one and two. He delivered a stirring vocal performance as theatrical dancers brought the lyrics to life.
About an hour into the show, we were brought to Usher’s future, where he imagined his life in 2044. Before he returned on stage, a futuristic interview of him at age 66 played on the screen, in which he reflected on his career and his life.
In the early part of the Future segment, Usher electrified the venue with his EDM gems, including “Euphoria,” “OMG,” “DJ Got Us Falling in Love,” and “Without You.” For a moment, it felt like we were all at a rave party, with the crowd on their feet, fist-pumping to the electronic grooves.
Throughout the night, Usher kept everyone at the edge of their seats with his rather unpredictable setlist. It was quite apparent that he wasn’t necessarily going in chronological order within the past, present, or future.
“Y’all don’t mind if I R&B this thing all the way the f**k up?” Usher, wearing a cherry red fur coat, asked when he returned to join his band and background vocalists at the top of the stage.
He went back to his diamond-selling album Confessions to serenade the crowd with his fan-favorite deep cut “Superstar.” He took his time getting into the ballad, working the stage in all directions to allow fans on different sides of the venue to sing the opening falsetto in a call-and-response manner.
After scorching the stage with the Dre & Vidal-produced cut, Usher walked through the crowd, giving a few fans a chance to sing parts of “There Goes My Baby” in the mic as he made his way to the back.
Once he arrived at the B-stage, he turned the venue into Club Usher with a medley of “I Need a Girl,” “My Boo” and his verse on Trey Songz’s “Invented Sex (Remix).” He also showed special love to D.C. by dancing along to go-go band E.U.’s 1988 hit “Da Butt” and sang along to his feature on Wale’s “The Matrimony.”
In the latter portion of the show, he performed more songs from Confessions (“Throwback,” “Seduction,” and “Bad Girl”), revisited Coming Home (“Ruin” and “Good Good”), as well as his 2019 joint project with Zaytoven, A (“Peace Sign”). Following his final costume change, Usher returned to 2004 to close out the show with his No. 1 hit, “Yeah!”
When Usher postponed the start of his Past Present Future Tour in Atlanta due to a neck injury at rehearsals, he said in a statement: “The last thing I want to ever do is disappoint you, the fans who have been early waiting for this tour to start. However, I wouldn’t be the entertainer that I am if I can’t physically give you my best.”
Usher’s first show of his Past Present Future Tour was yet another instance of his commitment to excellence. It was a magical night that celebrated his legacy in the most beautiful, euphoric way. He enchanted fans with a masterful display of showmanship — flawless live vocals, polished choreography, spectacular stage design, quick costume changes, and more. Knowing Usher, each show on the tour is bound to get even better because when he performs, he pours his heart and soul into it.
Usher’s approaching tour stops include multiple nights in Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto, to name a few.
Usher’s Upcoming Past Present Future Tour Dates
Aug 20 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
Aug 21 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
Aug 23 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
Aug 24 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
Aug 27 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Aug 28 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Aug 30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Aug 31 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Sep 2 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
Sep 3 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
Sep 6 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
Sep 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
Sep 9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
Sep 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
Sep 12 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
Sep 13 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
Sep 17 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
Sep 18 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
Sep 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Intuit Dome
Sep 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Intuit Dome
Sep 24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Intuit Dome
Sep 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Intuit Dome
Sep 28 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
Sep 29 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
Oct 3 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Oct 4 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Oct 5 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Oct 7 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center ATX
Oct 8 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center ATX
Oct 11 – Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
Oct 12 – Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
Oct 14 – Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
Oct 17 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
Oct 18 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
Oct 20 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
Oct 22 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
Oct 23 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
Oct 25 – St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
Oct 26 – St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
Oct 28 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
Oct 29 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
Oct 31 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
Nov 2 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
Nov 3 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
Nov 7 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
Nov 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
Nov 10 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
Nov 15 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
Nov 18 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
Nov 19 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
Nov 23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
Nov 27 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Nov 29 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Nov 30 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Dec 9 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
Dec 10 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
Dec 12 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
