I still remember it like it was yesterday, sneaking downstairs and watching the behind-the-scenes video and world premiere on BET of Usher’s new song “Yeah” and then “Caught up”. Fast forward 20 years, and I finally saw him live in my hometown of Toronto, Canada! Here’s my review of the show I went to (night one) of the Past Present Future Tour in case you are planning on attending or want to get an idea if you are not able to attend including merch, production, and more. See below for more info and pics from the show as well as some clips hyperlinked which have been posted on my social media (TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook) so make sure to follow there to not miss out on more concert content! See below for a preview of what to expect!
About
Usher is a global R&B superstar who has achieved many incredible things over his career from selling over 75 million records sold worldwide and earning eight Grammy awards along with achieving so many more accolades. At the beginning of the year, Usher headlined and delivered an incredible Super Bowl performance which made people my age and older super nostalgic for his hits and in awe of how he can continue to deliver at his current age. It was also expected that he would announce a more global tour which he did shortly after. The tour is called “Past Present and Future” will be going on until May 2025 and since the tour is following up his 100-show residencies in Las Vegas which featured a lot of his past hits and this tour also features songs from his latest album, “Coming Home”. Although Usher has been a star since the 90s, I became a huge fan of his when he released his album Confessions which featured great songs such as “Yeah!”, “Confessions Pt.2”, “Burn”, “Caught Up”, and “My Boo”. It’s my favourite album of his which is why I featured it in my Vinyl Sundays series.
Tickets and Venue
Similar to Burna Boy and Ateez, this show was held at Scotiabank Arena, located at 40 Bay Street, which is very accessible via public transit (TTC or GO) and has several parking options nearby. Usher is performing two shows here (September 2nd and 3rd) at this venue which is a big deal since this is the second largest venue in Toronto. There was also a cool Usher hologram-type thing outside which was cool to see and kinda expected from Usher but there was too much of a big crowd to take a picture with it which you can see above along with the exclusive Toronto t-shirt and one of the iconic Usher bucks I was able to get because of my seat.
This is the first time ever I have bought tickets for the day of. I hate doing that as I try to plan things out ahead of time and ensure I am free to attend and enjoy the show to the fullest. I missed out on the advance ticket sales so when I checked the day after I saw that the resale and platinum ticket pricing were way too much for me to justify for a concert. I didn’t want to wait too close to the start time in case I couldn’t find seats that were suitable for my sister and I. Thankfully I was checking Ticketmaster regularly and saw that new seats were available on the day of for a reasonable price ($200 for section 102, row 10) for an incredible view and I used Rakuten to get some cashback which I would recommend if you plan on getting tickets from Ticketmaster during non-release times. Tip: I knew that new tickets will be released today because I have noticed LiveNation usually posts on their stories about new tickets available. Also, if you go to this venue with someone who wants a cool memento you can ask about getting a special lanyard that celebrates the concert being your first.
Merch
I almost didn’t buy merch because the price was really high and I wasn’t in love with the options. However, I came across a great assist where I was able to secure something limited and exclusive to Toronto with no wait! Tip: Check your seats if you can scan a QR code or download the Scotiabank Arena app in advance to select from limited merch options to avoid the wait. I got the exclusive Toronto t-shirt for $60, and due to the branding and cotton, I don’t mind it as it reminds me of the good quality of the Kid Cudi merch t-shirt from two years ago. You can see the options for yourself at shop.usherworld.com and signed posters are available on the realest.com.
Storytelling
As mentioned earlier, the title of the tour is called “Past, Present and Future”. Wow, I thought it was more of a celebration of his extensive catalog due to his many years in the industry but there was great storytelling done throughout the show. The audience gets to see Usher interact with his past and future self as he reflects on the decisions he has made and the achievements he has earned. I genuinely thought the use of AI and digital media for this tour was a great assist.
Production
The production was incredible and I think anyone in attendance got their money’s worth as Usher made sure to use the additional screens and large screen behind him to amplify his presence on stage while making his lyrics and performance more compelling. I loved how during some songs there was a mix of the timeline glitch, a distinct visualizer, or a silhouette frame with dancers on display. I sat right behind the DJ booth so Usher actually came right in front of me as he went to the DJ booth bar area where they set up a stripper pole for his dancers to perform on and he threw his iconic “Usher bucks” which I was able to get.
Overall Performance and recommendations
What can I say? If Usher didn’t remind you at the Super Bowl that he is one of the greatest performers, then this concert certainly did! The doors open at seven but Usher went on right before 9 p.m. and concluded around 10:50 p.m. There were no real breaks in between his songs as he was performing live to the fullest and gave the crown an amazing show! He even brought out Scarborough’s own, Karidnal Offishall to perform as a special guest! He changed between so many outfits so seamlessly but what I really loved was that he was able to hype up the crowd with his incredible dancing, soulful ballads, live band, and talented background dancers. Although most of this crowd were aunties, I did see some kids here but please note this concert is for a more mature audience due to the explicit dancing and wardrobe. In terms of recommendations, I do think maybe taking a bit of a longer break somewhere in the set can help regain some of his energy and although Yeah was the grand finale, I couldn’t help but think the concert ended a bit abruptly.
Nonetheless, it was an amazing show and I can’t believe I got so lucky to see one of my childhood favourite singers live in my hometown! Let me know your thoughts if you went or plan on going and make sure to follow on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook for more Toronto concerts content!
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