We grew up with Usher. When his debut album Usher was released in 1994, we were . . . well we won’t say how old we were, but we’ve been rocking with him for a long time; with many coins spent on Right On! Magazines, posters, t-shirts, and CD’s. So any time you get to see an artist you grew up with perform live, you have a lot of memories tied to those songs. We could tell you a really good story about the Confessions album and what was going on with us around that time; let’s just say the title track hit home! But we digress; at the end of the day the reality is that Usher is an amazing artist, a consummate showman, and for many of our generation a living legend, with the album sales and awards to prove it.

Usher performs during The UR Experience Tour at The Palace of Auburn Hills. (Phashion Phish/Marissa Pierce)

On his stop of The UR Experience Tour at The Palace of Auburn Hills, he showed why he’s one of the most revered entertainers in music and why his career has spanned 20 years. From start to finish the show was non-stop energy. He kicked off the show with his hit, “My Way” and tore through hit after hit, with his high tech plexiglass stage featuring movable cubes, a video screen, lasers, strobe lights, fire, and fog. Usher and his dancers worked the crowd from stage to risers on the side, which allowed the crowd to get a closer view.

Usher’s full set list featured a staggering 26 songs. And the crowd new EVERY word. At one point during the show Usher started singing “Superstar” and at an unplanned moment let the crowd sing much more of the song than he planned, because they were IN TO IT! You could sense both his enjoyment while he performed and that he was humbled by the love he was receiving, which was evidenced by him shouting out the great music of Motown, how great Stevie Wonder is (shout out to Saginaw, MI!), along with how blessed he was and how important God is in our lives. It is both refreshing and nice to be in the presence of an artist who isn’t afraid to publicly acknowledge God and his influence in his life.

Usher's dancer performing during The UR Experience at The Palace of Auburn Hills. (Phashion Phish/Marissa Pierce)

Usher was all smiles as he danced both choreographed moves with his dancers and solo, organic moves that seemed to connect Usher to the audience even more in a deeper way. We also spied our favorite Beyonce dance captain, Ashley Everett doing what she does best! Usher even called up four ladies from the crowd to join him for some dancing during “Bad Girl” and they came to show out with one young lady having a wardrobe malfunction, but she owned it and walked off the stage victorious! It was her birthday and we’re sure that story will make for an awesome “remember when” moment.

Usher continued with a great selection of his hits, “My Boo”, “Let it Burn”, “You Got it Bad”, “New Thing”, and everyone’s favorite “Yeah”, which was mixed with a bit of “Turn Down for What”.

For those that may have thought Usher has lost it; he proved that he’s still got it. That is, if he ever really did lose it. He’s still a classy performer that gives an awesome performance! We’re excited to watch his career for another 20 years.

We also would love to give Usher MAJOR PROPS for including opening acts. We don’t know when we’ve been to a show with an opening act in a while, so we’ve gotten used to not seeing them. But it’s nice to check out and experience new talent! For The UR Experience Tour Usher brings along New Orleans native, August Alsina who sung his hits “Kissin’ on My Tattoos” and “I Luv This Shit” and DJ Cassidy who mixed the old with new, incorporated songs by artists like Phil Collins and the Notorious B.I.G for a fun and energized set that had The Palace ROCKING!

DJ Cassidy performs during The UR Experience Tour at The Palace of Auburn Hills. (Phashion Phish/Marissa Pierce)

August Alsina performs during The UR Experience Tour at The Palace of Auburn Hills. (Phashion Phish/Marissa Pierce)