USHER
with Trey Songz and Miguel
December 31, 2010
American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
Review and Photos by Anthony Cave
Usher. New Year’s Eve. Yeah... you can imagine.
The mood inside the American Airlines Arena on the last day of 2010 was straight up electric as Usher took his “OMG” Tour to Downtown Miami.
To say Usher is a mega-star is an understatement. Following the untimely passing of Michael Jackson, it's safe to say that the "King of Pop" throne has been passed on to a worthy successor. Reading off Usher's accomplishments is like listing the statistics of a Hall of Fame athlete. Forty-five million albums sold worldwide, five Grammy Awards, four World Music Awards, six American Music Awards and 19 Billboard Music Awards; and you get the feeling that the guy is just getting started.
Trey Songz
With a 9:30 p.m. start, fans arrived either early to the party or late, depending on who they were actually coming to see. Mexican rapper Miguel kicked off the concert before ladies man Trey Songz set up.
An illuminated number-pad in the center of the stage kicked off Trey's performance. The crowd grew more riled up as the clock counted down, almost putting the ball drop at Times Square to shame. In typical Trey Songz fashion, the self proclaimed "Prince of Virginia" walked down a flight of steps decked out in a leather jacket and sunglasses.
Trey Songz
Playing all his hits including “I Need A Girl” and “Bottoms Up,” the audience could not get enough. However, it was only a matter of time before the night’s biggest performer took the stage.
The preparation before Usher’s performance was, to say the least, interesting. The lights and camera were present, but no action. Usher’s dancers lined the stage fitted in ninja-like outfits with long poles, but the expected entry seemed delayed. While it could be considered rude to arrive tardy at your own concert, Usher just calls it fashionably late.
Donning a crazy hair-do and a torso that the "Body by Jake guy" would be jealous of, Usher quickly reminded the whole arena why they were there.
Usher
It was not until one of the dancers turned around that Usher began his grand entrance. On a moving platform, Usher hovered about 200 feet above the crowd before eventually settling down on stage. Donning a crazy hair-do and a torso that the "Body by Jake guy" would be jealous of, Usher quickly reminded the whole arena why they were there. The man channels dance moves that your mind couldn't even conceive before you saw them. Watching him perform is like watching James Brown (the late "hardest working man in show business" for the kids out there) if he had possessed the body of Greek statue and a lot of amphetamines.
In fact, even new Miami native LeBron James wanted to get in on the action. The 6’8” basketball star was spotted making multiple trips to the bar; way less exciting than seeing him make multiple trips to the hoop.
Trey Songz
The concert served as an excellent diversion from the normal New Year’s Eve routine. Not many people can say they spent their New Year's with Usher.
When the walking six-pack broke into his 2004 chart-topper “Yeah,” the one word chorus worked as a simple fitting description for all of the night’s festivities. Move over Lebron, there's a new king of Downtown Miami.
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