1. Usher isn't the kind of entertainer who can stay away from Vegas for long. In spring he headlined the Lovers & Friends festival. And last summer, he had a sold-out residency at the Colosseum in full swing. So naturally, opening night of his new My Way residency at Park MGM’s Dolby Live theater didn’t feel much like a debut at all. It felt like a homecoming.
“It feels so good to be back,” the megastar told the cheering room.
Admittedly, he hit the stage around 45 minutes late. But what Usher lacked in punctuality, he made up for in exuberant energy, the kind that seemed to crackle with his every move. Backed by a live band of saxophonists, pianists and guitarists, Usher treated fans to flawless, and expectantly fancy footwork during “Caught Up" and “U Don’t Have to Call," even as he battled the sweat-inducing show lights.
The audience reciprocated that energy right back, some dancing in the aisles, others dancing on each other to Usher’s slow jams, especially “Lovers and Friends.”
2. Usher brought roller disco to Dolby Live. If you’ve seen his new “Good Love” music video with the City Girls, then you know Usher loves roller skating. The R&B superstar has even frequented Floyd Mayweather’s local rink here in town and loves to flex his skills whenever possible—including at his residency.
Usher and his dancers paid tribute to retro rinks with an entire roller-skating sesh, complete with glittering lights oscillating around the stage like a bunch of mini mirror balls. The singer breezed through "Superstar" on his wheels as he serenaded a female dancer and engaged in an indulgent couples skate that appeared like a rolling waltz.
It's satisfying to see this section of Usher's original show remain, as well as the following scene featuring pole dancers on a two-story strip club structure, because let's be honest: It isn't an Usher show unless Ush bucks come raining down in droves.
3. When's the a cappella album dropping? At one point, Usher branched out into the audience and settled on top of a DJ booth at the venue's center. "I’ma just take a break from the show for a second, is that cool?" he asked his surrounding fans. "I can't do all the records but maybe I can go back in time."
For about 15 minutes, the R&B star ran through a medley of a cappella tracks, including classics from his 1994 debut album and others like "Trading Places," "New Flame" and "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" with minimal assistance from his DJ. Each snippet sounded crisp and richly delivered, even after all these years of the 43-year-old performing them.
"I could keep going all night," he assured, and we were happy to indulge him.
4. His 1997 album My Way still slaps. Hearing "It's 7 o’clock/On the dot/I'm in my drop top/Cruising the streets" just does something different to a crowd. Usher's "Nice and Slow" and "You Make Me Wanna" elicited some of the loudest reactions, as did the elaborate chair routine he and his male dancers absolutely nailed. It took everyone back, even if you were just barely out of diapers when those songs were released.
5. This entertainer isn't going anywhere. He has plenty more dates later this summer and fall at Park MGM after this opening July run. Consider this residency a greatest hits of what this phenomenal musician has already accomplished. But even after 30 years of music, Usher still appears to have a lot to give. Toward the end of the show, fans got a sneak peek of an unreleased solo track. That won't be the last one we hear.
USHER: MY WAY July 20, 22-23, 27, 29-30, 9 p.m., $114+. Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.
