Concert review: Usher throws a fun, nostalgic party at Target Center

It’s amazing what a difference 10 years can make.

Just ask Usher, who played his first local arena headlining show in a decade Saturday night at Target Center. For just under two hours, the 46-year-old singer/songwriter/actor/dancer/businessman born Usher Terry Raymond IV held court over the packed-to-the-rafters downtown Minneapolis basketball arena.

A decade ago at Xcel Energy Center, Usher offered a sexed-up evening with big-budget staging, numerous costume changes, moves brazenly lifted from Michael Jackson, tight choreography and dozens of songs mashed into essentially one long, loud megamix. The problem was that Usher had reached the point in his career when the hits had dried up, along with his audience’s enthusiasm. As such, he struggled to hold the attention of the 7,000 some folks who did show up.

Cut to Saturday, his first of two nights at Target Center. Usher did release “Coming Home,” his first album since 2016, earlier this year. And his current tour is dubbed “Usher: Past Present Future.” But it was abundantly clear the crowd — filled with middle-age couples who probably don’t hit the club as much as they did back in the day — was there for the hits of their youth. Yup, Usher is an oldies act now.

Usher didn’t tour during the latter half of the ’10s, occasionally playing one-offs and festivals like his stripped-down — no big production, no live band, just a few dancers — 2017 stop at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand that was struggling with sales until the last-minute addition of Lil Jon (and a buy-one-get-one ticket offer). By the end of the decade, Usher’s star had definitely faded.

But well-received Vegas residencies in 2021, 2022 and 2023 coupled with his triumphant Super Bowl Halftime Show in February reminded people why they liked him in the first place. Indeed, his current tour is selling tickets like it’s 2008 all over again.

Saturday, Usher offered an even bigger version of his 2014 tour that offered a nonstop barrage of his hits (sometimes cut down to just a verse and chorus) and barely a dull moment thanks to his talented band, nimble dancers and Usher himself.

He opened the show with “Coming Home,” “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)” and “Big” to massive cheers. After three songs with intense, exacting choreography, Usher gave himself a break for a medley of his first three singles (“Call Me a Mack,” “Think of You” and “Can U Get Wit It”) he performed while watching footage of him from that era on the big screen behind him.

During “U Remind Me,” Usher did an elaborate dance that involved tossing around his baseball cap and indulging in a quick handstand. He donned bedazzled roller skates during “Don’t Waste My Time” and “Love in This Club,” which led into the steamier section of the night.

While he sang “Nice and Slow,” Usher jammed his hand down his pants and, later, hoisted the front of his tank top over his head, exposing his bare torso, which he promptly doused with a bottle of water. He lost his shirt completely during the guitar solo of “U Got it Bad” and proceeded to dance erotically with his microphone stand. He remained shirtless as he laid down on a revolving turntable-like portion of his stage and slowly writhed his way through “Climax.”

He did play a few songs from the new album. He introduced “I Am the Party” by telling the crowd the song was influenced by Minneapolis artists like Prince, Mint Condition and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. And it was kind of hilarious when he walked through the crowd wearing a red fur coat and feeding maraschino cherries to ladies in the crowd. (In some cases, he let the lady’s husband do the feeding.)

It turned out to be a pretty fun show, with Usher working as hard, if not harder, than he ever has before. He’s still got it.