  R&B-pop star Usher brought his OMG tour to the Air Canada Centre on Monday Nov. 29 in support of his two 2010 albums, Raymond V Raymond, and Versus. (Michael Peake/QMI Agency) |
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Usher!
The R&B-pop star made a dramatic entrance on Monday night at the Air Canada Centre as he flew over the heads of the audience on the floor to at the beginning of his so-called OMG spectacle.
Standing on a floating platform, Usher was delivered from the back of the hockey arena to the front of his futuristic-looking stage where explosions and fireworks punctuated the moment, making for a satisfying ride.
Once he'd arrived at the large-scale touring production, a series of moving platforms and video screens with his five-piece band hidden beneath all the technology, the 32-year-old singer-dancer - decked out in a tight-fitting, slick-looking black ensemble - busted some moves while still attached to his safety harness, effectively leaping and flying around the stage.
"Toronto!" screamed Usher, who eventually ditched his black leather jacket and gloves provoking even louder screams from the audience of over 15,000 as his chiseled, heavily-tattooed upper body emerged.
It was a tough opening to follow, and he didn't really reach the same heights again until the one-two punch of DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love and OMG - the two biggest hits from his 2010 albums, Raymond V. Raymond and Versus - closed the nearly two hour show.
Fresh off his two Soul Train Awards on Sunday night for best album for Raymond V. Raymond, and best R&B male artist - the latter which he shared with one of his two opening acts Trey Songz (who was joined by Toronto hip hop star Drake late in his ACC set) - Usher still has Wednesday night's Grammy nominations to look forward to where he's bound to get mentioned.
After the two opening songs at the ACC, Monstar and She Don't Know, Usher delivered the first major hit of the night with the dance-happy Yeah! - he had four male and female dancers following his every move - and the audience chimed in happily on the next song too, U Remind Me, which featured four different women all seeming to reject his advances.
The recently divorced Usher and father of two children seems to be in a realistic mode about finding Mrs. Right or Mrs. Right Now although as he was slowly humping his microphone stand during Nice and Slow he left little to the imagination.
"How many single ladies are in the house tonight?" he said during the intro to Love 'Em All which saw him bring a woman (chosen between two female fans by the audience) up on stage.
Once the chosen one had been deposited on a reclined chair during Trading Places, Usher had her straddle him in various positions while he sang and eventually got rid of his shirt (in what would be the second of many disrobings on his part) while they slow danced.
Eventually the other female fan arrived on the stage for an apparent threesome.
Tiresome loverboy shtick aside, Usher - who sang at Michael Jackson's funeral - signalled he was ready to take over where his mentor left off before his untimely death.
"Not too long ago I paid tribute to one of the greatest entertainers that ever lived. And I'm just wondering if you guys would mind if I did it again tonight?" asked a red jacket-wearing Usher at this point, as a pair of moon boots arrived on conveyor belt on the stage below him.
"Do I have your permission to fill his shoes?"
And while Usher isn't quite in that heady Jackson territory yet, he definitely can dance even if his music and show isn't always up to uniformly high standards.
He also didn't hesitate in mentioning a hometown favourite who played the same Toronto venue just a week ago.
"I was just on the phone with my pal Justin Bieber," said Usher, who signed the young Stratford, Ont., teen-pop idol, to a management deal before he became one of the biggest music stories of the last year.
Usher's own highlights includes Yeah!, Love In This Club, the ballad, There Goes My Baby (complete with a mist on the ground), Burn, which saw him get back on the floating platform and travel over the audience, the more PG-rated Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home), Caught Up, and the show closers - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love, and OMG, complete with fireworks and confetti.
SET LIST:
Monstar
She Don’t Know
Yeah!
U Remind Me
U Don't Have To Call
You Make Me Wanna
Mars vs. Venus
Nice and Slow
Love 'Em All
Trading Places
Love In This Club
Lil' Freak
Hot Toddy
There Goes My Baby
Burn
Bad Girl
Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)
Confessions, Part 2/ My Boo/ I Need a Girl (Part One)/Lovers & Friends
Caught Up
DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love
ENCORE:
OMG
