Uhser - Live on Stage at the Key Arena, Seattle, WA

by Dove
~Sheepish Lordess of Chaos~

The way in which Hip Hop affects R&B music and vice versa was quite evident on Wednesday May 8th - the opening night for the Evolution 8701 tour featuring Usher, Faith Evans and Nas.  Some of the more purist Hip Hop cats may scoff the idea of going to R&B show - perhaps the reason why there were so many nicely dressed beautiful young women at the concert by themselves.  I did not find out until I arrived that Mr. Cheeks had dropped off the tour before it began, and no one was really talking about the reason why he wasn't there.  I had the pleasure of meeting Erica Kennedy from Vibe Magazine who was there working on a story, and talked with several of the tour crew who were amazingly calm amidst all the opening night angst. 

Faith, our First Lady of Hip Hop, kicked off the show - although the 'opening' spot hardly seemed correct in the scope of things.  Beyond being Biggie's wife, Faith has created her own legacy in R&B with musical influences ranging from gospel to Hip Hop.  Over the years Faith has written and arranged songs for Usher, 112, SWV, Total, Case, Mary J. Blige and many other artists, as well as recording three beautiful albums of her own. From her own sample-laden ballads to her collaborations with Queen Latifah, DMX, and Puffy - her silky voice engages soulfully with even the roughest edged tracks. Her abilities have yet to be truly appreciated by the masses, but the Seattle crowd greeted the svelte diva with exalted love. 

In her thirty-or-so-minute set, Faith sang her heart out on "Love Like This", "Can't Believe" (sans Carl Thomas) and "You Gets No Love".  I got so caught up in her show that I forgot to write the song listing down - all I know is her energy was captivating.  She was a bit distraught that she hadn't had time to rehearse, but her performance was stellar regardless.  Her outfit sparked a lot of interest from the men in the crowd - a cleavage-friendly custom football jersey and jeans laced with white criss-crossed stitched fringes.  She threw down on her newest single "I Love You" to the delight of the fans, who squealed and applauded throughout her set.  It was Faith's first trip to the Emerald City, and it is clear that it should not be her last.

Next to take the stage was the man with one mic - Nas.  His Escobar Palace backdrop gleamed with a purplish light as he stepped out in a white, orange and blue ensemble, complete with a Bravehearts jersey and dangling diamond platted chain.  With Akinyele, one of Hip Hop's nastiest emcees, by his side, Nas ripped through several of his classic hits.  The majority of cheering came from screaming women - showing that Nas not only appeals to the streets, he's also a full-fledged sex symbol.  There was a bit of mixed-message syndrome in his performance - calling for peace then waging lyrical warfare.  He broke into his verse from "Oochie Wally", after which he proclaimed loudly "We ain't with that hate shit" and declared a "dedication to all the haters" as he charged through his verse from "You Can Hate Me Now".   He disappeared from the stage, leaving Akinyele to fend for himself for an uncomfortable amount of time.  A lovely young woman, introduced as 'Ann Marie', appeared to sweetly sing Stacy Lattisaw's 1980 hit "Let Me Be Your Angel", although her part of the set didn't quite fit into the vibe.  She quietly exited the stage as Nas returned excitedly in a white tank top. 

He asked everyone in the audience if they had his latest album Stillmatic yet, as a curtain dropped from the sky to expose a rather garish lighted sign reading STILLMATIC.  He threw open his arms shouting, "The King is back!"  lighting into Jay-Z with a dose of "Ether".  He attempted to get the audience to sing along with him, however the chorus of voices was low on the noise meter.  At the end of his set, Phil Collins song "Hold On" played as Nas fell to his knees in the middle of the stage.  The beginning strains of "One Mic" hit and the crowd went bananas.  His emotional performance of "One Mic", much akin to Janet Jackson's trademark tear in any given slow song, was touching and effective.

While waiting for Usher's crew to construct his multi-level set, Blackalicious' new album "Blazing Arrow" pumped from the overhead speakers.  As Usher's band began to tune their instruments, the audience bubbled with anticipation, and at one point even began chanting "Usher! Usher!" and when the house lights went down all hell broke loose.  A video intro led into a blaze of pyrotechnics as the eight-member dance team hit the stage.  Usher appeared atop a platform, looking quite ominous in his all-black ensemble.  His first couple of songs were so filled with smoke and fast lighting that "I Don't Know" was more like 'I don't know where the stage is anymore' - but once he broke into "Just Like Me" and his female dancers began a writhing pole dance, the smoke seemed to be passé.  By that time the fellas in the audience were definitely perked up.  Usher drifted into "I Can't Let U Go" as his dancers played tempting goddesses to his tortured demons.  He left the stage momentarily, and as his recent P-Diddy collabo "I Need A Girl" played he drifted across the stage in an oversized bed.  The bed thing has been done before in shows, but Usher took the opportunity to play the role with a subtle and classy demeanor.  He crooned his way through a heartfelt mosaic of slow ballads, added in a few pelvic thrusts - and the crowd was in the palm of his hand. 

He pulled a young woman on stage from the audience and gave her a present - a lovely package containing a stringed thong and a piece of lingerie.  He sang to her, cuddled with her, took his shirt off in a mock strip tease and caressed her face as rose petals fell from the rafters.  As he walked her up the ramp and off the stage, fireworks exploded into the darkness.  Only seconds later Usher reappeared in his Technicolor Dance-coat and confidently commanded "My Way" as his dancers meshed street choreography and b-boying.  He exited once again and quickly came back in yet another outfit for "Think Of You".  A third change of clothes in less than 15 minutes brought Usher out in a sparkling Sixers' jersey as his female dancers left just the fellas to perform "Make Me Wanna".  At that point it seemed that new clothing came to Usher and not the other way around, as stands with articles of clothing would mysteriously appear on either side of the stage.  A shimmering black jacket and shiny Michael Jacksonesque 'magic' shoes were donned as "You Remind Me" made the crowd go wild once again.  A moment of silence ensued as another video was played overhead - this time paying tribute to Easy E, Notorious BIG, Big Pun, Aaliyah, and Left Eye.  Usher said a few words as his band began to play Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On".  His rendition of the song was filled with emotion and the entire stadium swayed along.  He once again left the stage, and as the first few notes of "You Got It Bad" began to drift through the speakers, the energy in the Key Arena ignited once again.

Usher's show was intertwined with Hip Hop influences - from his choreography to his costuming.  For the R&B fans who can't stomach too much rap, you'll be happy with the musical blend of this tour.  For you hardcore headz who don't get into the R&B thing - a little romance never hurt anyone.
 

ALL PHOTOS BY DOVE

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