Usher’s “Past Present Future” Tour, Backed By Cohesion PA, Sees Extraordinary Global Demand

After performing a hundred shows across two Las Vegas residencies from 2021 to 2023 plus 2024’s Super Bowl halftime spectacular, Usher would have been more than justified in taking some downtime. Instead, the man who has sold 150 million records worldwide, including five platinum-certified albums and one diamond-certified album (2004’s Confessions), opted to record his ninth studio album, Coming Home, and announced a supporting global arena tour, “Past Present Future.”

Overwhelming fan demand for the eight-time Grammy Award-winner prompted the tour’s expansion to 83 dates across the world. At all stops, Usher’s critically acclaimed performances, featuring dozens of songs from across his legendary three-decade career, were backed by a robust Cohesion PA.

FOH Engineer Demetrius Moore joined the tour on its sixth stop at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The sixteen-year vet, who has mixed artists such as Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj, recalled his emotions that evening as he mixed on a Cohesion PA live for the first time:

“I was in front of 18,000 people with a new PA on a tour that had already started—talk about jumping in the deep end! Once I put in the curve that suited us, it was easy and consistent. Usher is R&B with some hip-hop flare, and this PA can go rock-and-roll, R&B, rap, stadium shows, arenas, whatever you need.”

The three-stage show used sixteen Cohesion CO12 on each of the mains, side hangs, and 270° hangs. The line lengths were extended to eighteen for certain larger venues in Europe. At each performance, a special VIP seating section between the main stage and B stage received an array of four Cohesion CO10 flown directly above as downfill.

The subwoofer deployment was a novel arrangement where all 24 Cohesion CP218 II+ were placed in a circle, in cardioid configuration, beneath the B stage. System Engineer Frank Peoples said, “The main hangs were almost dead center of the arena, and this circular position worked well with that PA placement. It dispersed outward from the middle of the arena and covered very nicely. Demetrius knew when to use the subs and when not to. It was comfortable. We even pulled back, and I was blown away how it covered the room.”

Moore added, “On my desk, it was pulled back too, and it still filled the arena. That circle sub configuration, it packed a punch in combination with the tops. It could kick someone in the teeth if we wanted to! The subs are so musical. They’re completely different than what I was expecting. They’re different than everything.”

Fill was provided by the Cohesion CF28, which Peoples described as “nicely shaped, so we hung them under the stage from the lighting tray, which was perfect for us. They had plenty of power and were easy to EQ, especially with the preset. I just loved their tone.” Fourteen CF28 were typically used: seven on the outside of the main stage, and another seven in the pit. The system was designed by Cohesion’s Dave Shatto, Lead Application Engineer for Touring.

“This was my first big tour on Cohesion,” continued Peoples. “I was never worried about clarity, coverage, tonality, or horsepower, and I’d use it on any genre of music. I feel like it’s capable of doing anything.”

The PA factored into the collaboration between artist and engineer. “Usher was very hands-on,” said Moore. “He came to FOH to give notes on a few songs and explain how certain sounds were created on the albums, so I went to those channels, got that EQ, and locked it in.”

“The PA was so clean and clear. It was nice to be able to hear piano keys, guitar riffs, the horns, the tap of the hi-hat,” added Peoples. “Demetrius made sure they all happened when they needed to happen. It’s an honest PA, so when the mix is good, it’s going to step up your game. You can do whatever you want with this PA.”

The dynamic nature of Usher’s show meant chart-topping songs like “OMG” and “Yeah!” shared the setlist with soulful jams like “U Got It Bad” and “Confessions: Part II,” and the award-winning megastar prioritized sharing intimate moments with his audiences.

“We needed to make sure our trim lines were the exact same every day because of sightlines,” Peoples said. “If we were even a few inches off, the lights would hit the PA. Since it was spread out a little wider than the usual end-stage PA, we had to be extra aware of load-in and load-out with other departments, but it flew fast. We never had issues with deployment.” Technicians from Clair Global, alongside Sound Image and Britannia Row Productions, deployed the system.

“Past Present Future” sold out each of its dates across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, totaling more than a million fans who were delighted by the show’s precision choreography, costume changes, and even a complex roller skating sequence, to say nothing of the hours of hits from the legendary singer and songwriter.

“It was all there, every sound,” said Moore. “Everything cut through nicely and smoothly. This PA translated well. Cohesion is a go-to for certain applications and by far one of my favorite PAs now.”

Photo Credit: Joe Okpako