Ushers fans in their seats inside State Farm Arena, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2024. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceEight Grammys. Over 150 million records sold. And those accolades still miss the mark of encompassing all that Usher has done, is doing, and will continue to do. In these 30 years in the game, the entertainment icon has rarely missed a step or a beat when commanding the music industry. That sentiment was glaringly apparent as R&B megastar Usher took a sold-out crowd in State Farm Arena on a journey through his past, present, and future on his final tour date in Atlanta. The energy in the room was electric, which isn’t rare for concerts in Atlanta. But the anticipation of seeing Usher perform after his initial dates in October were postponed due to a neck injury brought a different type of life to the Arena.  It was also a homecoming for an artist whose entire career has been a love letter to Atlanta, a place he has called home for those 30 years. From the Superbowl to his Las Vegas Residency, his desire to shine a light on the city’s culture in the past few years all came to a head Thursday night.“If you leave here with anything, I want you to leave with a blessing,” said Usher during his concert. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice“Welcome to the United States of Atlanta,” Usher told the deafening crowd in an all-black number with rhinestones that shined as bright as him on the stage. In an almost two-and-a-half-hour concert, Usher managed to pay homage to three decades of a nonstop career through his hits that started it all (“Think of You,” “Nice & Slow,” “You Make Me Wanna…”)  to the ones that forever stamped Usher in the conversations of greatest of all time, (“U Remind Me,” “U Got it Bad,”  Confessions Part II,” “Yeah!”).  From his cocky smiles that elicited five straight minutes of cheers to meandering through the crowd to feed cherries to more-than-willing women, he commanded the crowd in a way that only a true entertainer can. It was a production of AI storytelling, roller skating, mesmerizing dance breaks, exciting stage design, Ush Bucks littering the floor, and a moment where State  Farm Arena turned into a night at Magic City.The last night in Atlanta featured performances from Ludacris, Case, Crime Mob, Lil Scrappy, and T.I. Usher ended the night by blessing the crowd and thanking them for their support. He brought out Bishop Kevin Adams, senior pastor for Olivet Baptist Church in Fayetteville, to cap the night with a prayer and closed out with a performance of “Optimistic” by Sounds of Blackness.  “If you leave here with anything, I want you to leave with a blessing.”Usher fan shows off her custom jacket. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceThe post Usher blesses Atlanta with 30 years of music at final tour date in the city  appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.