ATLANTA — On Wednesday night, Usher was set to kick off his highly anticipated Past Present Future Tour at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena — the first of what would’ve been the tour’s six shows at the venue.
That was until Wednesday afternoon, when Usher announced via social media that the show would be postponed, citing the need to rest his body.
“The last thing I want to ever do is disappoint you, the fans who have been eagerly waiting for this tour to start,” the 45-year-old singer said in the statement. “However, I wouldn’t be the entertainer that I am if I can’t physically give you my best.”
The news adds to the string of canceled shows and tours from high-profile musicians this year.
In January, Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti quietly scrapped the North American leg of his Antagonist Tour, which included a stop at State Farm Arena later that month. In May, Anita Baker canceled her Mother’s Day concert at the venue minutes before showtime because of “late, unforeseen circumstances” (the legendary soul singer has yet to specify what those circumstances were). Other big artists like Jennifer Lopez, Aerosmith and the Black Keys have also canceled their arena and stadium tours this year.
And, more recently, Lauryn Hill & the Fugees called off the U.S. dates of their postponed reunion tour, blaming low ticket sales and clickbait headlines.
What next?
Ultimately, it boils down to the contract signed between the artist’s agent and the venue’s promoter, said Matthew Wilson, a partner with the Atlanta-based law firm Arnall Golden Gregory and co-chair of its entertainment and sports industry team.
Every contract has robust and negotiated cancellation clauses. Generally, if an artist cancels for avoidable reasons, which sometimes includes illness, they will typically have to return the deposit they receive ahead of playing the show. The promoter will then refund ticket sales, depending on whether the artist reschedules.
On the other hand, if a large artist cancels due to an unforeseeable circumstance beyond their control, such as a water main break shutting down water across the city, which led Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion to cancel two shows earlier this summer (she swiftly made up the dates) the repercussions of an artist not meeting its contractual obligations is all over the place. It depends on various factors, primarily the sophistication of the contract.
Other unforeseeable circumstances — or “force majeure events,” as they’re called in performance contracts — include fires, floods or other natural disasters, strikes or riots. In most cases, if the artist is ready, willing and able to perform before the force majeure event, they will be paid in full.
Typically the venue and the promoter are impacted more significantly than the artist for a cancellation, Wilson said. They lose out on money they spent on marketing the show, and also have to recoup the costs of having a dark room for the night. Wilson estimates the cost of marketing an arena show can range anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000.
Laura Valente, vice president of Premier Events, which has marketed the Fred summer concert series in Peachtree City since 2018, said each venue and promoter handles last-second cancellations differently.
“Promoters are on the line for some things,” said Valente, who worked for Concerts/Southern under Alex Cooley and Peter Conlon in the 1990s, the company that was eventually purchased by Live Nation.
“Production is already in. Crew is working. You can’t get a refund on certain labor costs. That’s where being a promoter is tricky. There are losses both the promoter and venue will have to eat.”
She said she hasn’t had to cancel any shows in recent years at the Fred on the same day but if she did, the first option would be to try to reschedule. If there are weather issues like thunderstorms, the promoter may rearrange the schedule by shortening sets or starting earlier or later rather than straight out cancel, Valente said.
Stephen Moore, president and talent buyer for Atlanta-based RCS Productions, books bands for municipalities like Douglasville, Woodstock and Conyers for free concerts along with ticketed events at the Fred. He said same-day cancellations are relatively rare.
An artist with means like Usher could work out a deal with the venue and promoter to defray the costs and maintain good relations. And of course, Moore said, “you try to see if it’s financially worth making up the date. If a show is doing well like Usher, they’re going to want to make it up.”
“The artist doesn’t typically face major financial liability over a single last-second concert cancellation, but taking that route too often can hurt their reputation among the public and promoters,” he said.
State of Usher’s tour
As of now, the remainder of Usher’s tour stops in Atlanta, including shows on Friday and Saturday and three October dates, are still on. A rescheduled show hasn’t been announced, but all previously purchased tickets will be honored at that time.
The Past Present Future Tour, announced in February, includes roughly 80 dates and will conclude in London in May, unless shows are added. It’s Usher’s first world tour since 2015.
His upcoming tour follows what has been a busy year for the singer. Last December, he ended his iconic Las Vegas run (which included 100 shows across two residencies). Earlier that year, he also performed a stint of shows for a Paris residency.
In February, he dropped his ninth solo studio album “ Coming Home,” days before his record-breaking Super Bowl halftime show performance. He was slated to headline his annual Lovers & Friends Festival in Las Vegas in May, but it was canceled hours before it was scheduled to begin due to dangerous weather conditions.
In June, he received BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Shortly after, he headlined Essence Festival in New Orleans. Last month, he announced the release of a concert film, “ Usher: Rendezvous in Paris,” which will document his Paris residency and debut in theaters next month. He’s up for two awards at this year’s VMAs.
During an interview with the AJC earlier this year, Usher said he could benefit from more rest, but noted that he likes having a rigorous routine.
“Some people can thrive off of four to five hours of sleep,” he said in February. “Some people need nine to 12. I think I work better with a few hours. I don’t think you really want to see me if I slept nine hours every day. I’d drive everybody crazy.”
