There’s a bizarre moment early on during Chris Brown and Usher’s joint R&B Tour when the former is shown as a kind of cybernetic organism being created in a futuristic lab setting. This cyborg Chris Brown then appears to be uploaded with all the talent and ability of both Michael Jackson and Prince, basically setting this entertainer up to the be the sci-fi 21st century equivalent to both of those icons.
Of course, that leaves us with so many questions, first and foremost among them being:
Ego much?
Perhaps what Brown should have been uploading, however, was the talent and ability of his co-headliner, who definitely delivered the more impressive half of the equation — in terms of vocals, songbook, stage charisma and, of course, dance moves — as The R&B Tour arrived at Levi’s Stadium on Friday (Aug. 28).
Yet competing on the same level of Usher — one of the most gifted and multitalented performers of recent decades — is a lot to ask of, well, anyone. Still, overall, the two men were able to craft an enjoyable — and very generous — set that nicely combined both of their voices and songbooks over the course of 50-plus songs and more than 2½ hours.
The concert drew a capacity crowd of some 50,000 fans on Friday, with two more big dates — Saturday (Aug. 29) and Tuesday (Sept. 1) — scheduled to follow. That could add up to approximately 150,000 people turning out to the home of the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara to see The R&B Tour — which, of course, stands for the type of music being played, but also for the last names of Usher Raymond and Chris Brown.
That type of a massive turnout, seen only for the likes of Taylor Swift, BTS and a small handful of other top attractions, is a true testament to the lasting impact that Usher and Brown’s music has on fans. It can also be taken as a further sign of the renewal of interest and fascination with all things aughts, which was the decade that Brown made his debut and Usher experienced his greatest chart success.
Chris Brown, who performed at Nissan Stadium on July 25, brought the R&B Tour to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Aug. 28 for the first of three Bay Area shows. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
As the lights dimmed at right around 8:20 p.m. — one hour and 20 minutes after the printed showtime — Chris Brown took the stage first and got the house rocking with “Party.” Moments later, Usher made his appearance — vacuuming up pretty much all of the star power over to his side of the stage as he joined in on the number. Brown then retreated to the sidelines, leaving his co-pilot to fly solo for the first segment of the night.
Usher pumped up the excitement with the funky pairing of “Yeah” and “Caught Up” as he worked a massive stage that was strangely reminiscent of what fans had just seen Latin pop superstar Karol G perform on one week earlier at the same stadium. Notably, both platforms included three catwalks that shot out in different directions from the mainstage, only to then eventually meet up again and thus create two different pits where fans could get up-close views of the action.
Both entertainers spent a lot of time working the tip of the catwalks, which put them at approximately mid-field, But they’d venture back to the mainstage whenever they needed play up the show’s rotating storylines taking place in strip clubs, bedrooms and other sexed-up settings.
Organizers definitely spared no expense on the show, which included massive set designs, plenty of pyro, and other special effects. Yet, they probably managed to save a few bucks on Usher’s wardrobe, since he was shirtless most of the time. But that was kind of the theme for the night, one most definitely underscored by the women who worked the stripper poles onstage as Usher walked about in his leather biker outfit, jacket unzipped to show his chiseled chest and stomach, and crooned “Bad Girl.”
Usher performs at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Aug. 28, 2026 (Jim Harrington, Bay Area News Group).
After Usher hit solo song No. 5, it was time for Cyborg Chris Brown to fuel up on Prince and MJ power and conduct his own mini-set that kicked off with “Poppin” and also included “Wall to Wall,” “Deuces” and “Loyal.”
“Y’all came to have fun tonight?” Brown asked this Friday night party crowd. “(Expletive), me, too. Let’s get it.”
And that’s how the night would continue over the next two hours or so, with Brown and Usher trading places in the solo spotlight with the occasional superstar meet-up on the likes of “Back to Sleep” and “It Depends.”
There were also a few breaks in the action, which were filled by short performances by fellow R&B acts Eric Bellinger (who has worked with Usher and Brown), Tank (who apparently shops at the same place for shirts as Usher) and Mario (who had just celebrated his 40th birthday one day earlier) as well as music from DJ Fresh (who also spun a pre-show set that, at times, felt like it might never end).
Chris Brown brought his co-headlining R&B Tour with Usher to Levi’s Stadium on Aug. 28. It was the first of three shows at the Santa Clara venue by the two R&B superstars. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Usher’s talent shone brightly throughout the night — nearly as bright as the glittery suit he wore during a segment set in an old-school supper-club dubbed “Raymond’s.” His vocal delivery was spot on as he moved through dance routines on top of the club’s black grand piano and elsewhere on the stage while cuddling up to such bedroom jams as “Trading Places” and “Lovers and Friends.”
Fans were still fanning themselves off from Usher’s “Burn” — which featured the most dramatic pyro display of the night — when Brown took the stage and tried to generate his own spark with the likes of “Heat” and “Warm Embrace.” He showed off some impressive dance moves and his vocal work was about on par with what one could reasonably expect — never spectacular, but certainly easy enough on the ears.
Chris Brown, who performed at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on July 25, brought his hits and stellar stage movies to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara for the first of tree shows on Aug. 28. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Usher returned in a bedroom setting, rolling out of the sheets he had just shared with a beautiful woman. Then he walked across the room and then began his morning routine, just like we all do, effortlessly executing some pull-ups before nicely crooning “Seduction.” Not surprisingly, the scene ended up with the star falling back into the sheets with the beautiful woman.
Yup. Just another day.
The drama remained strong throughout the latter stages of the show, as Usher appeared wearing a crown and sitting on a throne to sing “OMG” and then Brown taking the whole shebang to another level as he was swung by cables high above the crowd and all around the stadium to “Ayo.”
Fans loved every bit of the show. And, given the gargantuan box office receipts, we wouldn’t be surprised if these same fans get the chance to see The R&B Tour 2 in the not-too-distant future.
Usher performs Aug. 28, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara (Jim Harrington, Bay Area News Group).
Here’s The R&B Tour setlist
(According to our notes and information from Billboard. Note some selections were only snippets of the full songs)
1. “Party” (Usher, Brown)
2. “Yeah” (Usher)
3. “Caught Up” (Usher)
4. “U Don’t Have to Call” (Usher)
5. “Love In This Club” (Usher)
6. “Bad Girl” (Usher)
7. “Poppin” (Brown)
8. “Wall to Wall” (Brown)
9. “Deuces” (Brown)
10. “Loyal” (Brown)
11. “Go Crazy” (Brown)
12. “Look at Me Now” (Brown)
13. “For the Moment” (Brown_
14. “Run It” (Brown)
15. “Superstar” (Usher)
16. “U Remind Me” (Usher_
17. “My Way” (Usher)
18. “U Make Me Wanna” (Usher)
19. “My Boo” (Usher)
20. “Trading Places” (Usher)
21. “Lovers & Friends” (Usher)
22. “Burn” (Usher)
23. “Residuals” (Brown)
24. “It’s Not You It’s Me (Brown)
25. “Fallin’” (Brown)
26. “Heat” (Brown)
27. “Warm Embrace” (Brown)
28. “Something in the Water” (Brown)
29. “Privacy” (Brown)
30. “Yo” (Brown)
31. “Ain’t No Way” (Brown)
32. “Say Goodbye” (Brown)
33. “Don’t Judge Me” (Brown)
34. “She Ain’t You” (Brown)
35. “Under the Influence” (Brown)
36. “Seduction” (Usher)
37. “Back to Sleep” (Brown, Usher)
38. “Feel Something” (Brown)
39. “Nice & Slow” (Usher)
40. “It Depends” (Usher, Brown)
41. “There Goes My Baby” (Usher)
42. “Wet the Bed” (Brown)
43. “Take You Down” (Brown)
44. “OMG” (Usher)
45. “Good Kisser” (Usher)
46. “No Limit” (Usher)
47. “Climax” (Usher)
48. “Confessions” (Usher)
49. “Superstar” (Usher)
50. “Ayo” (Brown)
51. “Obvious” (Brown)
52. “Kiss Kiss” (Brown)
53. “With You” (Brown)
54. “Forever” (Brown)
55. “No Guidance” (Brown)
56. “New Flame” (Usher/Brown)
Note: There were also between-set songs performed by Eric Bellinger, Tank and Mario as well as music from DJ Fresh.