“How do we refresh them, but make sure they’re still the records that you fell in love with?” “Some of these records are over 15, 20 years old,” IZ explains. While maintaining the key moments fans love, there were also arrangement tweaks. Plus, he understands the musicality of Usher and how to put it together so it doesn’t fly over the showgoer’s head.” Refreshing the Classics-Retaining the Feel “Jon’s been rocking Las Vegas for years now. Lil Jon’s comfort with the city’s show formats was another asset. That’s Lil Jon for us-he is so passionate and has the connectivity.” “George Clinton was able to take Bootsy Collins from James Brown and Eddie Hazel and create Parliament. “I call him the modern-day George Clinton,” Bobby says with a grin. They also have endless accolades for the show’s charismatic secret weapon: Lil Jon. The Avilas and Spears are quick to praise each other and their behind-the-scenes collaborators. “You hear people say, ‘I don’t know how you three did it, but, man, this music sounds amazing.'” Spears finds a consistent theme from concertgoers. The results belie the fact that there are but three players on the stage. “We wanted to make sure the songs sounded like an army,” Spears says. “We treated this show like we were literally producing one long song.” Teamwork Makes the Dream WorkĮach member is key to bringing the songs to life. “It’s geared by how me and my brother craft records as producers more than anything, not as musical directors,” he says. IZ explains that this smoothness is by design. “From start to finish, everybody is on their feet standing up, singing every single word, dancing.” “We wanted things to morph into each other, so people aren’t noticing a bunch of starts and stops-keep the party moving.” From the drummer’s seat, the seamless, club-style approach to the set was an instant success. “The vibe is to make sure the music keeps rolling,” Spears explains. He underlines the fact that the Vegas residency-broken into four separate sections-differs from a traditional Usher show. An in-demand player, he’s held down the throne for Backstreet Boys, the American Idol touring band, and dozens of other headliners. Drummer Aaron Spears has been with Usher since 2003. The show is a community, humanity healing, a medicine,” posits Bobby.Īlong with Lil Jon, the trio refined the setlist in a Los Angeles studio before connecting with the dancers and staging to shape the finished product. “Vegas lends itself to something bigger than us. Moreover, with the challenges in the world, the moment felt right for the positive energy of an Usher residency. We made sure we brought something impactful beyond anything Vegas had seen prior.” “To have that melting pot of creativity to stand this show up was extremely beneficial,” he says. IZ Avila explains that bringing the Usher show to the strip was a team effort. Their discography overflows with hits for the likes of Janet Jackson and Gwen Stefani. Indeed, the talented siblings have a golden touch. IZ and Bobby worked with Usher on the career-defining megahit Confessions, and the latter has been a staple of the singer’s band since the early ’00s. “Las Vegas is now the place where it’s like, ‘You’ve arrived.’” Bobby and his brother know more than a little about arriving themselves. “Seeing Prince at the Rio, DJ AM, Steve Aoki-this was the hot spot for entertainment and music,” says Bobby Avila.
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