Usher’s dinner party rule: Don’t come empty-handed, but don’t bring potato salad

Usher’s Las Vegas residency at the MGM is the latest Vegas success story. I keep hearing that his show is incredible and he’s got A-listers making the trek to Las Vegas just to sit front-row at his shows. To promote the residency (and he just likes to chat), Usher spoke to The Cut about party rules, drinking and vacations. Some highlights:

His dinner-party rules: “Don’t come empty handed. If you come to a dinner party, I think it’s appropriate to bring something. Napkins, a bottle of Rémy. Not everybody likes your potato salad, so don’t bring that. But bring something. I think that’s just a natural thing of etiquette, something to just say, “Hey, let’s celebrate together, and I brought this in honor for this moment that we have together.”

His pre-show rituals: “I warm up, I work out, try to eat light, and we say a prayer and go. When I say we, I mean my entire cast, not just core dancers, but the entire staff. We meet backstage right before we go onstage and say a prayer, making sure everybody’s safe while we are here to put good energy in the room. It’s helpful, I’ve been doing it for years; it gives people that feeling that it’s like family.”

His No. 1 rule for a night out drinking: “Before, it’s a sip. Afterward, it’s a gulp.”

Party rules: “Don’t let friends drink alone. That one gets you in trouble every time, but we drink together and in that moment we just have a little fun.”

He loves to skate: “It ain’t about how many times you fall, it’s about how quick you get back up. And also what you learned from the fall. Skating is like a metaphor for life. Skating helps you stay young; it takes you back to your childhood, when you had less cares in the world. I think we spend so much time on our phones, it’s a bit hard to just release, relax, and let go of that device. You’re kind of forced to disconnect from that and just reconnect with yourself.

His rule for tailoring suits: “I got to have a gusset in the pants because I need to move. I build out every suit to accommodate my dancing, not just the look of it. I want you to feel me, but I ain’t really trying to have you feel me, feel me. That’s one golden rule.

[From The Cut]

I agree that it’s simply good etiquette to bring something to a dinner party. I disagree that you shouldn’t try to do something homemade though! It depends on whether or not you can cook and whether or not your potato salad is any good. But if you don’t want to risk it, yes, just bring napkins or a bottle of wine or a gift for the host/hostess. My tip: make a batch of brownies (real brownies, not pot brownies) and put them in a nice tin. Maybe people will eat the brownies at the dinner party, or maybe they’re just for the host. As for the drinking rules… I’m the same age as Usher and I have no idea how he can still drink before and after his shows and still work like that AND party like that. My ass would need to dry out and go to bed.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.