Minneapolis, MN
Review: Why was R&B icon Usher such a big tease in Minneapolis?
As the sound of electronic hand claps echoed throughout Target Center on Saturday night, R&B megastar Usher emerged at the top of a giant LED cube onstage. Oops. That wasn’t Usher. Then he showed up on a side-stage video screen, but not in person. C’mon. Finally, Usher arrived for real from beneath the stage, a wide-brimmed fedora obscuring his face, to deliver “Coming Home.”
What a tease, that Usher.
He teased throughout his relentless two-hour Past Present Future Tour concert that arrived in Minneapolis for a two-night stand. It was a frenetically paced, often exciting show that showcased Usher’s all-around talents as a supple singer, dynamic dancer, sparkling showman and, let’s be honest, irresistible tease.
Usher’s polished, highly entertaining spectacle bookended a week in Minneapolis that commenced with Stevie Wonder’s loose, musically magnificent and uplifting get-out-the-vote performance. The concerts provided a historical perspective on R&B: In the 1960s and ‘70s, Wonder serenaded about love and social issues while Usher’s updated brand from the ‘90s and this century is a lot sexier than “I Just Called To Say I Love You.”
In fact, to the surprise of none of the 14,000 fans at jam-packed Target Center, Usher got a little freaky in a strip-club setting during “Can U Handle It.” The singer tantalized female fans sitting in a choice section inside the club, dangling maraschino cherries over their lips. OMG every woman snatched one with her mouth. What a tease. And a gentleman of sorts, I guess. In some cases, Usher gave the cherries to husbands/boyfriends to do the honor.
Like LeBron James, who is about to turn 40 next month, Usher, 46, is amazingly still at the top of his game after a long run. Strikingly buff (he pulled off his tank top in mid-show), Usher danced with more ambition, articulation and athleticism than any other living bigtime singer who essays movement onstage. Locking and popping, stutter stepping, and moon-walking on roller skates, he did it all.
Vocally, Usher traveled from an intimate croon (“Confessions”) to an emphatic belt (“Yeah!”) with a sassy entreaty in between (“Bad Girl”) and, of course, a sweet falsetto (“Superstar”). To be fair, he may have been singing to tracks when he was exerting some strenuous dance moves.
And, as a showman, Usher created various transfixing tableaux onstage, from a roller rink to a living room with romantic drama, complemented by a series of runway-worthy outfits including a red floor-length faux-fur coat and a rhinestone-encrusted blue leather jacket emblazoned with Future Present Past on the back.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A 23-year-old Minneapolis man was sentenced Wednesday to 102 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
Prosecutors said Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan tried to travel from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Somalia in December 2024 to join and fight for the foreign terrorist organization.
ISIS has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. secretary of state since 2014.
According to court documents cited by federal prosecutors, Hassan consumed and reposted ISIS propaganda, obtained bombmaking and weapons-related manuals, and communicated on social media with ISIS media wings and recruiters operating in Somalia.
The U.S. attorney’s office said Hassan bought a one-way ticket, left Minneapolis for Chicago on Dec. 29, 2024, and was prevented from continuing to Somalia after an interview by Customs and Border Protection’s Tactical Terrorism Response Team.
Prosecutors said he later continued researching ISIS attacks and posting pro-ISIS content online before the FBI arrested him on Feb. 27, 2025.
Hassan pleaded guilty Sept. 29, 2025, before Judge Donovan W. Frank, who imposed the sentence on April 22.
In the announcement, FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson said, “Abdisatar Hassan took active steps in an attempt to join and support ISIS—a brutal foreign terrorist organization responsible for the violent deaths of thousands of innocent people.”
He added that the sentence “takes a would-be terrorist off the streets and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will unremittingly pursue anyone seeking to join or support a foreign terrorist organization.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Customs and Border Protection and the New York Police Department.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis salon is turning heads by mixing rock and roll with haircuts, creating a one-of-a-kind experience for music lovers.
A salon where music and haircuts go hand in hand
What we know:
HiFi Hair and Records sits on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, marked by a leopard print awning and a vibe that’s all about community through music.
“I tried to model it after a barbershop,” said Jonny Clifford, owner of the salon.
Clifford opened the shop in 2011, inspired by his father who introduced him to music and was battling terminal cancer at the time.
The salon brings together the hum of blow dryers and the sounds of rock and roll, with Clifford saying, “Music is the uniter. Most everyone who is alive today grew up on rock and roll.”
He added a record store the following year, letting customers browse new and used vinyl and CDs while waiting for their appointment.
“I jokingly refer to it as the coolest waiting room in the city,” said Clifford.
The shop is filled with memorabilia from music legends like Elvis, David Bowie and The Monkees. There’s even a wall dedicated to Minnesota’s local music scene.
Clifford said, “We’ve got Bobby V who I think never gets enough credit for his contributions to music in Minnesota.”
Clifford’s journey from punk haircuts to community hub
Why you should care:
Clifford started cutting hair in the early 1980s because he and his friends in southwest Minneapolis couldn’t afford the punk haircuts they wanted.
Now, he not only looks the part—”Ronny Wood, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, I’m always like old Keith Richards or young Keith Richards”—but he helps others feel like rock stars too.
“People are like make me look like a rock star and that is sort of a universal term right. Everyone wants to look like a rock star,” said Clifford.
His goal is simple:
“If I can make a living and raise my family, pay my bills, have a business and be a part of a community, that is important to me. I win. That’s everything,” said Clifford.
He is passionate about giving a boost to local musicians, saying, “I think they need it more. I love Lady Gaga and The Rolling Stones, but they are doing fine. Our local people haven’t made it national yet. They could use a voice. They could use a boost, and they need to be heard.”
The salon’s rhythm is all about joy, music and community, and Clifford plans to keep it going.
“Til I kick over. I’ll probably be back standing behind the chair. And someone will complain I didn’t finish their haircut,” said Clifford.
HiFi Hair and Records continues to be a place where music and style meet, giving Minnesota’s music scene a little extra volume.
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