Top weekend shows: Usher, Roots, Skatalites
Usher: The R&B star shifted to a more mature, ballad-oriented sound a couple years ago, but when that approach was met with indifference, he revved up the libido-charged sound of his youth and returned to the charts with his latest album, “Raymond v. Raymond,” 8 p.m. Friday with Trey Songz at Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Rd., Rosemont, Ill., $29.50, $49.50, $65, $85, $125; ticketmaster.com.
Roots: Despite their regular gig as house band on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” the Philadelphia hip-hop juggernaut has put out two studio albums this year -- a solid collection of soul covers with John Legend (“Wake Up!”) and the terrific “How I Got Over,” one of the best releases in their two-decade career, 7 p.m. Saturday at House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn, $50, $65, $80; livenation.com.
Skatalites: A legendary force in Jamaican music and pioneers of ska – a precursor to reggae -- this ensemble still delivers a first-rate horn-fueled dance party. It should be a great way to conclude the three-day Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, 6 p.m. Sunday with Daphne Willis, Go Long Mule and others at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Av., $15; lincolnhallchicago.com.
greg@gregkot.com