Before Usher hit Dreamville Festival stage, he dropped by this popular Chapel Hill bar
The night before Usher played his highly anticipated set at Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, he visited He’s Not Here — a popular outdoor bar in Chapel Hill.
The long-standing bar off Franklin Street shared a photo of the R&B artist that had been posted by songwriter-producer Johnta Austin. Usher and Austin are seen standing in front of a Bud Light sign and a sign with a blue-horned ram and under an awning with He’s Not Here painted on it.
Usher himself posted several photos and a video clip in his Instagram stories in front of the same sign. He smiles slyly as he sports sunglasses, a gold necklace and a black sleeveless T-shirt.
Austin posted another photo of the two entering the bar from outside, with Usher carrying a Starbucks cup in one hand. And a third photo simply showed a signature Blue Cup with the He’s Not Here logo.
“All My Heels alums know this spot,” Austin wrote.
Usher was scheduled to perform as the headline act Saturday night at J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival at Dorothea Dix Park. His set was scheduled to start at 9:50 p.m.
Home of the Blue Cup
The bar, which opened in 1972 as He’s Not Here on the Village Green, is known for its massive plastic cups that hold 32 ounces of draft beer and its outdoor beer garden. The bar’s website says other famous people have dropped by before, including Ed Sheeran and country star/UNC alum Chase Rice.
Austin’s post generated plenty of comments like “Legends” and #GDTBATH, for “Good day to be a Tar Heel.”
Once the photos were shared by Inside Carolina writer Ross Martin on Twitter, UNC fans generally freaked out, wondering how many Blue Cups he may have consumed, if any.
“What an unbelievable confession,” tweeted Johnny A.
“I am devastated I missed this,” tweeted Joe Chapman.
Added Patrick Griffin, “Only fitting that I have sang Usher at karaoke night there.”
Those who have experienced He’s Not, a rite of passage for any UNC student, were excited for the spotlight on the local favorite.
“Wow @Hes_Not_Here really made it! Is my blue cup a collectors item now,” tweeted Sara Urban.
Usher is a Grammy Award-winning artist known for millions of albums sold and hits like “Yeah!”, “Burn,” “Confessions Part II” and “Caught Up.”
Billboard ranked him No. 14 on their “Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists.” In recent years, he has had two residencies in Las Vegas and has been a coach on “The Voice.”
As the photos gained more traction on Twitter, Maxwell Millington perhaps summed up what everyone was thinking: “They have to change the name to ‘Usher was here’ now.”
This story was originally published April 1, 2023 at 5:48 PM.