Following a mega-successful first concert on Saturday, KCON was back at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 12 for the second and final show. KCON makes a point of always bringing the biggest names in K-pop, and KCON 2018 LA was no exception. While Twice and Wanna One were arguably the biggest […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_2404.jpg34565184Lily Dabbshttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngLily Dabbs2018-09-04 12:07:572018-09-04 12:12:20KCON 2018 LA ‘M! Countdown’ day 2 recap
Now that the waters have settled and we’ve collected ourselves, let’s talk about GOT7’s Eyes On You tour shall we? Fellow KultScene writer Tam Huynh and I were fortunate enough to attend more than one stop this time around (although she did the entire North American tour, but that’s a story for another day. In […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/GOT73.jpg40006016Alexis Hodoyan-Gastelumhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAlexis Hodoyan-Gastelum2018-08-31 09:11:322018-08-31 09:11:32GOT7’s ‘Eyes On You’ tour in Los Angeles vs. Mexico City: a comparison
Following a mega-successful first concert on Saturday, KCON was back at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 12 for the second and final show. KCON makes a point of always bringing the biggest names in K-pop, and KCON 2018 LA was no exception. While Twice and Wanna One were arguably the biggest […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_2404.jpg34565184Lily Dabbshttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngLily Dabbs2018-09-04 12:07:572018-09-04 12:12:20KCON 2018 LA ‘M! Countdown’ day 2 recap
Now that the waters have settled and we’ve collected ourselves, let’s talk about GOT7’s Eyes On You tour shall we? Fellow KultScene writer Tam Huynh and I were fortunate enough to attend more than one stop this time around (although she did the entire North American tour, but that’s a story for another day. In […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/GOT73.jpg40006016Alexis Hodoyan-Gastelumhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAlexis Hodoyan-Gastelum2018-08-31 09:11:322018-08-31 09:11:32GOT7’s ‘Eyes On You’ tour in Los Angeles vs. Mexico City: a comparison
Following a mega-successful first concert on Saturday, KCON was back at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 12 for the second and final show. KCON makes a point of always bringing the biggest names in K-pop, and KCON 2018 LA was no exception. While Twice and Wanna One were arguably the biggest acts for Night One, Night Two belonged to Seventeen, Pentagon, and Chung Ha.
Kicking off the show, rock girl group Dreamcatcher took the stage. They performed their newest single “You & I” from their mini album Escape the Era. Throughout their performance, Dreamcatcher constantly showed a unique hybrid form of K-pop and rock music. With such a distinct sound, Dreamcatcher was the one to watch for many concertgoers. They seemed to satisfy the crowd, amassing screams for their whole set. To close it out, the septet performed their 2017 single “Good Night.”
courtesy of CJ ENM
After Dreamcatcher had everyone doing their best air guitar moves, it was IMFACT’s turn. As KCON was their debut stateside performance, they went all out showing every side of themselves to their fans. They started off their performance with the debut of their newest single, “NaNaNa,” which hadn’t even been released at that time. It was a great way to introduce themselves to the crowd as the track has a very chill chorus and a tropical feel. Next, IMFACT performed their biggest hit so far, the high-energy synth-pop song “The Light,” which was released in April 2018. The crowd danced along and everyone seemed to like their performance. If IMFACT comes back to the U.S. soon, they will definitely have some new fans in the crowd that were introduced to them through KCON.
Another one of the night’s most popular performers was Pentagon, a group that had grown substantially in popularity throughout the past six months with their hit song “Shine.” Due to some unfortunate circumstances, the group was missing two members during their trip to the U.S. but fortunately, fans still gave Pentagon a lot of support both before and during their time here. They employed the help of fellow performer and violinist Jun to begin their performance with a short intro to “Shine.” The extremely popular song was exciting to see live; many people in the massive crowd were singing along and doing the addictive choreography. It was clear that Pentagon had gained their popularity for good reason. Their performance was positive and energetic, but still allowed them to connect with their fans and create an intimate experience.
courtesy of CJ ENM
One vulnerable moment was when the boys spread out to each end of the stage to perform their gentle ballad, “Beautiful.” Although a lot of Universe (Pentagon’s fanbase) brought their lightsticks, even the people that didn’t have official Pentagon lightsticks used their phones or other groups’ lights to sway along to the music. Following the intimate feel of “Beautiful,” Pentagon brought us back to their tough concept with “Runaway.” The song describes an intense, rough relationship, which is unfortunately what Pentagon’s fans are going through with the group and their company these days. Thankfully, if you did not know about the drama surrounding Pentagon at this moment, you would not be clued into it just by watching their performance. It was clear at KCON 2018 LA that nothing can take away their passion and charisma on stage.
courtesy of CJ ENM
After lending his violin talent to Pentagon’s intro, Jun was back to show the audience his performance of his single “Hold It Down.” While his most popular content is on his Youtube channel, Jun showed that he is a great performer in real life too. The upbeat track was perfect to perform at such an energetic event; he utilized many backup dancers and really showed the song’s colorful vibe well. His set was only the one song, which was disappointing but was a great teaser for what’s to come from Jun.
courtesy of CJ ENM
Finally, back in the States as a solo artist, Chung Ha was one of the most highly anticipated artists. She hadn’t performed here since KCON 2016 LA with the Produce 101-formed IOI, so everyone was really looking forward to her appearance. Being one of Korea’s biggest female solo artists, it was no surprise that many guests at KCON were there to see her. Having an amazing year with two super popular comebacks, she was an artist that everyone was looking forward to. Chung Ha opened her set with her newest title track “Love U,” which had only come out about two weeks before and still had everyone singing along. Although she didn’t perform her debut song “Why Don’t You Know,” she still kept everyone’s attention by performing her January hit “Roller Coaster.” A vibrant, fun song with an easy melody, it was a great way to close her set.
Keeping the girl power vibe going, KCON welcomed rookie group Fromis_9 to the stage to show their spirit. Flipping from the sexy, mature vibe that Chung Ha is a master of, the younger group displayed their cute concept with their songs “DKDK” and “Glass Shoes.” Unlike most groups formed on reality shows, Fromis_9 is a permanent group, and it is obvious that they have improved a lot since Idol School aired. They showed immediate charm and were super sweet. For girls that started their career not too long ago, it was surely surreal for them to be on the same stage as so many powerhouse seniors, although by now they have performed at many events and are definitely earning their stripes. Hopefully, Fromis_9 will visit the states again soon with more fresh, bubbly music to share!
courtesy of CJ ENM
Next up was Roy Kim, who is known for his laid-back music, and KCON is a place that doesn’t normally emphasize a chill atmosphere. Typically every performer is trying to get the crowd hyped up and dancing like crazy, but Roy Kim is an exception to that. It was refreshing to have a moment in the lineup where there was no choreography to dance along to, just a guy and his guitar and his soothing melodies. Roy started his set with his ballad “Only Then,” which was released in February. He then continued with a cover of Damien Rice’s “The Blower’s Daughter,” which he frequently performs when he has a chance to. It’s a cover well-liked by his fans around the world due to the way he nails the emotion in the song. He concluded his part of the night by performing his biggest hit to date, “Bom Bom Bom.” The sweet, summery feel of the song, with its title that translates to “Spring Spring Spring,” was a great way to finish his set.
courtesy of CJ ENM
No KCON is complete without a few special surprises, and there were some great ones in store for the final night of KCON LA. Seventeen are now veterans of attending KCON, as this was their fourth appearance at a KCON event. They know how it works, and they especially know how to get the crowd fired up. They did just that with their special unit stage performances when each of the three units from the group performed one of their songs, most of which rarely, if ever, get performed outside of concerts. The vocal unit performed “Don’t Listen in Secret” off of their 2016 full album Going Seventeen. The powerful ballad was completely different from the hip-hop and Performance unit choices, but it fit in perfectly. Speaking of hip-hop unit, they were on stage next to perform their unreleased song “SUKYO,” which had previously only been performed at their Ideal Cut concert series in Korea. The explosive rap track was a stark contrast to the delicate and sweet song choice of vocal unit. Continuing the sexy, upbeat vibe, the performance unit was the last of Seventeen’s three units to grace the stage, and their choice of special song was 2017’s “Lilili Yabbay,” also known as “The 13th Month’s Dance.”
courtesy of CJ ENM
If you thought special stages were just for the boys, fortunately, you’re wrong! The female acts of the night were back on stage and ready to show a different side of themselves for the special stage titled “Midnight Fantasy Garden.” Dreamcatcher performed a full group dance cover of “Havana” by Camila Cabello, which they had previously posted on YouTube with only two members participating (Sua and Dami). After “Havana,” Fromis_9 appeared at the opposite end of the stage to cover Missy Elliott’s “WTF.” It was a big departure from Fromis_9’s sweet, girly vibe and was really exciting to witness. They killed the choreography and showed some major versatility, if only for a few minutes. Chung Ha then took to the middle of the stage to perform some sultry choreography with a backup dancer to Ariana Grande’s newest single “God is a Woman.” Chung Ha also shows a lot of versatility, and it is obvious that she truly deserves all of the hype and attention she gets for her dance ability. She works hard and it shows.
courtesy of CJ ENM
Nu’Est have had quite the interesting year, and it was subunit Nu’Est W up next. After four of their five members participated in Produce 101 season 2, and Minhyun was chosen to be in Wanna One, Nu’Est grew substantially in popularity. So Pledis and Nu’Est decided to form a subunit (Nu’Est W) so they could utilize that popularity while Minhyun is participating in Wanna One promotions. This subunit has done extremely well, and it has been exciting to see them flourish after many years of being in a nugu-like state in Korea. I goes without saying that for their first trip to the US as a subunit, Nu’Eest W was a highly anticipated performer. They began their set with the sensual “Deja Vu,” which was released in June of this year. Nu’Est W maintained the sultry feeling with the more amped-up “Where You At,” their debut single as a subunit. They also performed “Polaris” from Nu’Est W’s mini album Who, You as well as “Look” from Nu’Est’s 2016 album Canvas.
Although Seventeen had technically already performed once during Night 2, their special stage was nothing compared to their full set. Kicking off the full Seventeen experience, the thirteen-member group performed their title track from August’s You Make My Day mini album, “Oh My!” With video-game inspired choreography and cuter feel than their other recent titles, “Oh My!” is a fun escape. The boys then performed the b-side “Our Dawn Is Hotter Than Day” from the same mini album, which also has a fun, pleasant feel. Switching it up to their rookie days, Seventeen surprised the audience by performing their 2015 hit “Mansae.” The energetic track was a great pick to play because every K-pop fan knows the melody and probably a bit of the choreography too!
courtesy of CJ ENM
Fortunately, Seventeen’s discography thus far is full of hits, so their next song was a great choice too. They ended their set (too soon) with the 2016 hit “Aju Nice (Very Nice)” from the repackage edition of their Love & Letter EP. An equally exciting and honestly irresistible song to dance to, “Aju Nice” made everyone get on their feet for one last dance party before the end of KCON 2018 LA. It was a bittersweet way to end the intense, amazing experience that is KCON. Every year KCON keeps getting bigger and this year’s events have continued to follow that trend. Who knows what will happen at next year’s KCON!
Did you attend KCON 2018 LA? Let us know your experience and thoughts on the concert in the comment section below. Be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_2404.jpg34565184Lily Dabbshttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngLily Dabbs2018-09-04 12:07:572018-09-04 12:12:20KCON 2018 LA ‘M! Countdown’ day 2 recap
Now that the waters have settled and we’ve collected ourselves, let’s talk about GOT7’s Eyes On You tour shall we? Fellow KultScene writer Tam Huynh and I were fortunate enough to attend more than one stop this time around (although she did the entire North American tour, but that’s a story for another day. In the meantime, check out when she hit up all the U.S. stops on the Turbulence tour), so we got a good understanding about how shows differ from city to city, and even country to country.
The Eyes On You tour began all the way back in July in Toronto and ran through Los Angeles, Houston, New York, and wrapped up in Mexico City on the 13th. This tour marked a series of firsts for GOT7. To name just a few, their first arena tour in North America; first K-pop group to play Barclays Center in New York and Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, which was also their first time in the country; and first JYP Entertainment group to hold an arena show in Los Angeles. It was truly a monumental tour for the guys, and I’m glad I got to witness some of it.
Though the journey began in Toronto, Tam and I linked up in LA and Mexico City. For Turbulence, I also did two stops (Miami and Los Angeles), but this time around, I wanted to experience a foreign fandom. I mean, we’ve all been there; all of our baby bird hearts have broken a little bit after realizing that the U.S. doesn’t get the same concerts that GOT7 puts on in Korea or even Thailand. And though this wasn’t exactly a show in Asia, I still wanted to see the differences between Mexican and USA ahgases, especially since I had already experienced a few K-pop shows in Mexico City.
Just as a disclosure: I’m Mexican, so I wholly understand the culture and the people. I also live in Los Angeles and have attended every GOT7 show in the city. In other words, I know what I’m talking about.
But anyway, you read the title; you read my four paragraph-long ramblings. So which stop was better? Let’s examine.
Los Angeles didn’t open the tour, Toronto did, but the boys had been in the city a few days prior to the show for interviews and whatnot. Though the performances didn’t lack energy, they did comment about having jet lag, which caused small, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mistakes. The members also commented that they were nervous. Maybe it was due to Mr. J. Y. Park himself was in attendance or all the industry people who were also checking out the show. But during their speaking moments, most of the guys — especially Mark— seemed more shy than usual and didn’t resort to their usual antics. For this tour, they all tried their best to speak the most English –especially Jinyoung, who should already have a B. A. in English for all I’m concerned.
Mexico City was a whole different story. It was the last night of the North American leg before they hit up South America. As aforementioned, this was GOT7’s first time in the country, so most of the members gave their all for their Mexican ahgases. The fact that their first visit was at an arena seemed to also energize their moods and want to give an above average performance —which they did! Though most notably to yours truly, Jaebum —who had been all smiles all tour, especially in Los Angeles— seemed to had toned it down, especially on his overexaggerated rendition of the “Stop, Stop It” choreography. Maybe he was tired? Who knows! But the overall performances seemed tighter than in LA. “Paradise” was way more synchronized in Mexico than in LA, for example.
Also, as someone who has only seen the group in the U.S., it was odd to see them speak only in Korean and not in English. Since the members have a better flow with each other speaking in Korean, the talking moments felt a bit more genuine and as if you were watching them on their YouTube shows. Jinyoung spoke way longer and his message to fans seemed deeper since he was able to say it Korean and have a translator relay the message in Spanish. However, they all said a few phrases in Spanish, like Bam Bam saying “Me encanta el ambiente el día de hoy” (I’m loving the mood today), and Jackson having an inexplicable inside joke with himself with the nickname “Pepe.”
Setlist
by Tam Huynh
Yes, I know that the setlist was the same throughout the entire tour. However, in Los Angeles, after jamming their souls away during the encore songs “Look (remix),” “Fly (remix),” and “Go Higher,” a few of the boys huddled up and decided they were doing one more song since it was a special night —much to Jinyoung’s dismay, who was already a step away from exiting the stage. JB and Bam Bam playfully asked the audience what we wanted to hear and then said they’d do “Just Right,” which wasn’t included in the original setlist. The boys took this song to continue their usual shenanigans on stage with their dancers and the fans. The choreography was nowhere in sight.
The rest of the tour unfortunately didn’t include a bonus track, including Mexico City.
Venue
by Tam Huynh
Being only the third K-pop act to perform ever here, GOT7 played the historic venue The Forum in Los Angeles. In the last few years, it underwent a renovation which resulted in the venue being state of the art. I don’t think GOT7 has ever sounded as good as they did here —even when they did KCON LA 2017 at the Staples Center. The sound and acoustics of the arena did the members’ justice.
Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, however, is notoriously known as the “plaza de los rebotes,” or the rebound plaza, meaning the sound bounces off the venue’s unique architecture unflatteringly. During their speaking moments, it was hard to hear them, or the translator, since the cheering drowned their voices quite easily.
Fan Energy
by Tam Huynh
I’ve been to a lot of K-pop concerts throughout the years and have gotten to experience seeing lots of different fandoms react to their faves. But I don’t think I’ve ever experienced the same energy like in Mexico City. It was utter insanity. Fans in Los Angeles are loud, sure, and they cheer for their faves. But Mexican fans, whew, I’d be surprised if they didn’t rupture their vocal chords. Sure, I blamed the venue’s acoustics for the less than perfect sound, but the fans screams and squeals were so loud at times, that that’s the only thing you heard. This, of course, came in handy on “Look” and “Never Ever” when it came down to the fan chants. GOT7’s names echoed and bounced off the entire arena in one big roar each time. And I think the members’ noticed, for they were all smiles throughout the entire show.
Los Angeles is always an amazing show given it’s Mark hometown, and the adopted one of the rest of the members. Fans here (me included), I think, are way more chill. We dance throughout the entire songs, both in sync with the choreography or just vibing with them. Sure screams are loud and the boys feel the love, but I have to say Mexico was next level in terms of passion. Maybe it was due to it being the first time seeing them in person, whereas LA gets them at least once a year. Nevertheless, while different, the love for GOT7 was not only visible, but palpable.
Though the LA and Mexico City stops had the same show on paper, they were both very different experiences. For me personally in terms of which I enjoyed the most or unbiasedly thought was a better performance varied depending on the different points I went through in the piece. Was a tween fan screaming her lungs out behind me? Did Jaebum stick his tongue out enough? Did Bam Bam come out with new memes to recreate? Did I feel the bass in my eardrums?
After taking into account each stop’s highlights, I’ve come to a conclusion. On comparing the concerts I experience in Los Angeles and in Mexico City, interacting with fans of different cultures and backgrounds, and seeing the boys behave differently depending on the country they were in, my conclusion is that they were both amazing shows!
I know, I know. You may think I’m cheating, but I’m not. I may have been annoyed half of the time in Mexico over the fans’ screams, but once I put it into perspective and realized that this was the first time they were seeing their bias group, I understood them. Same goes with LA. The boys weren’t as easygoing and turnt like in, say, New York, but it had to be weighing on them heavily just how monumental this particular show was for their careers and even as representatives of JYP.
The Eyes On You tour wasn’t perfect, but it was sure as hell a good time. The boys got to highlight the songs that they got to write and/or produce and they put on a show worthy of an internationally renowned pop act. This tour proved that GOT7 is only getting started and that we can only expect bigger and greater things from them.
Check out the rest of the pictures:
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Did you attend any of the stops on GOT7’s Eyes On You tour? Let us know your experience and thoughts in the comment section below. Be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/GOT73.jpg40006016Alexis Hodoyan-Gastelumhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAlexis Hodoyan-Gastelum2018-08-31 09:11:322018-08-31 09:11:32GOT7’s ‘Eyes On You’ tour in Los Angeles vs. Mexico City: a comparison
