My First K-Pop Concert
At the end of spring semester last year, one of my best friends, Emilie, asked me if I would go to a concert with her. She told me she would cover the cost of the ticket and all I would have to do is tag along. Now, as someone who never says no to free stuff, I immediately said yes.
The concert in question was an eight member male K-pop group called ATEEZ. I was a fan of a few of their songs (courtesy to Emilie) and I knew that, no matter what, I would at least know and rock out to some of their setlist.
The months leading up to the concert were exciting! Emilie was telling me all about their last tour that she went to, of course making me look forward to seeing them live. I bought my concert outfit and listened to that setlist nonstop. This group was important to Emilie and I knew I had to dedicate myself to them a little more to make sure she (and myself, of course) had the best time.
The day of the concert finally arrived. July 16th at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. As soon as we parked, we ran into some super nice people, which we ended up hanging out with until the concert started. They stood with us in the merch line for almost four hours before the show started. It was a LONG wait. However, the amount of freebies I received from the super sweet fans made up for it. I ended up getting three official photocards from my wait outside. Two from something called Atiny Zone (which is the fanbase name) and one from buying a shirt from the merch stand.
After entering the venue, and finding our seats, we were able to watch some of their official music videos, as well as connect with some more sweet fans. The two of us took some pictures in front of the stage and then sat until the show began. Emilie was quite excited for the show to begin and she was definitely rubbing off on me. This was my first K-pop concert ever and I was on the edge of my seat for their performance.
The show began with one of their most iconic songs called “BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)”, which was one of the first songs of theirs I ever listened to. My first impression of them singing live was already through the roof, as their choreographed dancing and live voices were very impressive. Even songs of theirs which I had only heard off the setlist, such as “Blind”, “THANXX”, and “Outlaw”, were amazing to watch. I immediately fell in love with them and fully understood Emilie’s connection with them. I knew this would be something we both could connect with after the concert was done.
Like any concert, especially one on a scale like this, I felt as though I had blacked out and I could hardly remember anything other than having fun. However, looking back at my videos has been helpful. I think some of my favorite songs were “Legacy (YEOSANG)”, “Lemon Drop”, “In Your Fantasy”, and “WORK”, which is actually the first song my best friend got me obsessed with.
My Take on Post-Concert Depression
One song I did not expect to like as much as I did was “Now this house ain’t a home”. This song in particular was one I didn’t really like when I heard it for the first time. I thought it was nice but it didn’t really stick out to me. However, the way they framed it in the concert was really sweet and it really made me pause a second to take everything in.
I remember sitting back in my seat and watching my best friend live in the moment. Witnessing her joy was everything to me and I think of her every time I listen to the song. From the moment I met her she has become one of the most important people in my life and I do believe we are soulmates in some sense.
When the concert was over, and we were safely home, all we could do was open all of our freebies and fangirl over the sets, members, and dances. I was on a concert high! During the concert I recorded one of their most iconic songs, “Guerilla”, on my 3DS, which we watched back multiple times. It was truly a night I will never forget (even if I can’t remember every detail in full).
As cheesy as this may sound, I think one of the most precious things you can do with someone is experience a first. Whether it’s the first time you read a book or watch a show, the magic of doing something the first time can never be topped. Having this first K-pop concert with Emilie, who loves this group as much as she does, meant a lot to me, and now, as I am a full fledged fan, we both have something to get excited about. I owe my joy about this group to her.