Over a hundred lucky fans attended a fan-made experience and live concert at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, Texas on May 7.
Organized by Samsung Electronics America, they partnered with the South Korean boy band ENHYPEN to produce a one of a kind experience for ENGENES (ENHYPEN’s fandom name).
According to Samsung Newsroom U.S., the event was hosted in collaboration with creator/executive producer William Swann and Emmy award-winning director Mark A. Ritchie to produce the first live K-pop experience in IMAX® theaters. ENHYPEN is only the fourth artist to ever be live streamed to IMAX® .
The event placed an emphasis on the innovative features of Galaxy AI which includes “circle to search, photo assist, interpreter, live translate,” and more. Not only would fans have an opportunity to see ENHYPEN live and in a personal setting, but the announcement also teased the foreshadowing of giveaways and other surprises.
Lucky attendees had to enter the Galaxy FanMade giveaway for a chance to win tickets and winners were able to bring one guest along with them. The contest opened on April 10 and closed on April 18. Additionally, fans also had the option to register for a chance to watch the performance in IMAX® theaters (available in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, and Seattle).
A Highly Anticipated Evening
Proving the event was highly anticipated from the get go, by 2:30p.m. a line of over 93 people had already formed in Sammons Park across from the AT&T Performing Arts Center, even though check-in began at 5:00p.m.
Fans formed a line as they waited to check-in, in hopes that entry to the center would be on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, as the check-in time grew closer, fans were informed by a staff member that although their enthusiasm was appreciated, at the time of check-in attendees would be given both wristbands and their number of entry from the event staff at random.
Although some of those in line seemed upset about the news, given that they had been waiting in line for over two hours in the Texas heat–many of the fans seemed relieved by the fact they could relax or take a seat nearby.
The event staff were in the process of setting up for the pre-show, which was scheduled to run from 4:30p.m. to 6:30p.m. Due to the fact fans now knew that their entry would be assigned to them at random, it allowed for them to leave the line, enjoy other facets of the event, and meet their fellow ENGENE in attendance.
Photo Walls, Games and Snacks Galore
The pre-show event in Sammons Park was decked out with colorful decorations, two flower-filled walls for photo opportunities, and tables with orange and pink table cloths–giving the event a refreshing summer feel.
By the DJ booth, figurines of orange flowers were also set up, on par with ENHYPEN’s song from their 2023 album, Orange Blood, “Orange Flower (You Complete Me).” Due to their only being a limited number of tables, there were also orange blankets available for fans to lay out in the grass.
An array of beverages and popular Korean snacks were available for free at the pre-show including snacks from the Korean brand, Orion (Turtle Chips) and Nongshim (Shrimp Crackers, Banana Kick).
For beverage options, there were three ENHYPEN-themed mocktails available. Each was made with Red Bull and other fruit flavors. I had the “Sacrifice,” which was a mix of the Red Bull Blue Edition (Blueberry), club soda, and lemon juice. It was more sour than the other options, but refreshing!
The photo walls seemed to be a hit, as it was difficult to find them empty. Attendees also enjoyed playing mini-golf in the designated area, Jenga, and Connect 4.
This photo was taken with the S24 Ultra.
As ENGENE mingled and enjoyed the ENHYPEN playlist being played by the DJ, a couple fans also performed some choreography to “Bite Me,” drawing a small crowd to watch them.
Fans were also able to meet some of the Samsung staff present at the event and learn features of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. In talking to some of the staff and learning about the features myself, I found the circle to search and quick share especially impressive.
Circle to search works by holding the home key of the phone and circling the item of interest. Once you take your finger off the screen, the web search begins, allowing you to easily identify items. In my case, I could see this coming in handy to identify certain clothing or accessories–which can be hard to identify with a glance alone.
Quick Share is essentially an easy way to share photos, videos or files with your friends and family. It’s relatively similar to the Airdrop feature, but includes an easily scannable QR code as a way to quickly receive media from another person.
There’s more to say about how impressed I was with the Galaxy S24’s photo quality–especially when it comes to capturing concerts. However, during the pre-show I was able to see both how clear the photos come out on the phone, and how they don’t lose quality when using the quick share feature, even when sharing to a person without a Galaxy.
On Samsung’s website, they list the features of the phone to have features including the following:
- 50 Megapixel multi-camera system
- 3X Zoom
- AI-powered photo editing
- Instant slow-mo
- Super HDR
The Main Event
This photo was taken with the S24 Ultra.
The concert started at 7pm, beginning first with an introduction and greeting by host for the evening, JoJo Wright (host of iHeartRadioCountdown).
Fans filled the Wyly Theatre in the event center, taking up most of the first and second floor. According to the AT&T Performing Arts Center website, the Wyly Theatre has a (reception) capacity of 230. There was also a designated pit area, with closest access to the stage.
Before the band came out, Wright let the crowd in on a surprise for ENHYPEN and from ENGENE–a song called “Home,” which was produced by singer-songwriter Ryan Curtis and sung by him and Rob Grimaldi. The song contained fan-made choreography for the crowd to show ENHYPEN at a point in the show. Wright brought out the ENGENE choreographer herself and four other fans to teach the crowd the choreography, as the screen behind them played the song with accompanying lyrics.
Wright also let the crowd know that one lucky ENGENE in the crowd would be receiving a call from ENHYPEN to kick off the show. Excitement grew as the fans waited, looking around to see who would receive a call. As the lights began to change, the screen flickered and the music abruptly stopped. Fans chanted a continuous “ENHYPEN,” and sure enough–someone in the pit received a call from the band. The screen showed both the fan in the crowd excitedly picking up the call as the members appeared on the screen above the stage.
A few moments after, ENHYPEN came out, starting the night with “DRUNK-DAZED.” The screen and lights flashed red as the crowd loudly sang along, not missing a beat.
“DRUNK-DAZED” is an upbeat song with demanding choreography, including multiple jumps, floor work, and a part that involves a member (Ni-Ki) being lifted up by two of the other members. The energy was matched in the crowd, especially in the pit. Fans jumped to the beat as they sang along.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra did not disappoint in terms of capturing the band on stage. The zoom allowed for a clear and crisp view of the group, even as they moved around while performing. Although lighting can at times mess with the clearness of a photo, the exposure was easy to change before snapping the picture, allowing for a quick adjustment to get the best outcome.
The group also performed one of their Japanese singles “Blossom.” The song is a slower ballad with lyrics that talk about having strong emotions and an unbreakable bond. With the combination of the performance having a backdrop of blue and purple, the soft yellow lights above, and the illumination from the crowd holding up their flashlights from their phone, it made for a captivating performance.
Towards the middle of ENHYPEN’s performance, Wright came out to let the crowd know the surprise from ENGENE was about to be revealed, reminding fans to be ready to sing and do the accompanying choreography they practiced before the show.
After the group came back out on stage, the screen behind them began to play “Home,” and fans sang along as they did the choreography. ENHYPEN genuinely looked surprised, constantly shifting between glancing at the screen to see the lyrics and watching the crowd dance. They bopped their heads as the song played and let the crowd know they were thankful for the surprise.
The screen then changed, showing the details that partly make up why the event was called “Fan-Made.” All the elements that made up the event–from the snack choices, to the gifts given after the concert, to the fan art, to the choreography was made by five fans beforehand.
According to Billboard, elements of the event on May 7 will be seen in an upcoming documentary titled “FANMADE: ENHYPEN,” and will be produced by Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon’s multimedia company. The documentary will follow five female fans “as they co-create new material alongside the seven-man band.”
As the concert continued, members Heeseung, Sunoo, and Jay came out to do solo performances. Heeseung played piano as he performed an acoustic version of “Circles” by Post Malone (who was raised in Grapevine, near Dallas, TX). The performance definitely showed his strong vocal skills as he sounded stable and clear while singing.
Sunoo performed an acoustic version of ENHYPEN’s “Polaroid Love,” while playing the piano. Towards the end of the performance, he encouraged fans to sing along with him (and they did) making it all the more special.
Jay performed an electrifying cover of “Texas Flood,” originally sung by Dallas native Stevie Ray Vaughn. As he sat and confidently played the cover on electric guitar, the center lit up with blue lighting, adding an especially cool feel to the performance. Jay seemed to enjoy the performance, ending with a casual and cool “Thank you,” that heavily reminded me of Elvis’s signature phrase.
Later in the night, leader of the group Jungwon told the crowd Heeseung had been practicing for his solo stage consistently while the group has been on tour (for Fate Plus World Tour) on his own time.
ENHYPEN brought the show to a close through performing one of their title tracks from Orange Blood “Sweet Venom.” However, although they said their goodbyes, the crowd erupted with cheers as members came back out for their encore, performing “Orange Flower (You Complete Me)” and “SHOUTOUT.” The group seemed to have a lot of fun performing these songs, walking around to different sides of the stage and interacting with fans as they sang. The encore was a mix of sentimental and fun–bringing about both a calm sing along from the fans during “Orange Flower (You Complete Me” and a large amount of jumping as the group sung “SHOUTOUT.”
After the concert, fans were excited to see on their way out that there were gift bags available for them to commemorate the experience. The gift was a black and clear bag (perfect for an ENGENE’s next concert), a snack, and a fan-designed candle titled “Daydream.”
The personal element of having the main aspects of the event be created through collaborating with ENGENE, various activities at the pre-show, and of course, a live performance from ENHYPEN made for an excitement-filled evening. The Galaxy FanMade experience was true to its claim of being “one of a kind,” and the documentary will definitely be anticipated by ENHYPEN fans and K-pop enthusiasts alike.
This photo was taken with the S24 Ultra.