Korean boy band INFINITE completed their world tour with their last stop at the Manhattan Center in New York on November 16. The lineup to enter the venue started as early as 3 p.m. while the concert was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Inspirits, the official name for their fans, met up in the bustling city and once they entered the venue a projector played INFINITE’s music videos while they waited.
Michael Perales, a fellow inspirit, attended the concert to see his favorite K-pop band, traveling from Florida to New York. He was able to give information about his experience as well as numerous photos of the concert. He explained he purchased the early entrance ticket but the venue was still packed with fangirls screaming for their favorite members. He added that it was calm in the beginning but the moment INFINITE came out with their recent comeback song “Destiny” the fans began to push to the front. Despite the chaotic scene and the transition to the next song, he was able to move around to get closer, taking photos and trying to get their attention.
INFINITE tried to interact with their fans by waving at them and speaking English when they were given a short break. It was hard to understand what they were saying but the fact that they made the effort to speak with their international fans touched hearts. One of the members, Woohyun, interacted with the fans by going to the balcony level, giving one lucky fan a rose and kneeling down to hug her.
The seven-member group mixed their dance tracks and ballads, adding solo stages and sub-units for the three-hour concert. Perales said the concert felt like it went by quickly and there weren’t any dull moments.
One of the things that stood out to Perales was how INFINITE members Woohyun and Sunggyu sounded better in person rather than listening to them on an album. He also commented that INFINITE didn’t look real and believed they were robots until they started to sweat from the bright lights.
During the break, some of the INFINITE members looked upset because their fans weren’t listening to them. Dongwoo, one of the group’s main dancers, had to gesture to them to calm down but it didn’t work. The fans were still yelling and pushing others around. Perales was in the pit area and recalled that there were fans leaving because it was too crowded while some fainted or were being pushed down and trampled. Security did their best to control the crowd. Although the behavior was unacceptable, Perales admitted the concert was worth it. He wasn’t disappointed in the performance despite the rowdy crowd and he would take the chance to see them again.
INFINITE ended their concert with heart-felt speeches and performed their last song “With…” as they closed the chapter on their first world tour.
Here are some of INFINITE’s music videos:
Photo Credit: Michael Perales
Video Credit: Woolliment