2 Months, 3 Kpop Concerts - Live Music is Back

Live music is back and I have been taking advantage of it to the max. In the past two months, I’ve gone to three different Kpop concerts: ONEUS in New York, Eric Nam, also in New York (different venue though), and, finally, BTS in Las Vegas. I love all three of these artists so much. BTS and ONEUS are two of my top three favorite current groups of the last 7 or 8 years, not even kpop, just in general. And Eric Nam was actually my very very first introduction to kpop – I heard an interview with him before I even heard of BTS – and remains one of my favorite pop artists.

Some of my friends have asked me which was my favorite, and honestly, I don’t have one. All three were such drastically different experiences. All three of which were such an amazing experience as a fan, both seeing them live and seeing and being with all the other fans there. Here is my take on the concerts themselves and my next post will be some of the things I’ve learned and tips for future concerts you may go to.

ONEUS
This was my first concert since COVID, my first kpop concert and honestly, the first concert I’ve gone to solo ever. I was anxious basically every step of preparation – getting ready, being too far back in line, awkwardly standing alone waiting for the concert to start. I had I lucked out and my hotel was literally across the street from the venue, which definitely helped, although it made me a bit complacent in my prep right before the concert.

It was a small concert venue, and I don’t think it was sold out, so even though I was further back than I’d have liked, we could all see the shapes of the members getting on stage while the lights were off – and started screaming immediately, before the lights were on and the music started. The next hour and a half involved several hundred of us jumping, yelling and scream-singing. And although I wasn’t quite close enough to get a personal wave from any member, I was pretty dang close to them.

The ONEUS concert was their first concert in their US tour and being so close I could see the sheer joy on their faces, performing and seeing us all cheering and sceam-singing along with them. If I had to describe the experience of this concert in one word, it would be joyous.

Eric Nam
This was the second concert and going into it I was much more comfortable. It was only 10 days after the ONEUS concert, and also in NYC and also in Manhattan so every aspect of concert prep and to an extent the concert itself was just more comfortable for me. I went to Eric Nam by myself, but by some stroke of luck, immediately in front of and behind me in line were other women going solo. We bonded and were concert buddies for the rest of the night.

The Eric Nam concert was way more crowded, a sold-out crowd in a bigger venue, and also much more what one might expect from a concert. Much less personal space and more jostling – although I magically ended up smack in the middle of the stage closer to the front than the back, which was fantastic. There were more signs, and a person in the crowd even fainted during the warm-up act, which was pretty worrisome. But the performance and the energy were incredible. Eric Nam is both a great artist and extremely charming. He’s also American so there were no translation lags or awkwardness with interacting with the crowd. Most of all the concert was a combination of him being charming and talented and the sheer intense energy of the crowd.

Coming out of the concert I was amped up to the MAX. I called my mom to tell her all about the concert and was just going a mile a minute, I was so hyped up and excited. If I needed to describe the Eric Nam concert experience for me in one word, it would be hype. 

BTS
Seeing BTS live was a next level experience. It’s been a few weeks since the concert and a part of brain still goes “omg we actually saw them live! I can’t believe that really happened!” Unlike the other two concerts, I went to this one with my mom, who is also ARMY. It’s definitely a lot of fun and a different experience going to a concert with someone, rather than solo. It was also a whole weekend experience. We went to a photo exhibit of how the show was put together, from rehearsal to the end of a show itself, the day before. After that we bought our merch and scoped out the stadium so we had a good bead on what to do for the actual concert.

The concert itself was phenomenal. My focus was shifted between the members on stage, the giant screens showing the concert, and the crowd itself. The crowd was in so many way part of the performance. Screaming, singing, and interacting of course, but also in the production. Most of the fans, including me had ARMY bombs, lightsticks that you electronically sync with the concert, so they glow different colors and even spell out BTS and ARMY during the concert. One particularly powerful moment for me was when they did the song Idol, and I was standing there singing along with tens of thousands of fans the line “You can’t stop me loving myself.” As someone who struggles with that, that communal statement of self-love moved me deeply. And that’s just one of the moments and the songs.

The BTS concert was a truly incredible experience. Everything about it – the venue, the production, the fans, the size, and of course, the music and men themselves – was just on another plane. Which is no shade on the other concerts/artists I saw – those were amazing performances and incredible experiences. It’s just that seeing the biggest band in the world is seeing the Biggest Band in the WORLD.

In Conclusion
It’s impossible to compare three such different concerts. The venues, groups, and stans were so different and I loved all three concerts so much. Now when certain songs come on my mind just takes me back to being there and seeing the performance. It’s important to be safe and healthy during concerts – all of them were masked and the two in NYC also required proof of vaccination to attend. And I remain a huge advocate for streaming concerts online – it opens so many doors to watch groups you otherwise wouldn’t get to see perform. There is something special about being at a concert though. I’m so excited that live music is back, and even though these were my first three concerts in years (and my first solo concerts!) I can guarantee they won’t be my last.