Performing for a sold-out crowd of fans who know every lyric to your songs is something just about every artist must dream of. But how about a stadium full of fans who traveled to not only sing, but bark along (passionately) with you? Tomorrow X Together’s grand finale of the US leg of their ‘ACT : SWEET MIRAGE’ World Tour was as playful and dreamy as one can imagine!
On May 28, Tomorrow X Together took the stage for the second of two sold-out shows at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Early in the day, excitement floated in the air all throughout Exposition Park like a butterfly on a mission to get to a peaceful garden. Fans (known as MOAs, which stands for ‘Moments Of Alwaysness’) congregated on the lawn outside of the stadium to exchange handmade gifts, take pictures in front of various photo-op stations set up for the show, and listen to the band rehearse for their show.
As far as pre-show festivities went, the cherry on top was the ‘MOA ZONE’ – an area facing the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where MOAs could receive an exclusive concert photocard for free. The process was simple: MOAs would approach the area and show a staff member their concert ticket, as well as their active fanclub membership from Weverse. Once their information was verified, they would be able to select a random photocard from a stack!
Some lucky MOAs pulled a card with an image of Ppulverse, a character created by TXT. This granted them a full set of photocards of each member. Overall, the MOA ZONE was a fun activity to participate in before the show, and it was great to see so many activities to help celebrate the occasion unfold before my own eyes. Just a year ago, TXT embarked on their first world tour ‘ACT: LOVESICK,’ which included two sold-out LA shows at the Microsoft Theatre. To advance from performing at the 7,100 seat theatre to BMO’s 22,000 seat magnitude in only ten months is an accomplishment worth going all out for – and that’s exactly what happened both outside and inside the walls of the stadium.
Once the clock struck 7PM, it was time to be a part of TXT’s very sweet mirage. Light sticks began to flicker, screams echoed from each and every corner, and an abundance of serotonin flowed non-stop like beer at an Oktoberfest celebration. The quintet appeared on stage dressed like princes, appearing in front of visuals that featured a mystical castle. Immediately, the members stepped into formation to open the show with “Blue Hour,” complete with an electrifying dance interlude and a surprise burst of confetti.
Not long after, TXT changed into group-themed jerseys to get the audience moving even more with “No Rules” and the English version of “Cat & Dog.” Although the barking began long before the song started, TXT seemed to love every moment of it. In fact, they guided the crowd in multiple barks once the song concluded. Yeonjun also threw up an LA sign with his hands, green-lighting even more well-deserved barks!
The overall production of the show was perhaps one of TXT’s biggest glo-ups over the past year. It was a very cloudy day, and many concertgoers (including myself) could’ve sworn we’d get rained on at some point during the show. The clouds didn’t budge to set even one rain drop free, but the audience was still rained on (with confetti) multiple times throughout the night, and even foam meant to resemble snow flurries. Pink hundred dollar bills thrown to the front sections of the floor during “LO$ER=LO♡ER” have now become a highly coveted item within the fandom, and a keepsake valued just as much as legal tender by those who were lucky enough to snatch a bill.
The on-screen effects were also stellar, especially during Huening Kai’s dance solo after “9 and Three Quarters.” As he danced, he summoned some magic dust, which appeared to move on screen. He then turned around on the catwalk and ran upstage to what appeared to be a pit of fire.
(And yes… for a split second, I did think he was going to turn around, make some magic dust appear again, start drawing a Mickey Mouse formation with his finger, and shout “Hi, I’m Huening Kai and you’re watching Disney Channel.”)
Strong production must be paired with a strong stage prescience, something TXT showed no signs of lacking while performing at BMO Stadium. High levels of confidence from the members could be felt and seen as they danced in sync with all the precision in the world, but it could especially be felt when the group took time to be playful on stage and in their interactions with MOAs. Make no mistake, TXT know how to work hard to prepare a good show, but they also know how to be “Happy Fools.” The group guided the audience in learning how to do choreography for the viral song, and had cameras panned to certain sections of the stadium to let the whole crowd see their dancing skills. Collaborator Coi Leray also joined TXT on stage to perform “Happy Fools,” sending everyone into a (very valid) frenzy.
‘ACT : SWEET MIRAGE’ in LA created a set of core memories that would live on forever not only in the minds and hearts of MOAs, but in TXT’s as well. A moment of alwaysness, if you will. Each member paused to reflect upon their journey and the grand occasion. Soobin said, “I think it’s the dream of any performer to play in a stadium like this, so thank you for turning our dream into a reality.”
After singing “Our Summer” alongside a bundle of fireworks, TXT took their final bows and thanked MOA once again for an amazing day. Taehyun mentioned being proud that MOAs are his fans, and being so happy that TXT got to stand in a stadium like BMO stadium. He said it meant they’d be together for a long time, and wanted to know if we’d stay with the group.
‘ACT : SWEET MIRAGE’ was just the beginning for Tomorrow X Together. Are you ready for the next act?
