Many K-Pop stans will agree that lining up early for official merchandise, trading freebies with other stans, watching or participating in a random play dance, trading photocards, spending time with friends at the venue, and screaming when your bias comes on the screen during the pre-concert music videos are all essential parts of the K-Pop concert experience. All of the above was in full swing at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson on October 6, and it was all for ENHYPEN’s first stop of the ‘FATE World Tour’!
ENHYPEN is a seven member group consisting of members Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Jungwon, Ni-ki, Sunghoon, and Sunoo. The group was formed in 2020 through the survival series I-LAND, and their fans are known as ENGENE.
It had been almost a year since ENHYPEN’s last visit to the Greater Los Angeles area, when the group performed two nights at the Honda Center for their ‘MANIFESTO’ World Tour in October 2022. Since then, ENHYPEN has shared many more songs with their fans, including their bold mini album DARK BLOOD.
When the tour dates and venues for the ‘FATE World Tour’ were announced back in July, it was a delightful surprise to see Dignity Health Sports Park listed as the Los Angeles venue. The Dignity Health Sports Park soccer stadium has 27,000 seats, and is located on the west side of the California State University, Dominguez Hills campus. As a student at the university who also lives on campus, I was absolutely thrilled by the fact I’d only need to make a short walk to see ENHYPEN live. It’s also important to note the fact that the soccer stadium infrequently holds major concerts, so this made the occasion even more special.
Hours before the stadium doors opened, fans congregated in the parking lot to have some pre-show fun in the sun. It was a scorching hot day, but thousands of fans braved the heat to wait in line for their chance to buy concert merchandise. There was also an opportunity to purchase merchandise inspired by ENHYPEN’s “Dark Moon” Webtoon, and take photos with standees of the characters. BELIFT LAB also prepared a treat for official fan club membership holders who were attending the show! At the “ENGENE ZONE,” fans would present their membership card and concert ticket to receive a lucky draw envelope. The envelope included a ‘FATE World Tour’ sticker and exclusive random photocard.
(I pulled Jungwon, and he happily joined me at the concert that night in a decorated toploader 🥰)
As fans filed into the stadium, various ENHYPEN music videos aired on the screens on the sides of the stage. Everyone was also given a cream colored album sleeve with instructions to save the sleeve for ENHYPEN’s next album. At the time, the title Orange Blood had not been revealed yet, so the sleeves said “______ Blood.” It was fun playing a guessing game of what the album title and concept would be!
Around 7:45PM, the lights of the stadium were dimmed, and a sea of fans began to scream and bark. The opening VCR started, showing the ENHYPEN members sitting at a table in a masquerade. A cup with (what can be assumed to be wine) spilled over, and all of a sudden, the members started to have a feast with blood.
The members began to appear on the stage in small units, and opened the concert with “Drunk-Dazed.” An impressive dance break followed the performance, complete with flashing green lasers and bursts of pyro. The crowd immediately began to bark, offering an audible stamp of approval. Despite it being their very first outdoor stadium show, it seemed as though it was business as usual for ENHYPEN in terms of the caliber of their performance. If any of the members had been nervous, they didn’t let it show during their dancing, singing, or during the moments when they got to speak to the crowd.
The energy throughout the show felt like a giant pep rally for our beloved seven boys, especially during “ParadoXXX Invasion” and “Future Perfect (Pass the MIC).” Fan chants echoed throughout the stadium, and it was almost impossible to not raise your hands in the air. Even if someone didn’t have a lightstick, a raised fist would have been acceptable in the moment too!
ENHYPEN’s use of visuals also really helped amplify the performances. During “Tamed-Dashed,” the members danced in front of images of a seating section in an outdoor stadium. NOT the one we were currently in, but it was still cute! It was a moment where it hit me once again – ENHYPEN are realizing their dreams right now with ENGENE.
Halfway through the show, the members promised a “special gift” for ENGENE. Jay, Jake, Sunghoon and Sunoo appeared on stage for a very charming acoustic rendition of “TFW (That Feeling When).” The unit was perched on top of a staircase decorated with plants, making it seem as though they were sitting in a cute tropical garden.
But in a matter of minutes, things turned into a complete (happy) chaos as the whole group started to perform “Polaroid Love.” The members split up into two units to sing while walking around the stadium floor, and many fans raced out of their seats to greet the members up close. The song’s tempo was slightly sped up, which helped contribute to the exciting mood.
During the closing ments, ENGENE really got to process just how happy ENHYPEN was to finally be back on American soil. Ni-Ki said, “I really missed America, and I’m just so happy that you guys exceeded my expecrations on how much fun you had today. It’s such an honor to be starting off our FATE tour in a huge stadium like this, and I just want you guys to look forward to our performances to come.”
And just like that, another page in the ENHYPEN history book was written. But the chapter didn’t end abruptly! During their encore, ENHYPEN performed “Karma” in front of a sea of red and gold fireworks. Jake had instructed the crowd to “go crazy like you don’t give a f*ck,” and everyone jumped around and screamed together for one last song… or so we thought it would be the last.
As dozens of fans were making their way towards the exit, Jake shouted “you know we can’t end it like that.” Many fans made a sharp U-Turn, realizing the show was all but finished. Jake started to sing “Polaroid Love” again, but Jay interrupted the song with disapproval and said “come on, please.” The group then performed “Go Big or Go Home” one last time, and it felt like one of the most rebellious things I’ve been a part of all year.
Cheers to an incredible tour, ENHYPEN!
