No matter the time or place, SEVENTEEN knows how to keep their fans impressed and looking forward to something ‘NEW_.’
On October 16 and 17, K-Pop icons SEVENTEEN made a grand return to BMO Stadium in Los Angeles for ‘SEVENTEEN WORLD TOUR [NEW_] IN U.S’. The American leg of the tour commenced on October 11 in Tacoma, WA, and fans (known as Carats) were eager to see the group perform songs from their latest album HAPPY BURSTDAY. Released in May of this year, HAPPY BURSTDAY quickly became SEVENTEEN’s best-selling release, with over 2.52 million copies sold in its first week. The album notably featured solo tracks from each member of the group, which would also be a foreshadowing of what to expect at the tour.
For many Carats, the LA shows were like a reunion, and a chance to pick up on where they last left off when it came to seeing SEVENTEEN live. Just last year, SEVENTEEN made their U.S. stadium debut, playing two back-to-back shows at BMO Stadium. Other Carats reveled in the excitement of seeing the group for the first time during their milestone 10th anniversary year. Despite the absence of four members due to mandatory military enlistment, SEVENTEEN set out to treat their Carats to a refreshing new experience that pushed the boundaries of what fans deemed possible. The tour title ‘NEW_’ is a testament to this mission, and the underscore symbolizes the infinite potential the group holds.
My first experiences seeing SEVENTEEN live took place last year, when a last-minute opportunity to see the group on their ‘SEVENTEEN [RIGHT HERE] WORLD TOUR’ in Chicago arose. Watching SEVENTEEN perform led me to develop a deeper connection with their music, and truly made me appreciate the kindness of the Carat community. The memories I made at the shows were priceless. To this day, I feel quite nostalgic about the setlist, concepts, and even my post-show meals at Culver’s. However, it’s always great to embrace new changes, and I was eager to create new memories with SEVENTEEN in LA.
During the late afternoon of October 17, thousands of Carats began to file into BMO Stadium for the second night of shows from SEVENTEEN. Many were dressed in lighter hues of blue and white as a nod to the colors of the tour graphics. Others were dressed in blue and pink, proudly representing SEVENTEEN’s official colors. There were also fans dressed in whimsical costumes, such as outfits resembling a SEVENTEEN lightstick, memes, and even The Lorax! Freebies were being passed around from row to row, and Carats waved their lightsticks and image pickets around as SEVENTEEN’s music videos aired on the screens before the show began.
At 7:30PM, the lights around the stadium went dark, and test patterns appeared on the stage screens with the “NEW_” tour logo in the middle. Each member of SEVENTEEN was shown walking one by one onto the stage, with “Bad Influence” playing in the background. The screens showed the introductory walk-outs in black and white, which created a dramatic, moody vibe, and sent Carats into a true frenzy! Each member was greeted by a sea of screams while being surrounded by a legion of backup dancers marching out with them. As the members and dancers shuffled around the stage to create linear formations, it almost felt like I was watching a fashion show.
Standing side by side on a raised platform, SEVENTEEN kicked off the evening by gleefully performing “HBD.” The high-energy track that blends rock and electronic elements together was a thrill to hear live, and felt like a guided cardio workout as Carats across the stadium jumped around to the beat. Lasers bounced around the stadium, fire rose from the stage, and a large burst of confetti took the crowd by surprise during the final chorus of the song. HAPPY BURSTDAY’s title track “THUNDER” followed, with Carats proudly chanting along to the “Alo, alo” in the chorus as they moved their lightsticks to the pulsing beat of the song. Needless to say, SEVENTEEN effortlessly created a party-like atmosphere that would linger in the minds of Carats rent-free.
During the beginning ment, the members taught all the Carats in the crowd a new chant for the tour that would be recited through the night. While saying “new,” THE 8 led the crowd to hold up a hand symbol that resembled the Shaka sign. He said, “This means we got new rings, a new concert, and you are the best!”
After performing “Domino” as a group and the unit performance of “Network Love,” it was time for each of the SEVENTEEN members to shine on their own and perform their solo tracks from HAPPY BURSTDAY in full! JUN’s performance of “Gemini” really stood out to me, as he danced wearing a gorgeous purple silk suit. He was joined on stage by eight dancers dressed in white, and it all felt very harmonious. DINO’s performance of “Trigger” was also full of dancing, and VERNON’s live rendition of “Shining Star” featured him playing the guitar.
The SEVENTEEN members then reconvened to perform a few of their biggest hits, including “LOVE, MONEY, FAME,” “Darl+ing,” “F*ck My Life,” and the optimistic anthem “SOS.” I was especially excited to hear “SOS” live, as this was the very song that led me to take a huge leap into the Carat world, after a long period of being just a casual listener. The energy in the stadium during “SOS” was purely electric, and the members seemed incredibly excited to be performing the song.
Not long after, the solo performances resumed, and I really started to notice how seamless of a transition each member had between one another’s performances. When one member was wrapping up their song, the next one would already be on stage, and the focus was slowly redirected to them. It almost felt like a story line was being created, showcasing all the different vibes SEVENTEEN can create. At one moment, all of us in the audience were swaying from side to side, being serenaded by DK, JOSHUA, and SEUNGKWAN. Next thing we knew, we were awestruck by THE 8’s solo performance of “Skyfall,” and barking for MINGYU and S.COUPS during their flashy performances of “Shake It Off” and “Jungle.” Speaking of flashy, there was a generous amount of strobing during MINGYU’s solo. The visuals on stage were rather minimalistic, and it almost felt like I was steps away from being at a revival of Charli XCX’s Sweat Tour.
As the night began to wind down, the members made sure to mesmerize the crowd with their charming sense of humor. MINGYU pretended to look at a watch on his wrist, and DK immediately jumped in to rub MINGYU’s stomach, insinuating his hungry stomach was the watch. “It’s been four hours since I last ate,” MINGYU said. DK asked MINGYU what’s something he wanted to eat the most in America, and he responded by saying Pink’s Hot Dogs.
(Perhaps SEVENTEEN and Pink’s can collaborate for a custom menu item the next time the group has a concert in LA? It’s never too early to start brainstorming ideas!)
Before the start of the encore, it was “CARAT TIME,” a period where everyone could recharge their energy by singing, dancing, and being silly amongst themselves. As the members were backstage preparing for their next performances, a video of SEVENTEEN’s mascot Bongbongie DJing aired on the screens, along with color coded lyrics of SEVENTEEN songs for the crowd to sing along to! The cameras panned to various excited Carats in the crowd for the next few minutes, as they showed off synchronized dance moves with their seat neighbors.
Moments later, SEVENTEEN climbed onto four white carts, gliding across the edges of the stadium floor while singing “A-TEEN,” “9-TEEN,” and “20.” “Cart” segments are common in Korea and Japan, and they allow the idols to get closer and interact with their fans all throughout the stadium. This was an opportunity for Carats to proudly hold up their signs and pickets, in hopes that they’d have a quick moment of locking eyes with their biases. While slowly re-watching videos from these moments to verify an interaction might seem delusional to some, it’s part of a core memory for others. During this segment, DK and Vernon also emerged wearing their Dodgers merchandise. For fellow fans of the team, this was extra special, as the Dodgers won their fourth NLCS game while SEVENTEEN were performing, earning the team a spot in the World Series. As he proudly flaunted a Dodgers bomber jacket, DK said, “I think I’m happier when I’m performing in LA, because I get to wear the Dodgers!”
As the rest of the members said their parting messages, their sincere gratitude towards Carats for helping them return to LA for another round of stadium shows could truly be felt.
“Thank you for gifting us such incredible experiences,” Vernon said. “Performing at BMO Stadium for two consecutive years is insane.”
“Thank you so much for making me happy the past two days,” THE 8 said. “We will be back soon, so I hope you wait happily for us. I don’t want to say goodbye yet. I hope tonight becomes a beautiful memory for us!”
With this being a hometown show for Joshua, he also took a moment to reflect upon the world-class hospitality that is love from Carats. He said, “Every time I come to LA, every time we perform here, it always feels like home, because you guys are here. Sadly, not all of our members are here, but next time hopefully we’ll have all 13 of us. Look forward to that! All of our accomplishments, everything we achieved, we couldn’t have done it without you.”
The members ended the night by performing “SUPER,” packed with the same level of energy they brought to the stage at the beginning of the show. They sang “1 TO 13” while happily waving goodbye to the stadium, but the show wasn’t done just yet! There was one more thing left for SEVENTEEN and Carats to do, and it was to jump around ferociously to “VERY NICE.”
SEVENTEEN’s return to Los Angeles was a refreshing one, and a guarantee that even more “NEW” memories are on the horizon. The group will wrap up the American leg of the tour in Washington DC on October 30, then proceed to perform in Japan’s famed dome stadiums through the end of the year.
Article featured image courtesy of PLEDIS Entertainment