The Unforgettable K-Pop Concert Experience: Tomorrow X Together in LA
- Shebang
- Jun 26, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 6
Written By: Marbella Bolognese
The Thrill of Anticipation
There is something je ne sais quoi about the K-pop concert experience. The energy outside the venue is buzzing and exhilarating. It’s part of the concert experience, just as much as the performance itself. Outside the Crypto Arena, hours before Tomorrow X Together’s second LA night of their Act: Promise US Tour, was no exception to this unspoken rule.
Another implied rule of a K-pop concert is that it doubles as a fashion show. Fans' outfits were unique, expressing their connection with the group. At a glance, the outfits beautifully exhibited gender fluidity, breaking away from traditional stereotypes. There are no rules for TXT’s fanbase, MOAs (Moments of Alwaysness), and everyone looked stunning.
The Dance of Community
TXT’s music blasted outside the venue while MOAs in professional dance cover groups performed various dances from TXT’s 5-year discography. They covered songs from their debut EP, The Dream Chapter: STAR, like “Blue Orangeade,” to tracks off their latest EP, minisode 3: Tomorrow, including the upbeat dance-pop opening track “I’ll See You There Tomorrow.”
Despite the sunburns on my back from sitting outside for a couple of hours, arriving early at K-pop concerts is always worth it. You witness a unique social phenomenon—a sense of community built among complete strangers in just 2-3 hours. The performance hadn’t even started, yet TXT’s LA show was already off to a fantastic start.
The Excitement Builds
Once my friend and I arrived at our seats, the venue buzzed with excitement. TXT’s music videos played on the big screen as fans sang along. Other MOAs came to where we were sitting, handing out gifts or “freebies” they had made to show their enthusiasm for the concert.
As the lights began to dim, the volume increased. TXT rose from underneath the stage. Their costumes were immaculate. The fog and blue lights emphasized the majestic white cloaks draped over their shoulders, giving them an almost otherworldly look. They walked down the stage with the confidence and poise expected from global superstars.
The Grand Entrance
Suddenly, everything went dark. In classic K-pop concert fashion, the audience started barking in anticipation, which quickly faded into screams as the title track from TXT’s latest EP, “Deja Vu,” began to play. The orange lights illuminated the stage. TXT was now sans robes and looked princely in their new steampunk-esque outfits. They danced perfectly in sync, and I was much closer than last time. I could see the details of their authentic expressions. Their movements embodied the music itself.
The crowd shouted and sang along, and TXT definitely fed off the insane energy. After the song ended, they gave quick introductions. Soobin, the leader, introduced himself first.
Next, Hueningkai, the youngest member, full of energy, gave his introduction. The camera panned to Beomgyu, and the screams intensified as he introduced himself. He seemed to be the crowd favorite of the night already.
Yeonjun, the eldest member, followed, introducing himself and blowing kisses to the audience in his classic flirtatious manner. Lastly, Taehyun, the group’s strongest vocalist, greeted the crowd. He urged the audience to cheer louder for his introduction, taking out his inner-ear piece and listening until he was satisfied with the volume. He then said his hellos and graciously took a bow.
A Special Connection
The group talked about how LA is special and feels like their second home. You could tell by their smiles and excitement that they truly meant it. They raved about the amazing tacos they had for dinner the night before and even spoke some Spanish to the crowd, showcasing their quadrilingual skills. Is there nothing they can’t do?
The show continued with a fan favorite, “01X=Lovesong,” showcasing Taehyun's vocal talent. TXT was giving it their all, and the audience was too, singing every lyric in Korean, English, and for some songs, Spanish. After several more songs, TXT changed into traditional Hanbok and performed a remix of one of their most popular tracks, “Sugar Rush Ride,” integrating traditional Korean music into the mix.
The Energy Never Fades
TXT continued through their setlist, changing into slick blue leather jackets for their title track from The Name Chapter: Freefall, “Chasing That Feeling.” Normally, I am captivated by Taehyun’s and Hueningkai’s stage presence, but during this song and the following ones, “Magic” and “LO$ER=LO♡ER,” I couldn’t take my eyes off Yeonjun. He is arguably the group's best dancer and performer. His smile and expressions directed at the crowd left me speechless as he performed the dance break. He knew he was born for the stage. If music and expression were a glove, Yeonjun would be a perfect fit.
Additionally, Beomgyu kept the energy level skyrocketing during this set, especially during “Magic.” He gave it his all in his dancing and engagement with the crowd. I couldn’t help but smile every time he came over to our section.
During the last chorus of “Magic,” the combination of confetti and the passion in his performance left me awestruck. The final part of this set was electrifying as they performed one of my favorite songs, “Thursday’s Child,” from their EP minisode 2: Thursday’s Child. The energy was insane, both from TXT and the crowd, which made Yeonjun a little emotional. Mid-song, his voice shook as he wiped tears from his eyes.
Subunits and Unique Performances
Afterward, they split into subunits for the next set, keeping the momentum high. The first subunit, featuring Hueningkai, Beomgyu, and Taehyun, delivered an exceptional performance of “Quarter Life Crisis.” This song is the anthem for navigating your 20s. The members, all in their twenties, poured genuine emotion into their performance, making it especially compelling. I was particularly impressed by Beomgyu’s vocals and the depth of emotion he conveyed throughout his verses.
The final unit was Soobin and Yeonjun, who gave a sultry and captivating performance of their song “The Killa (I Belong to You).” My words cannot even begin to express the surrealness of this performance. I think I can speak for all MOAs when I say this performance was highly anticipated, as one of TXT’s Afrobeat songs. The two members were dressed elegantly yet edgy, juxtaposing each other, Soobin in black and Yeonjun in white.
The contrast between the two as performers made this performance unforgettable. Yeonjun has a vibrant fluidity to his dancing and voice, while Soobin possesses a soft, refined mysteriousness in his vocals and dance talents. Together, their performance styles meshed perfectly, resulting in one of my favorite moments of the night.
Rocking the Stage
TXT is a cross-genre group that goes beyond K-pop. They dabble in Afrobeats, as mentioned above, but also rock songs. I am definitely a rock girl, so I was looking forward to their latest hard rock song from The Name Chapter: Freefall, called “Growing Pains,” and it did not disappoint. The group delivered an electrifying performance, but Hueningkai was the star of the show. He played the song’s electric guitar solo and, like a true rockstar, threw it off the stage.
Time seemed to fly by. Before I knew it, we were at the last set of the show. After one last costume change, TXT sat down to sing a couple of ballads to a sea of glowing lightsticks in hues of blue and white. The arena never looked better, making the moment all the more magical and memorable.
A Grand Finale
They closed their show with their new upbeat song, “I'll See You There Tomorrow,” as the whole stadium shouted TXT’s fan chant during the song. In response, the group’s faces lit up, especially Yeonjun and Taehyun, who grinned from ear to ear. They heightened their energy even more than I thought was possible, ending the show with a bang.
The Encore
Was the show really over? A true K-pop fan knows a K-pop concert isn’t truly over until the members of the group come back on stage wearing their tour merch to sing the encore. That is exactly what TXT did. They sang another beautiful ballad track, “Magic Island,” then transitioned into their goodbyes.
Once again, Taehyun took out his inner-ear piece, smiling and soaking up the cheers and energy from the crowd. “Woah, thank you guys so much,” he expressed. Then he gave the audience the biggest compliment: “I’ve performed on stage for like 5 years. I’ve been to stadiums and huge festivals like Lollapalooza, but today is one of my best shows ever because I’ve never heard this volume of cheers.” The audience cut him off with loud cheers as Taehyun gave the crowd a knowing look.
“Wooo,” he said, amazed. “Loudest cheers in my life!” He then thanked MOA for such a special night, followed by an “I love you MOA,” paired with kisses and gracious bows.
Heartfelt Goodbyes
The camera panned to Yeonjun, who was equally impressed by the current volume of the stadium. Once again, the crowd started barking. Yeonjun smiled lovingly, “I love this bark!” He paused, taking in the moment. “Oh, I was also so surprised. You guys' energy was crazy today… you guys are just so energetic. You were amazing!” he smiled.
“Honestly, I was kind of worried today because my body was a little tired, but when I saw MOA in front of me screaming and yelling, I had so much happiness in my heart. I was so happy today. Thank you for making today amazing. Love you so much, MOA!” He made a heart with his hands in appreciation and threw it at the crowd as the camera focused on Beomgyu. Cheers, barks, and screams erupted across the stadium. Beomgyu tried to keep his composure for a minute but then ended up in a fit of giggles, whooping along with the crowd.
“If I am being honest,” he began, “During yesterday’s concert, I had some parts that were a little disappointing, but for today, I couldn’t even tell time was passing by; I had so much fun,” he expressed.
“And one of those reasons is that while we're up on the stage singing and dancing, we can see the happiness of our MOAs as well. I gained so much energy today hearing your cheers and looking at your smiles. Going forward, we need to work harder to protect these MOAs and keep their smiles on their faces.”
“How was the show?” he asked. Once again, the crowd began to scream. Beomgyu smiled in solace, “That’s a relief, and during the next show, I’ll make sure you are 3000 times happier than tonight's show as well.” The audience cheered at this. “We’ll be back, thank you so much! I love you!” he screamed as he took a bow.
A Promise for the Future
Hueningkai’s face appeared on the big screen as he barked along with the crowd. “Ah! I love it!” he smiled and took a bow. Then he resumed his barking once more as the stadium followed suit. “I love this sound!” he giggled. “So the name of this tour is Promise, and there is one promise I want to give MOAs tonight. If you guys can be a 평생 MOA (Forever MOA), then I will always love you as well. I would like to be a figure that always gives you energy and love as well.” He took a small bow and smiled graciously.
“I won’t forget all the love you have given me today, and I will be sure to present you with a better concert next time too!” he gazed lovingly at the crowd. “MOAs, you were so great tonight, thank you so much! Together, MOA!” He blew a kiss and waved goodbye.
Last but not least, the camera panned to Soobin. The crowd burst into screams. Soobin commenced more barking and jumping around as the crowd emulated. “Continuing from yesterday, we had our second show tonight, but during those two days, it feels like we got a lot closer. MOAs made me believe with my eyes what love is,” he started to tear up but continued, “Although where we live and talk might be different, we are still connected and will be together despite this. I love you, MOA.” He smiled.
The audience erupted into cheers, and he smiled once again, holding back his tears. “Wow,” he almost whispered into the microphone. Then the crowd started chanting his name over and over. He smiled once more and began jumping around. “Thank you so much,” Soobin said, “And moving onto the next show, we will take all this energy and all this love we are receiving and continue to have great shows this tour.”
“So since yesterday, we have been very happy these past two days. We have had the best time with our MOA, and next time we promise to spend more time with our MOA at an even bigger venue.” The crowd cheered, “So… See you again soon!” he shouted. “It’s time to say goodbye. This has been…” “Tomorrow X Together,” the rest of the group finished his sentence. The final song, “Miracle,” off their last EP, started to play. They gave a great performance with beautiful harmonies and more confetti.
After the song ended, I expected the show to be over, but Taehyun had other plans. “Thank you, my homies!” Taehyun started, “Also, how do you guys cheer like that? I don’t know how you do it!”
“Do it Like That,” their single with the Jonas Brothers, began to play as their final song of the night. They walked around the stage, interacting with the crowd, connecting with the audience one last time, or so I thought.
Just when I thought the group had retired for the night, an American fan favorite, “Cat and Dog,” off of TXT’s debut album, started playing. Everyone went crazy as this is the song that originated the concert barking within the K-pop fandom.
After a long series of goodbyes and kisses from TXT, they disappeared from the stage. The concert was now officially over. I felt an emptiness and longing on the drive home. At the same time, I was full of happiness and new-found great memories my friend and I had made during this concert. I shouldn’t fret, as Beomgyu said, they will be back, and next show MOA will feel 3000 times happier than tonight's show. I cannot seem to fathom feeling happier than I do now.
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