SEVENTEEN shines at BMO Stadium
The K-pop group performed on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
By AUBRIE COLE
A wave of rose quartz and pale blue-clad CARATs crashed upon BMO Stadium Sunday evening as an ocean of fans eagerly waited to see their idols perform in Los Angeles. SEVENTEEN, a veteran K-pop group and global sensation, concluded the final leg of its United States tour, “[RIGHT HERE] WORLD TOUR” with two back-to-back nights of joy and excitement.
SEVENTEEN, a K-pop boy group with millions of fans worldwide, consists of 13 members, all dedicated to one of three units — vocal, performance and hip-hop. Their performance Sunday night featured both group and unit segments, showcasing each member’s impressive talents in dance, singing and rap.
Before the show began, lines wrapped all the way around the stadium in an Ouroboros of hardly contained glee. Fans traded photo cards and handmade beaded bracelets spelling out the members’ names in white letters. Despite the disorganization that plagued the preshow Saturday night, BMO Stadium was far more prepared the following day, tightening security and opening the doors an hour earlier.
The K-pop group showcased fan-favorite tracks such as “Fear” and “Water.” (courtesy of PLEDIS Entertainment)
The night opened with ecstatic fanfare as SEVENTEEN dramatically rose up to the stage. For many, SEVENTEEN is a main source of joy and comfort, so seeing them in person was a surreal experience for numerous audience members. “Fear,” one of the band’s older title tracks, kicked off the show with intensity. The stage design was top notch, featuring a geometric arch of LED screens.
“MAESTRO” and “Crush” followed soon after, only increasing the already-electric vibes permeating the stadium. The opening segment was certainly one of the strongest of the evening, and it was clear from the crowd’s reaction that it was a success.
After thorough introductions from each of the 11 present members — Jun and Jeonghan were, unfortunately, missing for this tour — and a quick VCR, the group split into their units for their respective performances. The viral track “Water” kicked off the hip-hop unit’s — Vernon, S. Coups, Wonwoo and Mingyu — showcase, sparking excited screaming and dancing. The vocal and performance units also had individual tracks, performing songs such as “Rain” and “Candy.”
Despite some saying online that the “[RIGHT HERE] WORLD TOUR” setlist was generally disappointing — since it lacked many key songs fans loved — SEVENTEEN still managed to make even one of their comparably worse setlists a fantastic time. Even though recent fan favorites were noticeably missing, the group reached deep into their discography’s backlog to craft a performance dominated by mellow and upbeat songs such as “Snap Shoot.”
The VCRs that separated the evening’s segments during costume changes were somewhat lackluster compared to other K-pop groups’ transitions. Typically these videos can tell elaborate stories and keep the audience engaged despite the band’s absence from the stage. However, the “RIGHT HERE” VCRs were a bit dull and lacked production value — it was clear that these videos were an afterthought in the tour’s design.
Conversely, SEVENTEEN’s outfits throughout the night were fantastically coordinated. Whether sporting casual sweat sets or intricate suits, the tour’s stylist was fully on point. The outfits during “God of Music” were particularly stunning, communicating a laid-back air while offering classy knits and green hues.
“March” and “Super” drew the main performance to a close, hyping up the crowd for the anticipated encore to come. SEVENTEEN performed some of their popular tracks such as “Adore U” and “Campfire” as their boarded carts took them around the stadium, allowing them to interact with fans and read their signs.
One thing about SEVENTEEN is they are always going to offer a top-tier fan experience to their dedicated CARATs. Throughout the encore, they performed “VERY NICE,” more commonly known as “Aju Nice,” around 10 times, allowing fans to sing into their mics and lead into the never-ending song. Some members even snatched the white-blonde bob wigs from a group of fans in the front row, wearing and playing with them on stage.
The evening closed with SEVENTEEN taking multiple bows before slowly exiting the stage and promising to return to the U.S. for future tours.
