KCON 2018 LA Presented by Toyota is a weekend long event to experience multiple aspects of Korean Pop Culture. With the last day of the convention in the books, there’s only one thing left, the last night of the M Countdown Concert.
Concert goers that arrived in time for the preshow were treated to a double billing. First off, was a live band that entertained with their take on some fan favorites. Hearing a violin/keyboard/guitar version of Twice, Red Velvet, and BTS was a treat. The group also impressed the crowd with a live piece in which they built a song on a loop recorder. Next up was the cover dance group, SoNE1, all the way from UC Davis. The college students had the crowd cheering with their cover dance of Seventeen’s, Very Nice. Their sharp moves matched the originators beat for beat.
Keeping up with the theme of sharp movements, Dreamcatcher opened the night with their own. Not too many girl groups known for high-energy synchronized dancing, but Dreamcatcher is one of the few. With songs like “You and I” and “Run”, the group brings their unique blend of pop and heavy metal to the stage.
Rookie boy band Imfact followed with their own vibes. Their songs were mellow, helping change up the pace from the previous acts. Although the songs weren’t as intense, a hint of edm helped spice up their stage.
After having one of their songs covered, Seventeen took to the stage, showing off their groups diverse styles through unit stages. The vocal unit sang a ballad, showing off their range. The rap unit helped turn up the energy with their fierce bars. The dance unit concluded the special stage with their intricate choreography.
Boy group Pentagon brought their unique charm to the arena. To open their set, they started their fan favorite, “Shine”, in the crowd. This got some fans closer to the group, rather than isolating themselves on the stage. Next, they sang a ballad for their fans in the form of “Beautiful”. To heat things up again, they closed their set with “Runaway”, a powerful song with a smooth flowing edm rhythm.
Jun is an aspiring performer, and he was able to take his talent from a youtube screen, to the big stage. Along with dancers, this youtube star lit up the stage with a high energy song to show off his skills in singing and dancing.
After making a guest appearance during the previous nights concert, Chungha is back with her own set. The former I.O.I member opened up with her most recent single, “Love U”, a jam for the summer. She closed out her set by taking the audience for a ride with her prior single, “Rollercoaster”, a lively dance number. Don’t worry, she still isn’t done for the night, we’ll see her again later.
Rookie girl group Fromis_9 took to the stage after. Like Chungha, their roots come from survival shows. They started off with their most recent single, “DKDK”, a lively track with a fun performance. Next up was their debut track, “To Heart.” To close out the set, they performed their pre-debut single, “Glass Shoes.” Their set was filled with youthful energy and excitement.
To change things up, soloist Roy Kim slowed things down. He brought variety to the night with a ballad and folk song. His calming songs helped put us at ease, up until the next act.
Not only is Chungha back again, but Fromis_9 and Dreamcatcher took to the stage to show off different sides of themselves. Dreamcatcher hit pause on the dark concept and showed off a girl crush side with their cover of “Havana.” Fromis_9 followed suit by showing off their moves with a hard hitting song, different from their innocent side. Chungha closed out the set with a captivating version of “God is a Woman.”
For those wanting more boy groups, got their wish, starting with NU’EST W. The group slowed things down a little bit to cool us off after that last set. They brought powerful vocals, along with relaxed vibes. You might even call their concept, boy crush.
Now whole, Seventeen came together to end the night with a party. They started with, “Oh My!” a song with a chill vibe that gives you the feeling of hanging out with you friends on a relaxed day. Settling into the chill vibe, they performed, “Our Dawn is Hotter than Day.” To get the party started, they got the crowd bouncing with, “Mansae.” To end your KCON LA experience, they decided to blow the roof off of the stadium with their oldie but goodie, “Very Nice.”
If you had to choose between the two nights to attend, you would have been in for a treat, no matter what. KCON USA packed the lineups with a diverse cast of performers to keep the audience on their toes. Attendees probably even left with appreciation for acts that they have yet to give a chance. Look forward to what KCON has in stored, you won’t be disappointed.
Photos Courtesy of CJ ENM