This GOT7 hole I’ve fallen into was unexpected and lightening fast. That’s precisely why it took almost no thought for me to buy a ticket to see Yugyeom in New York City this past weekend.
I think getting the chance to see all of GOT7 together live would be like experiencing hell freezing over, so I am more than happy to support all of their solo efforts in the states. This time was no different. Though I did belabor the point a little bit. Long enough to regret not getting a VIP ticket when I had the chance! But still, I also recognize how lucky I am to have a close friend in New York who never turns me down for crashing at her place. Even with a flight delay, I was able to beat a majority of the crowds and land a pretty good viewing spot. I could see him through the whole set! Unheard of for standing room only venue.
To my friends, I am a lot when it comes to K-Pop, but I don’t even hold a candle to the fans I’ve encountered at shows so far. They are as full of energy as I’ve ever seen, screeching every time Yugyeom so much as opened his mouth. But to be fair, GOT7’s maknae is a cutie. The best word I could use to describe him is joyful. I’m sure like all human beings he has his moments, but for most of the time there is a bright and contagious smile on his face. Even struggling through some scripted English he still beamed in delight at all of the cheers for him even trying. I hope these idols understand we’d love them even if they never spoke a lick of English.
Like other K-Pop shows I’ve attended, there were no opening acts, but this is the first solo artist I’ve seen, so the differences were interesting to clock. There was a DJ and two back-up dancers on stage with him, and they were there almost constantly. During two slower songs at least the dancers left the stage. There was also about a ten minute break in the middle where the DJ got to show off his skills. The man smartly fit in a GOT7 song to many delighted screams. I threw a hearty “woo” in there, as well. Despite having a smaller discography, Yugyeom didn’t play through all of his available tracks and the show was over at just under two hours, but I recognize that’s a lot of work for one guy to do. Especially since he just did it the night before.
From all I’ve learned about GOT7 over the past month, I know that they are skilled live vocalists, so of course Yugyeom sounded fantastic. He didn’t take many pauses, and if he did it’s because he was doing more intensely intricate choreography. As I’ve spent more time listening to K-Pop and watching performances, I’ve come to expect that I won’t get uninterrupted vocals, but their stage presence is truly off the charts. So maybe I understand more now why people are there for the “show.” Still, Yugyeom has pipes, and he let us know! I was thrilled to hear my favorites from him, including “Lolo,” “Steppin’,” and “Ponytail.” I was kind of surprised that the latter wasn’t part of the encore, but “Hard Carry” was and that was enough to pin a splitting smile on my face!
An excellent show. I’m still buzzing about it three days later. And now as I watch clips, I cannot believe I was in such a small space with one of these guys. Surreal.