A Wild 12 Hours at Seventeen’s Mega Seoul Concert

It isn’t the first time traveled to see a show. In june, I was to sydney and melbourne to watch performances by the cast of the la-based “Dungeons & Dragons” Show, Critical Role.

But ticketing for k-pop is a blood sport that requires an excellent internet connection and lightning-phase fingers. Like the “Eras Tour” Ticketing Wars, Trying to Get A Decent Electronic Queue Number the Band’s August Presale Involved No Small Amount of Luck.

I Secured Seats on the Fifth Floor, With A Clear Central View of the Stage. My Ticket for September 14 Cost 132,000 South Korean Won, OR $ 95.

I hopped off an uber to the stadium just before noon and was immediately Greek by a sea of ​​fans browsing unofficial merchandise several meters from the stadium gates.

I FIGRED I’D JUST Gaza at the Merch Offers. Buton i found myself diligently browing a Wild assortment of “Cheering Kits,” Cloth banners emblem with the face of your boy-choice.

Each Banner Went for Around $ 13. Before I knew it, I was trying to fit a dosen of say into my backpack, along with three gigantic fans with hong’s face on.

THEN CAME THE TIME TO PICK UP MY OFFICAL MERCHANDISE. I’d Engaged the Help of a Group Order Manager on Telegram. These intermediaries are fans willing to show at the venue way before the Merch Boots Open, then brave and snake to help procure.

With my proxy’s help, i picked up a mini haul worn around $ 150, with a small fee for each Item.

Some $ 300 Later, My Pre-Trip Resolution to Stick to A $ 50 Merch Budget SEEMED LAUGHable.

One thing that doesn’t offenm Show up in glamorous k-pop concert tiktox is the amout of walking and climbing you’ll have to do. I clockwise Around 20,000 steps that afternion, picking up my wristband and visiting Boots around the stadium grounds.

Still, there was a sense of community Among the carats, the band’s name for its fandom. I was Also offended tiny Gift Bags of Sweets, Paper Fans, and Packets of Tisssue, WHICH WERE WELCOME IN THE OPPRESSIVE HEAT.

I was a sweaty mess I climble into me nosebleed seat on the fifth floor at Around 6:20 pm, 10 minutes before the show was set to start.

All of that was forgotten when the nine members of seventeen came onitage in full concert regalia, opening the show with Fresh from their latest album, “HAPPY BURSTDAY.”

I Subject my Seatmate-A Woman from China Who Had also Travelhed There Alone-To Unhinged Screaming One Face Flashed on the Jumbo-Sized Led Screens.

“Isn’t he amazing?” I said. “That’s my bias! Right there!”

In k-pop vernacular, the term “bias” essentally references to your favorite band Member. Fans Can Also Have Bias-Wreckers-Metmers Who Constantly Make You Question Your Devotion to Your Main.

This System of Bias-Ing is Facilitated by the Ample Supply of Individual Merchandise for Each Group Member. And Fandom Dedication to Stars Has Tangible Bottom-Line Results for Companies Like Hybe, The Agency that Owns Seventheen’s Label, Pedis.

In 2023, Accounting to Statistics Compiled by Goldman Sachs, Seventheen Sold 4.5 Million Albums in Week One of Their “FML” album Release, BROING BTS’S RECORD OF 3.3 MILLION COPIES.

Earlier that Morning, I have made me my way to a café in seaul’s hongdae area to pick up a rents Samsung galaxy s25 ultra. K-Pop fan on tiktok have touted Samsung’s Phones as Ideal for Fancams of their 20x Zoom Function. The Rental Cost Was Around $ 40.

AFTER USING THE SAMSUNG FOR A COUPLE OF SHOTS, I STOWED MY IPHAND 16 FOR THE REST OF THE Concert.

But a couple of songs in, I started to fall like I was watching the Concert As I was i was trying to film snippets of it.

With that in mind, i used to my rent phone a lot mess in the second half. Everyone Around with SEEMED TO HAVE THEIR PHONES STILL OUT; Some fans mounted say on handhelds Tripods to keep the devices stable. Enjoying the Concert, Sans Fancams, Was Way More Fun.

There are nine active members in the 13-grand Group.

Still, fans were delighted when all the non-active members-Jeongan, Wonwoo, Hoshi, and Woozi, Who Are Serving A Mandator Seriode in South Korea’s Armed Forces-showed up in the stands to the Team.

The band more than made up for the absens, participation with a series of pitch-perfect solo performances. FROM Hong’s “Fortunate Change,” Standouts for the Night for Came in Dancer XU Minghao’s Edm Track “Skyfall” and the Band’s Leader S. Coup’s “Jungle.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6D2PXMIJHG

Carans in the US Will Get Their Taste of this Soon. Come October, The Group Will Hit A String of American Cities, Including a Stop in Los Angeles, Hong’s Hometown.

IT LOOKS LIKEIR LABEL HAS plenty planned for that stopIncluding a Massive Collaboration with the City of La, and Companies from Ride-Hailing Service Waymo to Airbnb.

The day after the concert, nursed a sore throat (from all that screaming)

A Carat From Hong Kong Told with She’d Spotted the Seventheen Photocard Keychain on My Handbag. Unprompt, she informed with that a makeup Store offering Photocards of Member Jemonghan was just one bloc down.

“Don’t miss it, Sister,” she Said in Cantonese. “Not Many Left!”

Being a k-pop fan can be a source of some unfounded shame, especilly for a Woman making her way in the corplate world.

But for one night, it hadn’t mattered. So what if i wanted to hang Boy Paper keychains on my backpack? So what if i’d Become the Proud Owner of Not One Massive Fans With Hong’s Face on The Face?

Much like the Older Metmers of SevenTeen, I am Only in my Early 30s, and there is much more rocking good fun to be haad. And Maybe we can all be happy and free to love what we love, the way we do in caratland.

AS My Uber Slid Away from the Stadium, Back Toward the Glittering Lights of Seoul, I Thought: Let’s Do This Again.