The Return of BANG BANG CON!
At the height of the pandemic last year, many fans far and wide deeply missed out on a lot of concerts and events that were slated for 2020. In what was supposed to be a big year filled with almost back-to-back tours, many had to adjust to being stuck at home and wondering when the next event would be. This goes for K-Pop groups as well—BTS had fallen victim to getting their highly anticipated Map of the Soul world tour (set to kick off in April 2020) canceled as countries began closing borders due to the pandemic.
But BTS rose to the occasion and introduced their own “convention” by holding BANG BANG CON: a two-day event spanning over 16 hours worth of concert and fan meeting content for fans to watch from the comfort of their home. But that’s not all! As many fans enjoyed and appreciated getting the chance to re-watch concerts, BTS also treated fans to a paid BANG BANG CON The Live, where BTS came together to perform a collection of their past and present songs without a formal concept or structure like past tours.
One year later, BTS treated fans to another BANG BANG CON, however, keeping it to a one-night-only free event on their YouTube channel BANGTANTV. Despite only one night and down to only three concerts (totaling over eight hours worth of content), fans were ecstatic to tune in to view concerts that were otherwise viewable through purchasing either the DVD or the event that was streamed via Weverse or V LIVE.
BTS Live Trilogy Episode I: BTS Begins [Memories of 2015]
Setlist:
JUMP
SKOOL LUV AFFAIR + LUV IN SKOOL
Where You From
We Are Bulletproof Pt. 1
We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2
No More Dream
N.O
Tomorrow
Do you think it makes sense
Like It Pt. 1 + Like It Pt. 2
Converse High
24/7 Heaven
2nd Grade
If I Ruled The World
BTS Cypher Pt. 1 + BTS Cypher Pt. 2
Danger
War of Hormone
Attack on Bangtan
Boyz with Fun
Miss Right
Boy in Luv
Born Singer
Kicking off the night comes one of the group’s earliest concerts. Dating back all the way to 2015, fans were treated to a much younger, baby-faced, and highly rebellious version of the boy group. With the school-boy era still a heavy influence during this BTS era, fans got to see a more rough-around-the-edges and unhinged version of the group with them performing songs like “Danger,” “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 1 and Pt. 2,” and “N.O.” However, BTS did let loose with some of their upbeat and bright songs like “Boyz with Fun,” “Converse High,” and “Attack on Bangtan.” For the fans who recently got into the group, this particular set is a great introduction to their older releases. It’s also refreshing to see how far BTS has come, especially how much of a smaller scale this particular concert was compared to their tours nowadays. Of course, that goes the same for the production of their concerts as well, with the audio and visuals getting a massive improvement. Nonetheless, it was great to see some of the origins for the group in their freshly debuted and hot-blooded selves tearing up the stage in a raw and eager manner.
BTS 5th Muster [Magic Shop] in Busan
Setlist:
2! 3!
HOME
Love Maze
134340
Tomorrow
We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2
JUMP
Spine Breaker
Intro: Skool Luv Affair
Dimple
Pied Piper
Ddaeng
IDOL
Paldogangsan + Attack on Bangtan
Ma City
Best of Me
Boy With Luv
Magic Shop
Fan meetings are another event that is a staple for BTS. As the group has continued to grow over the years, the scale of their fan meetings has only increased tenfold. As the fan meetings are exclusive to South Korea, international fans especially were in for a treat to get the chance to view Muster [Magic Shop] in its entirety. With the core theme of this muster centered around entering a magic shop, BTS takes ARMY on a fantasy-like journey that is about finding one’s self and remembering their origins. What makes this particular muster special is that it took place in Jungkook and Jimin’s hometown Busan (but also held in Seoul), and is also an outdoor event. What sets this muster apart from its predecessors is that instead of having a game to play with ARMY, this event was focused on performances. For those who tuned in, fans got the opportunity to see rare performances to songs like “Dimple,” “Ddaeng,” “Home,” and “Pied Piper” to name a few. Fans watching also got to see BTS perform on a stage that is right in the center of all the fans, giving the group a 360 view of all those who were in attendance. It should be noted that the impressive Muster [Magic Shop] also took place in between the Love Yourself: Speak Yourself world tour, which is no easy feat to prepare two different types of concerts while still embarking on a strenuous tour.
BTS World Tour Love Yourself: Speak Yourself in Sao Paolo
Setlist:
Dionysus
Not Today
Wings
Trivia: Just Dance
Euphoria
Best of Me
Serendipity
Trivia: Love
Boy With Luv
BTS Medley (Dope + Baepsae + Fire)
IDOL
Singularity
FAKE LOVE
Trivia: Seesaw
Epiphany
The Truth Untold
Outro: Tear
MIC Drop
Anpanman
So What
Make It Right
Mikrokosmos
As the last event of BANG BANG CON 21, fans got to relive BTS’s last in-person tour once again. However this time, fans are transported to Sao Paolo, Brazil. Amongst ARMYs, Sao Paolo remains one of the hottest and loudest cities on their world tour. Audio from the concert alone could not do Sao Paolo justice with how much energy was in the stadium. There is a different vibe that comes out of BTS as they seem to let loose more in Sao Paolo than they have compared to other tour stops. It was also the only stop in South America during the entire world tour and BTS did not disappoint. Whether fans attended Sao Paolo or any of the other tour spots for Love Yourself: Speak Yourself, there is a bittersweet feeling when watching this version of the tour again. For a lot of fans, this was the last time they got to see BTS perform in-person and one of the last times that BTS was able to greet fans all over the world. As Love Yourself: Speak Yourself in Sao Paolo concluded the night for BANG BANG CON 21, the fire was lit for fans all over the world as they now eagerly await to meet BTS in an in-person concert once more.
Altogether, BTS does a fantastic job of really catering to their fans by providing an opportunity to watch their past concerts. In a time where both BTS and their fans are counting down the days until they can reunite, BANG BANG CON serves as a thrilling event enjoyed by millions worldwide. It will be interesting to see if BTS follows up with BANG BANG CON The Live 2021 this year in another live-streamed concert event like last year’s. Overall, it was another successful event for BTS and it’s only a matter of time until the next one comes around.