Queuing as early as three in the morning, The Hammerstein Ballroom saw droves of fans excitedly waiting to meet the dynamic crew known as Dream Perfect Regime. Today marked the seventh stop on their The Regime World Tour, touching down in New York City on September 24.

The hometown of member DPR Rem had a reputation to uphold, and tonight they would exceed expectations. Approaching 34th Avenue, hundreds of fans lined the block and excitement could be felt in the air. Once doors opened, reality set in that it was just mere hours before the show would begin. The crowd steadily filled the venue, beginning with VIPs who had the opportunity to meet the crew, take a photo, and join a live Q&A session, followed by fans who purchased early entry, and then fans with general admission.

As the lines outside shortened and the audience inside grew, people began to notice the lights that would flash in intervals much like previews that begin before you sit down to watch a movie. Not long after, the lights began to breathe in unison, splashing around the venue in warm hues of red to the cool tones of purple and blue that entranced the audience. Lowly, the voices of DPR began to play through the speakers, a mixture of coherent sentences and jumbled thoughts transporting fans into the mindset of the artist. The lights and audio worked in tandem to create a dreamlike atmosphere to prepare the audience for the experience they were about to witness. As the audio met its peak, the lights followed, soon revealing a rainbow—the motif that has come to claim the identity of the Regime Tour. 

DPR CREAM

The stage began to fill with smoke as colors of the sunset began to emerge and the mood for the night began to take form. The Regime World Tour is a showcase, not just a concert and that night New York would bear witness. DPR Cream arose from the smoke and the show was officially in session. Opening with a full DJ set, Cream gave the audience an eclectic mixture of EDM, pop, and synth accompanied with a light show. As Cream gallivanted around the stage, the audience followed as we jumped and danced as if we found ourselves at a club. His set came to a close and, though short, fans enjoyed it nonetheless and the cheers were evident.

DPR LIVE

Phones began to appear, forming an ocean of screens as fans wanted to cement the moment many of them had waited years for: to see DPR Live. Red lights painted the stage and the crowd couldn’t contain their screams as Live appeared before them. 

Standing in the center of the stage, the intro for “LEGACY” blasted through the speakers as the screams only got louder. As the beat dropped, Live began to run around the stage and interact with the audience. The crowd jumped along with live as he got hype and continued into “S.O.S.” Emerging from behind him, a giant astronaut inflatable took its place. Throughout “S.O.S” and “NEON,” the astronaut—a motif that references his IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? album— waved and gestured to the audience. 

With that, he began the show with the title tracks from that album. Following the title tracks, he performed “TO WHOEVER,” a track about chasing dreams, looking back on the past, and the dreading question of ‘why?’ You could feel the atmosphere change when the song began because many of the audience consisted of other young adults who have experienced the same pain and questioning. The set for this stage was executed amazingly with strobe lighting that acted as a spotlight on Live and his stage mates.

Shifting the attitude, Live took it all the way back to the beginning, revisiting his first album Coming to You Live, which was mentioned in the previous track “TO WHOEVER” Before continuing, Live told everyone he “needed us to be loud and New York needed to go hard.” Instantly, the audience began screaming at the top of their lungs to “Know Me” and “Cheese & Wine,” and any stress or anxiety in the crowd was immediately alleviated. If being loud was what Live wanted, the crowd did beyond that. The DJ cut the sound during “Laputa” and the audience was insanely loud. Even when the song was put back on, all you could hear was the audience singing over it. Live looked into the crowd with a smile and you could tell that night was going to be memorable. 

After the excitement, It was time to wind down a bit. Shades of blue and purple washed over the stage as he performed “Venus” and “KISS ME,” and seeming to appear out of thin air, a sheer flag weaved its way through the air around Live. As Live performed, the flag was an extension of himself and the lyrics, enticing the audience with its grace. It was hard to believe there was a person operating this flag and that it wasn't a creature operating on its own. The flag gracefully tumbled through the air doing loops around Live as he finished the song and transitioned into his next set. 

The familiar guitar strums of 2017 track “Jasmine” filled the venue, with the crowd swaying with the tune and passionately singing along. As the song ended and the beat faded out, confetti floated around the stage cut in the shape of butterflies and the crowd was fascinated by the details put into the set. The catchy tunes of “Jam & Butterfly” and “Summer Tights” made it nearly impossible to stand still, even if for some odd reason you wanted to. The crowd sang along with Live, but soon would have the opportunity to play a bigger role in his set.

 ‘Sweet! Sweet Jesus!’ boomed through the speakers as a cue for the audience to reveal their pink wigs. “Yellow Cab” gave fans the opportunity to be a part of the showcase as more than attendees but as performers—a special gift to VIP fans prepared by the DPR crew to include them in the production. On stage, DPR Live and another member jumped around and in the audience we headbanged and waved our wigs like pom-poms excitedly. 

Continuing with the vibes, as Live’s set would soon be coming to a close with only three more songs left, he had absolutely no choice but to play hit after hit after hit. Transitioning into “Text Me” and “Hula Hoops,”  pool floaties were sent into the crowd, where fans continued to toss them through the air throughout the set. The iconic trill of “Martini Blue” echoed through the venue as everyone screamed louder than the song—a common occurence of the show. With one song left, Live was going to go out with a bang. 

Closing with his latest release “Set It Off,” a rap and heavy rock-inspired track, the crowd went absolutely crazy for his final song of the night. With a lightshow reminiscent of the colors included in the album artwork, it's easy to see how much thought went into the execution of the stages. Leaving the stage, a brief pause overtook the show and a blanket of black covered the audience.

DPR IAN

Out of the darkness, light appeared amidst heavy smoke, and a masked horned figure arose between massive black wings that appeared as both fallen angel and devil. But for fans who’ve embraced DPR Ian’s world, we knew the vision was a personification of MITO, his other persona. Fittingly, the haunting melody of “MITO” began.

The mask and wings were shed, and the face in the sharp suit and sheer, barely buttoned shirt became clear. With heavy dark painted eyes, DPR Ian took command of the stage. Vocals, which were initially impossible to hear from the screaming, became discernable as “So Beautiful” began. The song made the vast room feel intimate as Ian’s voice worked in tandem with ours through the layered lyrics in the song.

A brief recording of MITO prefaced “Mood.” It was clear from this point that DREAMers, the fandom, knew every word. As Ian moved lithely across the stage, we were all lost in the feeling and singing along. The same energy floated into “Dope Lovers.”

Taking a moment to introduce MITO, Ian explained, “MITO is the bit of darkness that takes over me from time to time.” A recorded MITO amusingly chimed in. Ian continued, “You know, I think we’re all a little ‘miss-understood.’” “Miss Understood” followed, then “Avalon” and “Calico.” With “Calico,” Ian pulled out a surprise. With a guitar in hand, he pumped out a bass solo, giving everyone another reason to swoon. (Not like we didn’t have enough reasons already.)

“Sometimes I’m” and “1 Shot” would follow, as the stage went from blue to red. “Have you found me in the mist” were more than lyrics as our eyes struggled to find the answer. Once found, Ian took a moment to open up again: 

“I was in a slump actually, and the slump was, I wasn’t sure if what I was doing was the right thing. I think I finally found my answer. The reason I do this is right here. I just want to say, thank you so much. With that being said, I just want to tell you guys that if you have something that you love, f*cking fight for it.”

I guess this was a cue not to be a “Scaredy Cat.” Here, hands emerged from the curtains grasping ominously, compelling Ian towards them. Though there were hands of support, per the song, they seemed rather scary to be honest.  “Ribbon” was next, with flashing lights that went red. With dynamic moves, music, and lights, the stage was so hot that Ian had to remove his jacket. Red light shone through his flowy shirt, so his moves were sexy, yet elegant. A giant inflatable hand pulled him behind the curtain at the end. “Mr Insanity” was the break between heat and ice, and the cold was ushered in with “Winterfall.” Devoid of color lights this time, the stage turned bleak as white confetti pieces mimicked snow flying all around him. “Ahhs” filled the air then screams as Ian removed his shirt while lights shifted to dark blue.

Comfortable in his own skin, Ian took a moment to bare more of himself. He shared about living with bipolar disorder, something he’s been candid about. In his ment, Ian stated that a common question he gets is how he knows when he has had an up or down day and answered, “I look at my reflection. When I feel up, I look up at my reflection, and if I feel down, I look down at my reflection… but when I don’t feel anything, when I feel nothing, I don’t look at it at all. I have a hard time with that, and it makes me nervous.” We all knew “Nerves” was next. A personal favorite, Ian sang the song with power as the curtain fell down to reveal a mirror. A tie into his previous words, the song ended with him looking at himself.

“Ballroom Extravaganza” brought the party back to the ballroom. The lights, confetti, music, and crowd all went crazy. “No Blueberries” finished his set, as Live joined him on stage. The power duo finished off the set to an insane crowd stating, “Thank you.”

THE FINAL ACT

Chants of “DPR we gang gang” filled the air moments after they vacated as everyone knew what was coming next. A DPR concert couldn’t end without the iconic “To Myself.” With all artists in tow, the crew was back and hyped. The entire room repeatedly screamed “DPR we gang gang,” jumping and pumping to their last minutes with the DPR crew. With a final group photo, the night was done, almost. It was hard for Live and Ian to leave, giving lucky DREAMers a final wave, heart, or autograph.

Though the show ended for New York, it’s not over for the rest of the world. The world tour continues to Canada, the U.S. West Coast, and Latin America before making up their Texas dates and heading onto their European stops. The DPR gang looks to be taking over the world. The lyrics, “I’m going to be a legend,” come to mind after this show, and it’s obvious that they’re well on their way to making these words reality.

Many thanks to Dream Perfect Regime (DPR) and KOHAI for having us.

Edited by Kelly Sipko