KCON 2022 Premiere in Chicago Night One Proves that KCON Live is Back!

Photos courtesy of @KCONUSA

Live KCON is back! The epic powerhouse convention and concert series that has been bringing the spirit of K-Pop stateside for the last decade proved with their KCON 2022 Premiere concert in Chicago at the Rosemont Theatre on May 20 and 21 that their unique program was ready to return live. Some may question whether they had ever really left, as KCON became one of the first, and most effective, platforms to showcase interactive online content from the start of the pandemic. Stateside, though almost a blur now with the incredible influx of groups clamoring to tour in the U.S., KCON decided to forgo their N.Y. convention and concert event and instead decided to whet our taste buds with their first ever show in Chicago.

As the first KCON in Chicago, despite arriving without the usual convention fanfare, fans were thrilled to have live artists, unique performances, and the chance to have live interaction that those in the windy city had never had in person before with KCON. This premiere event was created as a warm-up to August, where KCON will come into full swing in Los Angeles in conjunction with their other international programs set in Korea and Japan. At the premiere in Chicago, each of the two nights had a rookie girl and boy group paired with the veteran group BTOB. BTOB has been headlining in Korea for a decade, a milestone shared with KCON this year. With members well known not only as idols and singers but as actors and members of various variety programs, BTOB was a great choice to headline as well as to MC the two nights of KCON Chicago.

It was ladies first with the newly debuted seven member group NMIXX opening the night. The latest girl group from JYP Entertainment, who also created powerhouse groups TWICE, Wonder Girls, ITZY, and Miss A, was ready to take the stage as the latest stars on an impressive roster. With members Haewon, Lily, Sullyoon, Jinni, BAE, Jiwoo, and Kyujin, KCON, in KCON style, put the events in Chicago and connected events in Los Angeles under their “BEAT RUN QUEST” thematic umbrella. Under this umbrella, the ladies burst into a strong dance routine. With white fringe pants and crayon-colored printed crop tops, the girls were bright, fun, and definitely brought in the energy to hype this crowd.

KCON had officially opened and it was time for the MCs of the night. The main hosts of the night included Eunkwang and Peniel from BTOB, who would be joined by NMIXX's Haewon and CRAVITY’s Hyeongjun. If anyone was born a natural host and speaker, it’s Eunkwang. With energy that never seems to stop, he has the innate skill of bringing a room alive to create an environment of inclusion. Building on the energy of the opening dance number, Eunkwang introduced himself as Silverlight and had the whole room chanting out, “Silverlight!” Throughout this KCON, he tried to get everyone to respond to his Silverlight, but it’s hard to tell if this is just a KCON thing and whether this name will stick. We wish Silverlight the best of luck! Joining in on the opening ment, Peniel exclaimed, “Hi guys, I am Chicago’s own Peniel from BTOB and I am one of your MC’s tonight!” Hyeongjun noted that the night was even more special for Peniel as it was in his hometown. The glow from the blue BTOB lightsticks waving in the room made it clear that Melody, BTOB’s fanbase, were there to support as well.

The stage lit up next with CRAVITY. Breaking into “Adrenaline,” the guys brought it on! In front of a screaming and completely hyped crowd, their sharp choreography and smooth dance moves made this explosive song the perfect choice for their KCON live debut. As the smoke and fire burst up from the front of the stage as they kept their form and unity, it was pretty impressive that this was their first time in front of a live audience. This was highlighted by Allen, one of CRAVITY’s fluent English speakers having grown up in L.A., “This is actually our first time standing in front of a live audience. Hear you guys (as the screams grew louder)!” Debuting just over a year ago during the pandemic, CRAVITY has had little opportunity to perform live and their excitement to be able to do just that, especially stateside, showed throughout every member’s demeanor. The nine-member group formed under Starship Entertainment also includes Serim, Jungmo, Woobin, Wonjin, Minhee, Taeyoung, and Seongmin, and the earlier-mentioned host Hyeongjun. 

KCON wouldn’t be KCON without some fun and games, and throughout the night we’d find them here. Instead of an intimate meet and greet with a select number of fans designated by lucky little cards, here the meet was incorporated into the show and everyone attending was invited. In sharp suits with glowing faces, the next game put their expressions to use with an Emoji Quiz! Using only Emojis, members needed to guess the song and then correctly do the song’s dance to win. Though Hyeongjun would nail most of the choreographies, it was Taeyoung who easily guessed the majority of the songs and was proclaimed the winner of the first game of KCON 2022.

Warmed up, it was time to get back onto stage with “My Turn.” Light on their feet with quick moves combined with a bit of playfulness throughout the song, the tune was a fun crowd pleaser.

Quickly swapping places, NMIXX was back. Gone were the playful colors. In all bedazzled white, they came out with “O.O” ready for business. The hit song switches from heavy beats and rap to melody, which the girls were pros with. The vibe was much sexier than earlier and with great formations, and that choreo was completely engaging. NMIXX then took their turn to introduce themselves and play, so our party hosts, Eunkwang and Peniel, returned for a .5 seconds “Name that Tune” game. Though I thought this an impossible feat, for these ladies, especially Kyujin who won the game, guessing a song with almost a single note wasn’t an issue. A cover of BLACKPINK’s “Kill this Love” ensued with the audience singing along to the popular song.

Finally, it was time for the headliners of the night. BTOB, under CUBE Entertainment, currently consists of six members including our hosts, Eunkwang and Peniel. The remaining members HUTA (aka Minhyuk), Changsub, Hyunsik, and the non-present Sungjae. Hyunsik and Sungjae just finished their military service and Sungjae, who is also a popular and successful actor, was unable to attend due to conflicts from filming his latest drama Gold Spoon, in which he is the lead, which is set to release sometime later this year. Opening with their recent single “The Song,” the heart-warming melody had us all singing and swaying. Hearing their voices live exceeded all expectations, proving why they've been so popular over the years. With power vocals, they had everyone entranced. The group combined a mix of comic humor, maturity, sexiness, and power with a playfulness that can’t help but make Melody swoon.

During their introductions, Eunkwang tried Silverlight again. Though Sungjae couldn’t be there in person, he prepared a video to share with Melody at KCON, sharing his thoughts and wishes to be there with them in person. With introductions done, it was time for them to play too. With the next game, they’d form teams, but as there were five, Peniel claimed the host spot. Grabbing members from the audience, they attempted to do a “Speed Dance Quiz” in a charades-style game of guessing a dance based on its choreography. It was hilarious to watch a lost Changsub and Hyunsik completely out of their element as they unsuccessfully tried to figure out a way to show the song as the choreography was lost on them. The audience member picked from Kentucky pretty much put almost the whole crew to shame, while the other was a devoted BTOB stan and didn’t know any other groups. All in all, a hilarious disaster, but all in fun KCON style.

With the games behind them, “Blooming Day” was next. With mic stands out, another ballad was expected and nobody was disappointed. BTOB expresses so much with their expressions and vocals that nothing seems lacking. Though Changsub and Hyunsik may have been struggling with idol dances, on stage with a mic, their voices were velvet with the power of Eunkwang behind them. Peniel and HUTA both had their moments to shine as well.

CRAVITY returned to pick up the pace, performing a dance routine performance nailing in the fact that they had the moves. A total contrast from BTOB’s melodic heartwarming ballad, the CRAVITY guys were there to instead get the blood flowing.

KCON has a history of creating themes for their conventions to create a tie for all the events. Chicago was no different with its “BEAT RUN QUEST.” This event wasn’t just about Chicago though. The live performance may have had its base here, but online KCON tied it to a viewing event in L.A. Our hosts returned, but this time took a post from the middle of the theater to be surrounded by fans. Trying to connect on a live stream, we saw L.A. fans for a moment, but with technical issues, the tie-in wasn't as successful as hoped. It wasn’t an issue in Chicago, as we were in the thick of this show and happy to be there.

CRAVITY wasn’t done yet as they jumped into “JUMPER” and “POW!.” It seemed like nothing was stopping these rookies. With strong songs full of power, the guys had a stage presence rivaling much more experienced artists. “POW!” wouldn’t end on stage as they moved through the audience, giving fans unrivaled attention as they finished the song among them. Though artists have popped into the crowd at shows in L.A. and N.J./N.Y., the level of interaction of walking across this smaller theater is unprecedented (and I’ve been going to KCON since 2014). For the lack of any actual “Fan Meet,” KCON truly made it up to everyone here. Prior to the evening, KCON had posted about a “PHOTO RUN QUEST,”' another dimension of their overall theme, where fans anywhere could find designated photos on KCON’s social media platforms and decorate them. Three would be picked and the group would choose one with audience input to see who would win artist-related swag. CRAVITY discussed and selected their favorite as they stood surrounded by lucky fans.

NMIXX wasn’t done either as they came on with the cutest denim outfits, this time with rainbow knee high socks that were my favorite look of the night. “TANK” filled the air with all its chaotic craziness, but within that craziness, my ear and eye couldn’t help but focus on Lily and her vocals. A cover of Beyoncé’s “Move Your Body'' was next and a surprise addition to the night. Though they did a great job with the cover, I will have to admit, “Freaky fresh, fresh, I’m so freaky, fresh, fresh” was my earworm for the night. Those in the crowd who were NMIXX fans weren’t disappointed as they were next to meet the audience. Among other things, they were also there to pick their “PHOTO RUN QUEST” winner as well as giving as much love as possible to all the fans around them.

BTOB surprised everyone by walking in from the sides of the audience and working their way through the crowd as they sang “DREAMER.” Giving fan service, high fives, and hearts along the way to lucky fans, they truly gave as much love to everyone there as they could. After the conclusion of the song, they broke into their chance to pick their favorite photo of the group, choosing to pick one that someone had included Sungjae in. For their last song of the night, they chose their iconic “Missing You.” Probably BTOB’s most heartfelt song, they had the whole theater singing along with them. With lyrics on the screen in Korean and romanized Korean, everyone could sing along and the room swayed as we all belted our hearts out.

The ladies started the night and would end the night. The vocal powerhouses of NMIXX closed the night with Lily, Haewon, Sullyoon, and Bae singing a PG version of GAYLE’s “abcdefu.” The song really showcased the power of each of their vocal abilities once not obscured by pumping bass or dance movements. At the song’s end, it was time for KCON to come to an end. As the other members joined the stage to PSY’s “That That (prod. & feat. SUGA of BTS),” I wondered if this might be a hint about the lineup at KCON L.A. As that lineup isn’t announced yet, this is really a vocal mental wish list. Regardless, in true KCON style CRAVITY and BTOB joined NMIXX to confetti and fanfare with everyone singing and dancing to PSY.

Night one had finally come to an end. It was a night that brought more than anyone could have imagined from only having three artists in tow. With the energy, musicality, and presence of these two rookie groups, we hope to see much more of them stateside in the near future. As for BTOB, a domestic tour is long overdue. Though they returned for day two, in Melody's hearts wish for a full tour with all the members.

Until then, we have KCON in August at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena to look forward to. KCON isn’t stopping there domestically though. as they’ll also have a "spin-off tour" following KCON L.A. with stops in six cities (San Francisco, Minneapolis, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and New York). K-Pop has never been so present as it is now, and KCON has only given a hint as to what they have to offer. We can’t wait for KCON L.A.’s lineup and the following tour to see who will be coming next.