There’s K-Pop and then there’s WOODZ. If he hasn’t been on your radar, you’ve been missing out. Cho Seungyoun (조승연), known, professionally as WOODZ, ended the U.S. leg of his world tour OO-LI And in Brooklyn, at New York’s Kings Theatre last week. One of his last performances before beginning his mandatory enlistment in the Korean military next month, he finished in high style bringing the theater alive with his mix of rock, ballad, R&B, and everything in-between.

Backed by an incredible live band, the show was high-energy, filled with moments of sweetness with bits of spice and heat on the side. Coming on stage in a denim casual blazer, he was the epitome of classy and cool. The show began with “Busted,” a B-side from his recently released album OO-LI, and from the start, he had the audience in the palm of his hand. As the light show played around him, WOODZ commanded the broad stage with his vocals as he gracefully moved across the stage. As the words of the track flew from his mouth, they were echoed by those on the floor while the words “bad” and “busted” filled the air.

Punching up the energy meter, “HIJACK” was next on the menu. With guitar riffs filling the air, the shifting rock sounds had everyone alternating between head banging and jumping to the song. The pumping energy shifted again, this time moving towards pop with “Love me Harder.” Here, the whistle and bass hook was accompanied by clapping led by WOODZ himself. His charisma continued to reign through “WAITING” and “Chaser,” which even had him pulling out his inner-ear piece to absorb the crowd singing along with him.

The rocker was quick to return after a VCR with “Who Knows” and “Dirt on my leather,” both powerful rock songs that had everyone moving to the sounds. The twang that WOODZ put in the latter song resonated with the next. Still rock, but mixing in country and hip-hop, “Trigger” continued building the energy. Not only did WOODZ kill it with his vocals, but the band also ruled this group of songs with impressive guitar solos that had everyone cheering.

His question asking if everyone knew the next song was met by cheers, and he smiled while stating, “Let’s sing together.” He sweetly interacted with the fans close to the stage, pointing and smiling while he was singing, and his disarming smile had everyone entranced.

Introducing the cover song part of the show, he stated, “different city, different show,” demonstrating how individual he was making his stops. For New York in particular, he stated that Brooklyn was about to get a song he had never done before and then began "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas."

WOODZ took time during his ment to read signs, prompting every MOODZ (his fandom) to wonder why they hadn’t brought a sign. And for those who asked, he delivered. One sign read, “I brought you a keychain,” to which the sign holder asked, “Do you like whales?” After getting the cute whale keychain, WOODZ held it high and said, “Look at this, I have a whale!” From blowing a kiss to the person whose sign read, “WOODZ your music saved me,” to singing “Happy Birthday” to the holder of a birthday sign, to getting off the stage to take a selfie at the request of a sign holder from Chicago, he was there to give his fans his all.  At one point he even handed the mic so that a fan could sing “Better and Better.” This was his party and we were all his invited guests there to share the night with him.

Continuing on, the tone was brought down with an acoustic version of “Accident.” Though his vocal range was clearly heard before, without accompaniment, WOODZ's voice really came to light. The range through the upper registers tugged at the heartstrings and the song overall felt even stronger than the recorded version. The sweetness continued with “Multiply.” With the lyrics on the screen behind him, everyone sang along, creating unity in the room as the part “I love you a million times/ Loving you multiplied” fell from everyone’s lips. Still in his sweet spot, “ABYSS,” another from his recent album, grasped everyone’s hearts.

The night still was far from over with “NOID,” “Kiss of fire,” “FEEL LIKE,” “DIFFERENT,” and “Rebound” continuing the steady stream of addictive and fulfilling songs. The guitar solo and the underlying guitar throughout the song in “FEEL LIKE” brought fresh air into the song as everyone vibed.

Though WOODZ had already brought the energy up and down that night, the next song, also from his latest album, became one of the musical highlights of the night. “Drowning,” a strong classic rock song, not only highlights his vocals but pulls you into the sound. The title track from the same album, “Journey,” was next. With house lights on and arms waving back and forth, this part of the concert closed.

After changing into WOODZ merch, he came out for “I hate you,” followed by the traditional group photo before heading next into “BUMP BUMP.” It was clear that he wanted everyone to be part of the show. Though the theater was big, he made it feel intimate. WOODZ got off the stage to sing within the aisles, giving much love to all the MOODZ along the way.

Finishing the night with “Hope to be like you,” followed by “Ready to Fight,” the show ended more like it began. With energy off the charts, WOODZ had everyone screaming, jumping, and singing along up until the very last minute. When you see an artist holding a bottle of water and not drinking it, at most shows it means to get ready for a shower, but for WOODZ he drenched himself instead again, shaking his head adorably before leaving the stage.

Thank you to WOODZ, EDAM Entertainment, and Wonderwall for having us for this show.