Epik High Kicks Off All Time High Tour in San Diego
Epik High returned with a brand new tour in 2023 and kicked off their North American leg in America’s Finest City, San Diego. Titled the All Time High Tour, Epik High has embarked on yet another exhilarating tour that many need to get themselves out to.
Despite the cold temperatures and rain that rolled in just the day before, nothing stopped fans from bringing in the energy for the concert. Fans in San Diego came out and showed out for sure, as the venue was fully packed. Once inside, there was this buzz in the air as fans eagerly awaited the group to take the stage. Unlike their previous tour where they had an opener (Woosung of The Rose), Tablo switched things up and brought out the Tablo Podcast, showing it up on a big screen, greeting fans before the start. Fans know that Tablo has been retired from doing the Tablo Podcast for quite some time, so to have it brought back, even in a short form, was such a great delight. It’s likely that the cities to follow will get their own opener dedicated to their stop.
Not long after the intro with the podcast, Epik High took to the stage, kicking off their setlist with “On My Way” from their latest album Strawberry, with fans ready to sing along. Perhaps one of the best reasons you need to attend an Epik High show is just to hear the crowd sing along. Especially with smaller venues, the echoes of singing and screaming will bring a chill down your spine with how spectacular it is. Despite songs off Strawberry only being a couple weeks old, the fans were ready and San Diego made sure to let the group know. Other songs that were performed ranged from older hits like “Fly” and “One,” to banger favorites like “Born Hater,” “NO THANXXX,” “Rosario,” and “Burj Khalifa.” It got so hot and wild with energy that some technical difficulties occurred where Tablo’s mic died, but it didn’t stop him or the rest of the group from giving 100% throughout the entire show.
All photos by J. Ventinilla
Mid-way through, as the group was coming down from the initial high from the song, fans were also treated to Tablo performing “All Day'' by RM which he had featured on, and his version of Taeyang’s “Eyes,Nose,Lips.” The rest of the night included great performances of “Rain Song,” which was fitting for San Diego’s weather at the time, and “Umbrella,” which was a song that was never performed outside of Korea according to Tablo. Songs like “Don’t Hate Me” and “Catch (featuring Hwasa)” closed out the songs, and it was just all good fun.
One thing that you can always count on Epik High to do is deliver amazing crowd work. Whether it be talking to the fans in the middle of songs, dousing fans with water from water bottles, or even getting down to the floor and standing by the barricade, Epik High was also giving back to the crowd. They always made sure that the crowd either had their hands up in the air or were jumping around when the time came. They also made an effort to have a lucky fan catch an autographed shirt from the group in the middle of the show. If you were one of the lucky fans to either get early entry or VIP, you were lucky enough to meet Epik High and take a photo with them or receive a signed poster after the concert. All in all, San Diego walked away from a great show and despite the technical difficulties that occurred, Epik High put on a master class of a show that was so exhilarating and fun.
Epik High made it very clear that they loved the San Diego crowd as they got hyped up and excited throughout the night—there was a reason why the city was chosen first, and San Diego did not disappoint. If you’ve never been to an Epik High show before, the All Time High Tour is one you do not want to miss. You can trust that Epik High will always bring the energy to the stage, and you’ll leave the concert thoroughly impressed, happy, and all around feeling good. You MUST get yourself out to a show because Epik High puts on one hell of an amazing show.
There is still time left in the tour to catch them as they’ll be making their rounds throughout North America until mid-April. It’ll only be a matter of time until they also make their way across Asia and the rest of the world.
Edited by Omani