A little less than a year after his The Colors Of Bang Yongguk tour, dynamic rapper Bang Yongguk returned to New York for his III tour, at Brooklyn’s The Warsaw on April 6, 2024. This tour comes on the heels of his latest musical masterpiece, the third EP titled 3 released this past March.

Kicking off the show, the DJ spun tracks from icons who hailed from the great boroughs of New York. Featuring an array of hits from industry titans such as JAY-Z, Pop Smoke, and the sensational Ice Spice, that aided in pumping up an already eager crowd. 

As the first stop on this tour, Brooklyn had the pivotal role of setting the bar high, and indeed, it surpassed all expectations! As Yongguk took the stage opening with “Off” and “Xie Xie,” the crowd erupted into deafening screams and cheers that undoubtedly set the tone for the night. After a brief introduction to the crowd, he moved into tracks “Ride or Die,” “IXLU,” “Race,” and “NUMB,” which hail from his last three releases (THE COLORS OF LOVE, 2, and 3).

For longtime fans, a surprise was in store as he performed tracks “Journey,” “Hikikomori,” and “AM 4:44” from his 2019 self-titled album, as well as his 2011 single “I Remember.” Heading into the latter half of the show, the vibes of the night were yet to fall flat and you could feel the anticipation reverberating through the venue. Yongguk had previously asked the crowd if they were familiar with his latest EP, eliciting roars and calls of the audience’s favorite tracks and setlist requests. In response, he assured the audience that their request would undoubtedly make an appearance—well, at least once—ensuring that no fan would leave disappointed.

Though a relatively upbeat showcase thus far, the upcoming tracks of the night were about to take the energy to the next level. The opening chords of “UP” filled the venue and so did the cheers of fans—frankly, he could have done a full setlist of just “UP” and the crowd would have been satisfied. Following was “UFO,” “Yamazaki,” “BUSS IT DOWN,” and “MOVIMENTO,” which are arguably the craziest four tracks to put back to back. It is no exaggeration to say the crowd was jumping and dancing for at least ten minutes straight and loving every second of it. 

After a jam-packed segment, Yongguk performed hearty track “Green” that acted as a recess for himself and the audience. Not only was it a moment for both parties to catch their breath, it was to enjoy the company of one another. Amongst the crowd was an ocean of lightsticks that swayed in harmony to the serenade that filled the venue and you could feel the connection between fan and artist. Heading into rock-influenced hit “BAD,” Yongguk continued into his encore where he expressed his gratitude for fans' love and support.

The show wasn’t ready to end just yet, and if you had been tricked by the infamous “This is the last track of the night,” you were mistaken. It was time for round two of “BUSS IT DOWN” and “Xie Xie.” Had I not witnessed it myself, you could convince me that the songs were not performed previously as the audience sang along with the same vigor, maybe even more, that they had earlier. The final track of the night was “Orange Drive,” and with that Brooklyn’s time with the Bang Yongguk had come to a close. 

Though Brooklyn had to say goodbye to Yongguk, fans across the United States still have the chance to catch him on tour as he makes his way to the west coast for the III finale in Los Angeles!