PURPLE K!SS Begins Canadian Leg of 2024 BXX TOUR with Sold-Out Vancouver Show
Photo: Jacob Aron Leung
After performing in seven American cities, PURPLE K!SS finally brought their 2024 BXX TOUR onto Canadian soil. With nine cities waiting for the group to explore, Vancouver, British Columbia was their first destination on Sunday, June 16. Hollywood of the north embraced PURPLE K!SS with a classic Vancouver welcome: a morning of pouring rain. This did not deter the over 400 fans seated in the sold-out show at the Rio Theatre. K-Pop fans poured in to see the first girl group to perform in the city since 2019.
As patrons entered, a neon sign greeted them with the alternating words “WELCOME” and “PLORYS,” the group’s fandom name. The lights dimmed at seven, and PURPLE K!SS began dancing to “Intro : Crown” from their debut EP. This ushered in an English version of their debut track, “Ponzona,” followed by an English version of “Sweet Juice.”
The group then introduced themselves, with Swan declaring “let’s have a burning night tonight!” to the roar of the crowd. They transitioned to “Intro : Illusion” from their third EP memeM, before performing its title track of the same name. Despite wearing outfits from their summery “7HEAVEN” music video, they continued to strike the hard-hitting moves of the darker “memeM.”
Photo: Jacob Aron Leung
PURPLE K!SS took a breather and decided to discuss the most important topic for Canadians: Tim Hortons. Dosie mentioned her desire to try the iconic Canadian coffee shop franchise, which expanded to South Korea last year. What better place to try Timmies—as Canadians call it—than in its country of origin?
Then came the playful “Toy Boy,” a B-side on their latest EP BXX. They combined the chill vibes of “Toy Boy” and the eerie vibes of prior songs for “Nerdy.” “Love Is Dead” immediately followed, then only Goeun and Dosie remained on stage. They teased upcoming unit stages but also enticed the audience with a board full of sticky notes.
They introduced “Ask Purki” time, which yielded interesting results. A fan asked the two to strike an 어궁빵 (agungbbang) pose, where one places their chin in the palm of their hands. They laughed, and said the audience can teach their friends an “idol pose.”
With everyone relaxed, the two performed a cover of VIVIZ’s “Untie.” Chaein and Swan decided to make their cover purely vocal with Sam Smith’s “Unholy (feat. Kim Petras).” Their question time revealed another Canadian connection: this concert marked Chaein’s return to Vancouver. Via translator, she noted, “I’ve been here for a while, maybe elementary school?” Perhaps the locals would love to call her an honorary Vancouverite. Other fun quips included Swan’s brief serenade to a fan who wanted to hear her sing “Let it Go,” and Chaein’s interest in trying an “old hip-hop” or sentimental concept akin to SEVENTEEN’s “Don’t Wanna Cry.”
Next came Yuki and Ireh’s take on HyunA&DAWN’s energetic “PING PONG.” Their “Ask Purki” segment taught fans Korean slang. One fan asked Yuki a question which the translator expressed unfamiliarity with. The fan asked for a 저메추 (Jeomechu), a shortened form of 저녁 메뉴 추천 (Jeonyeok menyu chucheon), a dinner menu recommendation. Yuki and Ireh asked the audience what they could recommend, and passionate fans screamed, “Samgyeopsal!” (grilled pork belly).
The rest of the group rejoined them, and they got into position for “Pretty Psycho.” They amped up the energy once more with “My Heart Skip a Beat,” another fan favorite. Though the audience's hearts were already pumped with adrenaline, their cheers erupted once more when Goeun revealed her family was in the crowd.
The packed theater gave them a warm welcome, and Dosie noted the sold-out show surprised her. “I heard that Canada doesn’t get a lot of K-Pop concerts,” she said via translator. She was worried that the stop wouldn’t sell well, but the trip was worth it. They continued this travel theme when the concert entered its final stages with the ballad “Voyager.”
Like the other intro performances foreshadowing the following songs, “Intro : Crush” led into the group’s latest promoted track “BBB.” To close it off, the group brought out the spooky yet cute “Zombie” from their second EP. Swan added some encouragement for her members, shouting things like “Go, Yuki!” and “Go, Ireh!” After the group left the stage, they urged fans to shout loud for an encore.
They reemerged wearing black tour T-shirts and fluffy headbands. On came “Autopilot,” where the members went around waving to the crowd. “7HEAVEN” followed suit —something Ireh spoiled earlier in the evening—and “Twinkle” wrapped up the show.
PURPLE KISS will continue traveling across Canada before ending in Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 2. The group became the first K-Pop group to perform in Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Quebec City, and Halifax. Thank you PURPLE K!SS, Leo Presents, and RBW for making this tour possible.