EVNNE Shine Bright with SET N GO in London
Photo: Studio PAV Europe
It was a dark, cold, and windy night outside in the city; but inside, the temperature was burning hot as Keita, Park Hanbin, Lee Jeonghyeon, Yoo Seungeon, Ji Yunseo, Mun Junghyun, and Park Jihoo, also known as the seven members of EVNNE, lit up the EartH Hall stage with their SET N GO tour stop in London on October 28.
The septet displayed an abundance of wit and charm across the two hour show, performing in front of their fans (known as ENNVE) who were ecstatic to see EVNNE perform in the UK for the very first time.
Opening on a high, EVNNE began the show with a performance “UGLY,” the song that gave them their very first music show win last year, but with a touch of rock added to its production. The vibrant “TROUBLE” followed, before the members introduced themselves and spoke of their excitement at “finally [being] in Europe” with a promise to put on the best show, to which, from the reactions of the UK ENNVE in attendance, they did!
The genre-defying “dirtybop” was next on the set list, bringing forward an intriguing collective of sounds, with the song co-written by Omega Sapien (of alternative K-Pop collective, Balming Tiger.) The addictively sweet “SYRUP” followed, with its hip-hop infused pop sounds–a song that Keita, Jeonghyeon, and Yunseo, participated in the writing of. With this, EVNNE revealed that the members have become more and more involved in the creative process of their music, making them feel proud to release and perform songs that they have written themselves. This revelation received mass applause and cheers from the crowd who shocked EVNNE with how loud and energetic a UK audience can be.
For the next stage, the energy shifted into a more laid back, calming tone as EVNNE performed “Boom Bari” with no choreography except for the odd body roll (which ENNVE loved.) Instead, the members stood across the stage in a line formation, doing up and down arm movements as they performed the song, with the choreography returning for the performances of “Pretty Thing” and “JUKEBOX,” two songs that raised the energy visually and sonically whilst still also having a slight mellow aspect to their sound.
"The atmosphere is so good in here, we're so hot because of you guys" said one of the members, following the “JUKEBOX” performance. This prompted EVNNE to talk about the British weather and announce that they were going to make this the hottest night of the year for UK ENNVE. And they did–turning the heat up with a vibrant performance of “Newest” followed by “CROWN,” with the latter becoming an instant fan favorite, turning the show into a party before EVNNE excited the stage.
A VCR played on the stage screen, showing the members in a race car themed sequence that matched the vibe of the SET N GO tour. EVNNE then returned to the stage, now dressed in American football jerseys with the show now entering a more cute and playful concept with the songs “HOT MESS” and “Birthday.” For the fans who were celebrating their birthday at the concert, EVNNE took the time to sing Happy Birthday to them, with everyone in attendance joining in on the celebrations, making the night extra special for many.
Moving on from the cute and playful concept, “K.O (Keep On)” switched up the vibe, introducing a more mature and suave pop sound before throwing it back to the past with the ‘90s hip-hop beats of “Role Model.” The sleek confidence and R&B vibes of “How Can I Do” followed “Role Model” with the members revealing this to be the song they were most excited to perform on tour, with them all having had dreams of their performance. Judging by the fan reactions, "How Can I Do” was a song that ENNVE's were also excited to hear as the members displayed charm and temptation with the flirtatious concept of the song (as revealed by Seungeon).
Talking to their fans again, EVNNE encouraged them to scream as loud as they could to judge how successful the show was at that point of the night, with the louder the screams, the more successful the show was. As the fans participated in the cheering and screaming, Keita said someone sounded like a dinosaur and began to mimic dinosaur sounds, much to everyone's amusement. This segment then moved nicely into the performance of “Love Like That” that brought the show back into a playful aspect, with the members' light vocals and the song's soft, upbeat notions that continued into the melodic and youthful tones of “Badder Love - English Version.”
After exchanging more words with the crowd, Keita announced that it was time for the last stage which prompted his fellow members to boo him, with the fans joining in. Before ending the show, EVNNE revealed that all the members had high expectations for their performance in London and said the crowd blew them away with their love and support throughout the night. To sum up the show in one word, Jihoo reverted to the viral meme “6,7” as his word choice, prompting laughter and cheers amongst the crowd, with the show now entering its final stage.
Co-written by Seungeon, the mellow pop-rock-synth sounds of “Youth” began the final stage followed by the emotional ballad track “Even More.” The members performed both songs with no choreography, instead taking in the moment of being with their fans, performing the song by standing in a line formation, similar to the earlier performance of “Boom Bari,” but with more heartfelt emotion as the show had now come to an end.
In true K-Pop form, EVNNE left the stage only to return for the encore, now dressed in their official tour t-shirts. The bright, upbeat energy of “Festa” opened the encore stage before EVNNE raised the energy even higher with a performance of the refreshing J-Pop influenced “KESHIKI.”
To ENNVE's delight, the members promised to return to the UK one day with each of them showing love and gratitude for the fun and memorable night they had shared in London with their fans. With his love of Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes, Yunseo revealed that he had always dreamt of coming to London since he was a child and thanked ENNVE for making his childhood dreams come true, creating an extra special moment between EVNNE and ENNVE, that neither will forget.
The show then ended with a small medley of tracks that had been performed earlier in the show with “Newest,” “CROWN,” and “TROUBLE” ending the show with uplifting party vibes that no one wanted to end. As it was time to say goodbye, the music for "TROUBLE" started again with the members instantly breaking into another performance of “TROUBLE” before officially saying their goodbyes and exciting the stage.
EVNNE's SET N GO tour stop in London, was an excellent night of music with EVNNE displaying great charm, talent, and charisma throughout each performance and talking stage. Each member shined bright with their personality, especially Junghyun who projected an endearingly fun and playful side to himself every time he spoke to the crowd. Keita stood out to me as one of the best rap performers I've had the pleasure of seeing live in K-Pop, with his charismatic stage presence and addictive rap delivery, as well as Seungeon whose high notes and deeper tones were unforgettable.
Overall, it was a special night for both EVNNE and ENNVE, being one that UK ENNVE's can't wait to experience again someday in the future.
Thank you to EVNNE, Jellyfish Entertainment, and Studio PAV for having The Kraze at the show.