Concert Review: 8TURN Lights up First World Tour 8TURNRISE at Los Angeles Concert

All Photos: Jean Libert

8TURN’s first world tour 8TURNRISE brought fans and curious onlookers together for a night of sharp moves, bright smiles, and intricate choreography.

As I walked up to The Orpheum for 8TURN’s first concert in LA, even the most untrained eye could see that something special was in the air. Fans in curated outfits handed out hand-designed 8TURN buttons, cheering banners, and sprout clips for their hair, while curious onlookers paused on the sidewalk: “Is there a show tonight?,” “You all look amazing.”

This might seem par for the course for most K-Pop shows, with its familiar motifs: pickets, lightsticks, and intricate, striking fashion. These stan trademarks often draw the curiosity, and, in some cases, frustrating ire of the public. However, I would argue that there is something acutely special in witnessing the anticipation and enthusiasm of a burgeoning young group’s first world tour. Fans’ eyes twinkled as they exchanged trading card packs in the lobby and discussed the best prompts to write on post-it notes that would be delivered for a talk section later in the show. It’s a study in fan loyalty and a lesson in heartfelt community, with many fans meeting other Turnings (8TURN’s fandom name) in-person through this tour for the first time since the group’s 2023 debut. 

As I chatted with fans before and after, there was a distinct trend: many came with their own dance background. My own exposure to 8TURN prior to this concert, both through survival show Road To Kingdom: ACE OF ACE, known for its complex staging, and their breakout KCON 2023 pre-show stage rang true with this: tightly synchronized choreographies and gut-punching, acrobatic performances are the group’s modus operandi. 

8TURN’s preparation for this tour faced several acute challenges, both in the months prior with weaker-than-expected sales (which, for the record, they took in stride with good grace and good humor: “it’s a dark time for us” they joked on TikTok after initial sales). However, the Los Angeles stop faced even more hardship in the immediate hours leading up to the show, with the announcement that youngest member Seungheon injured his leg and would be performing seated and on crutches throughout the show. 

Despite the hardships, as the lights dimmed and the refrain of intro song “WORLD” started up, the energy of the room was undeniable, with cheers loud enough to fill even the dustiest corners of The Orpheum. As 8TURN launched into opener “RU-PUM-PUM,” clear as day, each member was hungry, greedy even, to put on a great show. 

The group’s hip-hop, dance-centric discography lends itself best to the high-power, explosive performances they delivered that Friday night. Member Yungyu’s tightly controlled dance solo in “WALK IT OUT” delivered the “fireworks in my vein” the song promises. 

The opener rounded out with my personal favorite track “EXCEL,” which I first saw during the group’s preshow stage back at their KCON 2023 stage. What rang true then rang true now: the core-strength required to execute member Myungho’s opening lift and horizontal flip to land on his feet (if that’s what it could be called) is… well insane, to say the least. 

As the members launched into opening ments, the members mentioned their history with LA, reminiscing on KCON, explaining Seungheon’s health requirements, and celebrating their return to the City of Angels (as featured in a fake LA tattoo on Minho’s neck.) Member and leader of 8TURN Jaeyun specifically mentions that  “getting to perform in this legendary theater, the Orpheum Theater, is so surreal and so crazy.” 

@8turn_official 𝟴𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀 🔥 #8TURN #에잇턴 #エイトターン #8TURN1stWorldTour #8TURNRISE ♬ 오리지널 사운드 - 8TURN

From there, “WONDER” jumped straight back to their rap-driven, trap-heavy, hard-hitting stages. Evening their pace with dreamy laid-back “SKETCH,”  Both crowd and group alike rained love down on maknae Seungheon, surrounding him with hearts and cheers as he performed seated. 

Switching up the vibe, the members split off into distinctive sub-units for various cover stage segments across the setlist, kicking it off with members’ Jaeyun, Minho, and Yoonsung’s smooth, sensual rendition of KISS OF LIFE Natty’s “Sugarcoat.” 

 The members kick back to easy-listening summery pop-rock  “I Want You Now” and lighthearted “Say My Name,” before youngest members Yungyu and Seungheon switched up the vibe with their airtight cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” swapping out the most iconic diss of musical history with Seungheon’s cheeky, alternative: “I’m still a minorrrrr.”

The members then launched into a medley of their most iconic stage moments from their recent participation in Road To Kingdom: ACE of ACE. Remarking during ments that many recent fans found them through their participation in the show, the medley of ENHYPEN’s “Future Perfect,” IVE’s “LOVE DIVE,” and 8TURN’s own “TIC TAC” and show-original “SPEED RUN.” Myungho, who mentioned it as his favorite part of the tour set, twisted and dove (pun intended) across the stage in callbacks to his Ace stages of the season, alongside Yungyu and Jaeyun. 

A quick dance battle sketch and Myungho, Haemin, and Kyungmin’s elegant (and rather tall) arrangement of BTS’s “Black Swan” brought the show to its final, fast-paced ending segments featuring their debut “TIC TAC”’s catchy, charismatic, and alluring stage and most recent brassy, hip-hop title track “LEGGO.” (Semi-refined audience participation in the “LEGGO” dance challenge included.) In the classic mandatory encore fake-out expected of every K-Pop show the members returned for “Like a Friend” and “ING” taking to the aisles in a sweet gesture: handing out candy Halloween-style to fans. 

“It feels like yesterday we were busking in Venice Beach in LA, but thanks to you all we were able to go on a world tour!” Myungho reminisces, rounding out the concert on a full-circle note. “It feels like a dream.” Minho shares. Perhaps it’s their youthful charms and up-and-coming enthusiasm, but I felt my spirits lift too–what isn’t there to love about a “street performance to full concert in a foreign country two years later” type of journey? “Every time we do this, we get more inspiration as a singer and more gratitude.” adds Jaeyun. Echoing these sentiments, uplifting “You Are My Reason” closed the concert as the both high-energy but devoted fan song.

The lights dimmed on 8TURN’s first concert in Los Angeles at the historic Orpheum Theater; the room hummed with that post-show eclectic energy (and potentially nerves, for the many fans proceeding onward to various post-show meet and greet experiences). With such crisp, astonishing choreographies and resolute dedication to their craft, 8TURN is making a name for themselves. What a pleasure to witness such a tactile milestone as a first world tour. I look forward to a promising, bright future for each of the eight members.