AMPERS&ONE Takes Santa Ana by Storm on Born to Define World Tour
Photo: AMPERS&ONE Official X
Embarking on their second world tour, AMPERS&ONE lit up the night in Santa Ana on May 31, one of the last stops of their North American tour wing. Packing into Yost Theater, the crowd of Andears buzzed with energy from balcony to floor. It’s rare for K-pop groups to play Santa Ana, a city located south of Los Angeles in Orange County, California, and the enthusiasm to welcome AMPERS&ONE echoed throughout the room with loud cheers, dancing, and spectacle. AMPERS&ONE is a presence to watch, the crowd seemingly double the size of their prior Southern California world tour concert in Spring 2025. (Something particular to note, given the fact that they just played a Los Angeles Stop a day prior, only 45 minutes to the North). As the group matures from rookies to established artists, so too has the crowd, loaded with inside jokes and their latest and greatest, graphic-style lightstick in the shape of their trademark “&.”
Taking to the stage with their opener, and latest title, “GOD,” a hip-hop blend of traditional Korean instrumentation and layered vocal raps and shouts that makes for an eye-popping concert opener, the shouts of the crowd layering with the dramatic, eager choreography. The concert followed this campaign with a series of high-energy bangers: “What You Talking About” to “I’m Down” to (saxophone-thick) “That’s That,” “Did It,” and finally EDM-powerhouse “Slide,” each following the nonstop power of its predecessor, in sleek black fits.
When it came time for ments, the members wasted no time picking their favorite running joke of the evening: Santa, for, well, Santa Ana. Hehe-ing and hoho-ing the members greeted their fans successfully, commemorating their first time performing in a new city.
From there, the pace eased up a bit, sectioning off into a series of unit covers featuring each of the members’ distinct charms. Kamden and Jiho showcased elegant, sultry sides with a cover of ENHYPEN’s “Fever.” Kyrell and Brian served vocals and sugar-sweet romance with Taylor Swift’s ever-charming “Love Story,” hand-holding included. The final cover, featuring trio Siyun, Mackiah, and Seungmo, throwback to true boy-band excellence with One Direction’s “Drag Me Down,” all drama, power, and belting.
The members’ slide neatly into their nostalgic, boyish sound (the other side of the &) with dreamy “Over the Moon” and crowd-pleaser “He + She = We” in new denim, street-style outfits. A stand-out stage, “Kick Start” kicked everything into high-gear once again. Rock-heavy “Whip It” and edgy “Broken Heart” kept their momentum with powerful choreo, bringing the crowd’s screams to new heights in the crowded theater, before launching into “My Way” and “Get Famous” as the beginning of the finale.
Vlog cameras in hand for “All Eyes on You” the concert slowly coasted to an end with fan songs and feel-good vibes, before “On and On” got the whole room jumping. The members took to the crowd for their encore, neglecting their personal space to dance and greet fans up close for a final, dazzling push with “I Know You” and “Crazy Stupid Fun.”
AMPERS&ONE, a group known for their humor, did not disappoint in Santa Ana. “To be honest, you weren’t the loudest crowd… but you were the most in-tune!” Kyrell quipped. “We have some musically gifted people here.” And this is true, especially when you include the seven talented artists onstage. As the lights dimmed on Santa Ana, and fans and members alike prepared for a final batch of fan engagement (aka, post-show selfies), the night was lit up by the thrill of live music and the fun of performance.