Read Part 1 HERE !
I arrived at the venue just before 4:30 PM. By this time, the lineup for P1 entry had already commenced.
My first order of business was to determine the location of fansites. Having reserved the PPP Cheering Set from spinoff, it was my duty to obtain and pay for the set before they packed up to enter the venue themselves.
Spinoff wasn’t the nicest person to interact with at first glance, but the transaction went smoothly, even though I did not bring exact change ($18 USD – sans EMS fees!!)
What followed was a seemingly endless wait to enter the internal quarters of the venue. SubK staff checked and scanned tickets during this time; a green wristband was given to us as well.
The security check also went smoothly, and most of us had filed into a sectioned gym area by 5:30 PM. I had made an earnest request to excuse myself in search of a bathroom once I had made it inside. By doing this, I had lost my original spot in the first half of the crowd and fell to the final third of attendees. Whether this change in order had altered my experience cannot be ascertained.
Hi-Touch commenced at roughly 6:10 PM as opposed to the scheduled 6:00 PM. The line began to shift forward gradually, and soon enough, it was my turn.
As with all Hi-Touches, I had come prepared. My legs were feeling feeble as our row stepped up. My heart swelled with nervous excitement and anticipation.
Like always, the anxiety disappeared the minute I began moving towards the boys. It was like seeing old friends – you know, the kind you always miss.
As with all Hi-Touches, I had come prepared. My legs were feeling feeble as our row stepped up. My heart swelled with nervous excitement and anticipation.
Like always, the anxiety disappeared the minute I began moving towards the boys. It was like seeing old friends – you know, the kind you always miss.
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The order was: Yugyeom, BamBam, Jinyoung, JB, Mark, Youngjae, Jackson
My biggest fear was the SubK would rush the hi-touch participants, and this was exactly the situation that took place. The entire scene appeared hurried for no reason whatsoever. A combination of SubK staff and venue staff were monitoring the entire scene with the eyes of a hawk, rushing and yelling at fans to keep moving.
I was able to greet the first two members with the words I had planned to say to them, but majority of my memory is foggy. I don’t even remember their faces, let alone their respective reactions.
My biggest fear was the SubK would rush the hi-touch participants, and this was exactly the situation that took place. The entire scene appeared hurried for no reason whatsoever. A combination of SubK staff and venue staff were monitoring the entire scene with the eyes of a hawk, rushing and yelling at fans to keep moving.
I was able to greet the first two members with the words I had planned to say to them, but majority of my memory is foggy. I don’t even remember their faces, let alone their respective reactions.
My personal recount is as follows:
- Yugyeom; “역시 막내 on top!” (translates to “As expected, maknae on top!”)
- BamBam; “Please never stop smiling!”
- Youngjae; “퉤영재 안녕!” (“Twe Youngjae, hello!”) I had intended to say “퉤수달 안녕!”, which was a combination of his own mispronounciation of “Choi” followed by a reference to his resemblance to otters, but did not succeed.
- Jinyoung: “Your songs give me so much strength!” was the phrase I managed to spit out in a ridiculously hurried manner. The Korean equivalent I had planned was much too long and wordy to remember, so I opted to relay my message in English in hopes that both of us could understand it in the milliseconds that I was provided. Recently, Jinyoung’s English has witnessed a stunning improvement, so I was certain that he could understand me.
- JB; A staff member had shouted at me to not grab the members’ hands, causing me to blank out on the spot instead of telling him “次のアルバムを楽しみ！”, which translates to “I’m looking forward to the next album!” in Japanese. It was an incredibly awkward moment where my concentration was broken and I merely stared at JB blankly. A total of five milliseconds passed before I could regain composure and touch his hand delicately. (ARGH!!)
- Mark; Still stunned from the backlash I received while interacting with JB, I did not have the brainpower to say anything to Mark. But, in all honesty, I didn’t know what to say to Mark anyways.
- Jackson; By the time I reached Jackson, I had recovered and was able to say, “唔好咁搏, 要休息呀!” (which translates to “Don’t stress out, (you) need to rest!” in Cantonese). Some attendees had reported Jackson looking uninterested and tired, but I was convinced that he had looked straight at me and acknowledged my words. Whether he will remember these words or not is a different story.
It took a great deal of concentration to utter the things I had so meticulously prepared. Regrettably, my efforts were shattered when rushed and imposed upon by a loud staff member. For all I can recall, I did not even get the chance to examine Jinyoung’s facial features in our brief interaction. In the few seconds that our eyes met, I didn’t even have the opportunity to gaze into his eyes or handsome face. SubK had stripped me of my allocated Hi-Touch rights.
As we departed the area, staff members rushed us outside of the venue yet again without break.
As we departed the area, staff members rushed us outside of the venue yet again without break.
Once Hi-Touch had concluded in all its frazzled frenzy, it was time to hunt for subsistence before the three-hour show. In retrospect, I had chosen the wrong path entirely; had I been aware of the barriers arranged before the main entrance of the venue in preparation for entry of P2 to P5 ticketholders, I would have rapidly removed myself from the stampede-to-be.
All of a sudden, I found myself, lightstick and fanboard still in hand, being dragged into the vacuum of eager attendees.
All of a sudden, I found myself, lightstick and fanboard still in hand, being dragged into the vacuum of eager attendees.
It wasn’t until a few minutes of armed combat (read: protecting my delicate personal belongings with elbow strength and the sheer will to survive) that my struggle ended and I emerged triumphant and intact on the other side of herd.
Across the street was Shake Shack – one of the spots I had eagerly added to my LA to-go list a year prior, only to neglect amidst the chaos of KCON.
The tables outside were occupied, as were all the spots in the burger shack’s interior. I took a few minutes with the menu after joining the slow-moving lineup, and eventually settled on the ShackBurger and a small Iced Tea.
As a first-time visitor, it would have been fitting to select the set of greatest popularity, namely the ShackBurger, crinkly Fries, and Concrete frozen custard shakes. However, it was in my best interest to keep my diet free from an excess of foreign materials to prevent protests from my digestive system during the upcoming show.
Orders were taken in a swift, no-nonsense manner: the cashier attendants were welcoming but not quite friendly in a genuine sense. Her tendencies were not rushed, though, despite the infinitely expanding crowd behind me.
Orders were taken in a swift, no-nonsense manner: the cashier attendants were welcoming but not quite friendly in a genuine sense. Her tendencies were not rushed, though, despite the infinitely expanding crowd behind me.
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A numbered buzzer was provided upon conclusion of the order. The intention was to alert customers or order completion without the need for a loud speaker/paging system.
A short wait ensued before I flung open the front door, grease-spotted takeout bag in hand. Store seating was nonexistent, so I took to the benches before Barclays’ Flatbush entrance to indulge.
An aspect I am constantly reminded of in American cuisine is their unsweetened ice tea. Given the number of times the drink has been ordered between our previously frequent family trips to Seattle from Vancouver, this should no longer come as a surprise to me.
Yet, this realization hits me every time like a forgotten bouncy ball. Frankly, it’s odd since the United States is, statistically, categorized a sugar-laden nation. Regardless, it was refreshing and actually appropriate given the heavy flavours of the burger. There wasn’t much ice either, but this may have been because it melted quickly.
Yet, this realization hits me every time like a forgotten bouncy ball. Frankly, it’s odd since the United States is, statistically, categorized a sugar-laden nation. Regardless, it was refreshing and actually appropriate given the heavy flavours of the burger. There wasn’t much ice either, but this may have been because it melted quickly.
The ShackBurger was satisfying, with a tasty sauce whose ingredients I do not desire to know. Although nowhere near a burger enthusiast, I can confirm that the patty was better than anticipated. A slight smoky flavour hovered about it; the charred surface and well-texture profile were notably delicious qualities as well.
With a supposedly crisp appearance, one would presume the lettuce to be fresh and combat the effects of the otherwise high-calorie comfort food. In reality, the wispy green slice tasted rather artificial. The deep green hue and wavy edges were merely an optical illusion.
The burger was a bit more protein than my body is accustomed to, but it was delicious nonetheless.
The burger was a bit more protein than my body is accustomed to, but it was delicious nonetheless.
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I had forgotten to order a side of crinkle fries, but a lone fry had dropped into my tray anyway. Crispy and seasoned with just the right amount of salt, it was a distinctly different creature than McD’s thin-cut version. The wavy cut of Shake Shack’s contributed great texture overall.
A lovely potato had found me munching away around 7:30 PM. Shortly afterwards, we entered Barclays through the main entrance for a second round of security checks – this time with more scrutiny. Oddly enough, tickets were not scanned this time.
Unlike the Toronto show, the show commenced closer to 8:15 PM than the schedule 8:00 PM. It should be noted that the New York show did extend until 10:50 PM, eight minutes longer than at the ACC.
Unlike the Toronto show, the show commenced closer to 8:15 PM than the schedule 8:00 PM. It should be noted that the New York show did extend until 10:50 PM, eight minutes longer than at the ACC.
The view from F3 was significantly better and closer than my P2 seat back home.
Benefits of GA seated were bountiful: it nixed the need to queue hours in advance and allowed ticketholders to disperse themselves about the perimeter of the stage as desired.
Benefits of GA seated were bountiful: it nixed the need to queue hours in advance and allowed ticketholders to disperse themselves about the perimeter of the stage as desired.
The setlist remained the same for GOT7’s final stop in North America. My experience, on the other hand, differed drastically in a positive manner.
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Songs that had concerned me from my last stop were: Firework, Face, and King. Jinyoung faced the left side of the stage for the aforementioned songs, which happened to be the exact side my seat resided on for the New York stop.
In sharp contrast to Toronto, I had an amazing view for FACE and majority of Jinyoung’s parts and ments. A solid view for King was established, until the flagmen began marching alongside them anyway.
In sharp contrast to Toronto, I had an amazing view for FACE and majority of Jinyoung’s parts and ments. A solid view for King was established, until the flagmen began marching alongside them anyway.
Being situated close to the stage enabled me to observe details that I would have easily overlooked if viewing from afar or on an enlarged screen. Such elements included:
- Clothing embellishments, and how different members sported similar outfits with minor tweaks to reflect individuality (For example, Yugyeom’s blazer featured his beloved dandelion outline)
- Choreography arrangements and key movements (Beggin On My Knees was a thousand times more enticing when viewed up close!)
- Small gestures and eye contact made by the members
At an early point in the show, Jinyoung pointed to one girl's phone and blew a kiss to another, causing her to swoon dramatically. While I was slightly disappointed by this, he did cast a glance and wave in my general direction. At that moment in time, I was convinced he looked directly at me, for our eyes met despite the glare of the overhead lights.
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View the full album HERE !
Being closer allowed me to appreciate the unit stages to a greater degree. I could finally spot the dazzling brooch on Jinyoung’s jacket during King, as well as see Yugyeom’s full dance without obstructions. The radius of impact for the dispersion of “King” money was on the smaller side though, so I didn’t manage to catch any. Unit stages felt similar in duration this time.
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Jackson's ending ment was the most sincere-sounding this time around. BamBam’s ment was as good as always – I’m convinced his speaking has become more eloquent throughout the tour, even if his English vocabulary isn’t as diverse as that of Jinyoung.
During the ending ments, some of the standing attendees could spot the text on the monitor. Those who had prepared written English translations of their speeches utilized the monitor as prompts; these included the native Koreans: Youngjae, Yugyeom, and JB.
During the ending ments, some of the standing attendees could spot the text on the monitor. Those who had prepared written English translations of their speeches utilized the monitor as prompts; these included the native Koreans: Youngjae, Yugyeom, and JB.
Astoundingly enough, Jinyoung had opted out of using this prompt, and thoughtfully prepared in advance. It’s as if I didn’t already have enough reason to love him till the end of the world.
HIS ENGLISH SIMPLY FLOWED OUT. It was BEAUTIFUL.
HIS ENGLISH SIMPLY FLOWED OUT. It was BEAUTIFUL.
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Encore songs included: Look (Remix), Fly, and Go Higher. NO ONE GRABBED MY HAND, and my headband was almost knocked off my head several times by overzealous fans.
Youngjae and JB did minimal interactions with fans, while Jackson and BamBam hovered about the edge of the extended stage to glance into our eyes. Jinyoung, who tended to frequent the left stage in Toronto, was dispersed at all corners this time around. Unfortunately, he only took to shaking hands with those closer to the walkway area.
Security for the P1 sections was much nicer than that of the Scotiabank Arena. Not only were we not rushed out of the venue like stray cats, they had no issues with filming the show on cameras. A girl in my section actually pulled a selfie stick for improved filming height, to which security said absolutely nothing. They did, however, stride over in concern the second they observed any of the fans sliding down in their spot (from awe or melodrama).
Overall, Eyes On You in New York was significantly better than Toronto. Being allowed to capture precious footage while staying safe was one aspect, but the improved view for all performances was the main reason of bias.
The show concluded around 11 PM, at which point most attendees took selfies with the empty stage and began to exit slowly.
Subways were infrequent at this time of the day – or should I say, night? A tedious wait of twenty minutes ensued before we were on our way back home.
I fell to a restless slumber (as I always do on foreign mattresses) as soon as media files finished copying.
I fell to a restless slumber (as I always do on foreign mattresses) as soon as media files finished copying.
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