DAMIEN'S
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5/24/2023

2 weeks ago I saw TXT live for the first time! It was the 2nd K-pop concert I've been to overall. As soon as I flew home from visiting Jersey, we had a lot of company come to visit us at our new house. Everyone went home yesterday, so I finally have time to write a bit about the concert.

I've been TXT's fan since the members were first being revealed. That was all the way back in early 2019, right before I got my first ever job. It's been 4 years since then, and in that time, my life has been a complete rollercoaster as I've been thrust into young adulthood. I can't help but define these recent chapters by what TXT comeback they've occured around. Throughout the uncertainty, stress, and trauma, TXT and their music have been there for me to escape to.

That's why it meant the world to me to finally see them perform in person. (Scoring great seats for a great price was a nice bonus, though.)

I saw them with my mom in New York City at the UBS Arena. It was huge! We got there 30 minutes before the doors opened and there was already a massive crowd waiting to get inside. The LOONA concert had been pretty crowded, but this was next-level. I didn't know what to expect going in but I was pleasantly surprised by the energy of everyone around me in line. I even got handed some freebies and slogans, including a Soobin charm I promptly fixed to my lightstick. Even though we were outside in the heat, the wait went by quick, I think because I was so nervous and excited.

When the doors opened, I immediately made a beeline for the merch line. Trying to get merch at K-pop concerts is a nightmare, or so I'd heard. I went over the list of offerings beforehand and narrowed it down to just a few things I could justify spending my money on - my spending anxiety has worsened a lot since moving out again this year. I love TXT, but not enough to spend $100+ on a set of photocards.

Although I got on line early, most of what I had my eye on sold out at the outside merch tables hours before I even got to the venue. I hadn't prepared for that scenario, so in my rush to keep the line moving, I wound up walking away with just one t-shirt. My bank account was very happy about that (even though the shirt was a whopping $55.) I changed into my shirt in the bathroom but I immediately hated how it fit me. I can't help but wish I'd bought something else, too, even if most of the merchandise was frivolous and overpriced.

Merchandise woes aside. The wait for the concert to begin, unlike the wait outside, felt like it took forever. I killed time by walking around the venue, which was so massive that my feet hurt by the time I met my mom back at our seats. We were in the first row above the floor seats, so we were really close, and I could still see the stage over everyone's heads. They played TXT's music videos on the big screens until the show started. I hadn't seen most of them in awhile. At that point, it really started setting in that I was about to see the guys in those music videos I loved so much in person.

They played a really long intro video on the big screen once the lights went off. The concert had a loose plot of sorts, following 3 or 4 acts that were preceeded by these videos. I barely remember the details, only that it had to do with the members resisting tempation. Very in-line with the theme of their most recent album. Also there was a dragon?

I got caught up in how corny the videos were, so when it ended and the intro to the first song started playing, the shock really hit me hard. I remember a caroseul showing up on the screen, and realizing they were about to open with Blue Hour. That album came out right after I'd moved out of my parents' house for the first time, when I was so unsure of the future but still so optimistic about it. Now, I was about to see it performed in front of me. It made me really emotional.

I won't bore you with a play-by-play of every blurred memory from the concert. I do have two highlights to share, though.

After the opening songs and introductions, they performed 3 of my favorite songs, Drama, No Rules, and Cat & Dog, back-to-back-to-back. I didn't think they were going to do any of them. For whatever reason, they only performed a shortened version of Drama, but the other 2 songs marked 2 major items off my MOA bucket list: seeing the No Rules dance break live, and barking along to the end of Cat & Dog with an arena full of fans. They even sang the English version of Cat & Dog - most fans prefer the original, but I can't help but love the corny English lyrics.

Towards the end of the concert, they did a fake-out ending until the screens revealed that we were entering the final act of the show's "story." They opened this final part of the show with my favorite song off their new album, Farewell, Neverland. The members came out on this gorgeous shipwreck setpiece in their Farewell concept outfits, my favorite of the album's looks. I didn't even know the song had choreography until they hopped off the ship and came out to the center stage to perform it. I got goosebumps.

Even though it was over before I knew it, I loved every second of the concert. The setlist, the outfits, the choreography, their vocals, all of it was perfect to me. I walked away high on adrenaline and with a newfound admiration for the 5 members who've worked hard every day since before their debut.

I want to go to more concerts! But they're very expensive, and I have bills to pay. TXT, thank you for showing me a good time and giving me a break from this period of stress I've been under. Next time, I promise I'll score barricade and cheer you on face-to-face! ✰

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