[RECAP] MCND Sets The #MOOD in Los Angeles for First-Ever North America Tour

The city of Los Angeles harbors the largest commercial dance community in the world that sees many Korean idols and trainees alike walk through its dance studios’ doors. This dance world called to a particular group, MCND, who made the city their second home. Before their debut, Castle J, BIC, Minjae, Huijun, and Win visited LA countless times to receive intensive dance training and hone their skills. Their efforts did not go in vain. In 2017, their dance skills secured them wins in several global dance competitions, including second place in “Feedback Competition Youth” and the “Popularity Award” at “World of Dance Las Vegas.” Since debuting in 2020, MCND earned the title of “monster rookie group” and hopes to etch themselves as one of the most iconic dance units on the scene. After receiving training from some of the industry’s finest, MCND returned to the City of Angels after three years to headline their very own [1ST] MCND America Tour. The fruits of their labor were reflected in a two-hour concert filled with jammed-packed stages and intricate dance numbers that left both the audience and the members excited and breathless.

On August 24, MCND took to the stage at The Mayan, an intimate dance club nestled in the heart of Downtown LA. Sporting comfortable, casual hip-hop attire, they kicked off the night strong with their latest release “#MOOD” and “MOVIN’,” the lead singles from their THE EARTH: SECRET MISSION series. Having debuted at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and being forced to switch to virtual fan activities, MCND released the series to convey their burning desire to perform and meet their fans face-to-face. Now standing on stage amidst a crowd of adoring fans called GEMs, it was a full circle moment. “It’s like a dream to meet you like this!” they shared during their introductions.

Without wasting another minute, they moved on to their pre-debut single, “Top Gang.” Win, BIC, and Castle J showed off their incredible flow as they belted their rap verses, hyped up by the crowd chanting “TOP GANG GANG!” The music video for “Top Gang” was filmed in Downtown LA while the members received their dance training in preparation for their debut. “I feel like I’m going crazy right now,” said WIN. “Not only do I get to meet GEMS in LA, but I’m also so excited. Thank you again for coming all the way to see our stages!”

MCND’s ments were continuous declarations of love for the city that gave them their dance foundations. Huijun commented, “For me, LA was the place that I really wanted to perform after our debut. So now I feel like I’m dreaming.” While Minjae and Castle J both expressed their gratefulness to be in front of their fans, BIC caused a stir during his ment. “If I could choose a palace to die, I’d die in LA!” he professed, causing the members to quickly deny his statement and wished for him to remain healthy for the remainder of the tour. However, the mood didn’t stop Win from saying that he’ll literally just die today because he was going to “burn the stage” with his boundless energy. 

At each show, MCND prepared a special cover song to express their feelings to their GEMs. For Los Angeles, the quintet sang, “I Like You (A Happier Song)” by Post Malone and Doja Cat. With the lyric video displayed on the LED screens, fans vibed and sang along to the soothing R&B track, some even confessing “I like you too!” back to the members.

As the members finished performing “Beautiful,” the stage lights faded while some members crouched down to the floor, let out a “meow,” and jumped into the charismatic, cute pop song, “Cat Waltz.” Just as one would expect from the song title, the entire performance was fun, funny, and a serotonin booster filled with feline motifs. During the chorus, the LED screen displayed a gleeful kitten with a beer and pizza in its paws as the members integrated cute cat paw gestures into their choreography. The performance caught many off their guard at first – in the best way possible – and left everyone smiling from ear to ear.

Throughout the show, VCRs were shown of the members participating in classroom competitions. Following one that tested the members’ K-Pop knowledge, the members went down the line and showcased their individual talents by performing their favorite songs to the audience. The segment was similar to the group’s “PLAY MUSIC GROUND” YouTube series where the group would regularly prepare and publish vocal and dance covers of various K-Pop and American covers. MCND’s vocal line – Minjae and Huijun – stepped up to the plate first. Minjae kicked things off with a moving rendition of “End of A Day” by SHINee’s Jonghyun followed by Huijun’s charismatic performance of “Monster” by Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. Transitioning over to the group’s rap line, BIC chose to serenade fans with his all-time favorite song – “What 2 Do” by Dean, Crush, and Jeff Bernat. The group’s maknae, Win, took suggestions from the audience. Amidst the chants for singing and showing off his aegyo, he decided on his rap verse in “Car Race,” a song from their 2021 ON:LIVE [ GEM SPACE ] online concert. Lastly, MCND’s leader Castle J surprised everyone by serenading the crowd with “Miracles in December” by EXO. Their mini-performances, albeit brief, showcased new sides to the members and showcased their individual charms and musical tastes.

As the night drew to a close, MCND professed that they were going to “burn” and “break” their remaining stages. The crowd was sent into a frenzy during the fan favorite of the night, “Ice Age.” GEMs fueled MCND with their loud “Come into Ice Age” fanchants and kept their energy up as they segued into their equally intense track, “Juice.”

Overall, MCND’s long-awaited LA concert was everything they had hoped for. Although the two-hour concert was over in a flash, it was filled with nonstop performances that GEMs had longed to hear live. MCND conveyed their utter confidence, passion, and ambition for the stage and left GEMs with lasting memories and promises to return to perform again at their second home, LA. Until then, continue to support MCND and their future endeavors! 

Stay tuned for our exclusive video recap and a surprise video message from MCND! In the meantime, check out our photo gallery from the concert in the link, below:

PHOTO GALLERY

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Thank you to MCND, TOP MEDIA, and Overlook Events for having us!