On Sunday, July 21, the Brooklyn Paramount transformed into the musical stomping grounds for South Korean band Xdinary Heroes (short for Extraordinary Heroes) as they unleashed their inner rockstars. The Troubleshooting U.S. Showcase, named after their first full-length album Troubleshooting released earlier this year, featured three stops in Los Angeles and New York.
Xdinary Heroes debuted in 2021 under JYP Entertainment with members Gunil, Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han, and Jooyeon. Since then, they’ve garnered a generous fanbase, known as Villains, with music that draws influence from rock subgenres such as emo, punk, and 80’s hair metal. Ready to take the world by storm, the band embarked on their <Break the Brake> World Tour with stops in Seoul, Europe, and Asia before they made their way over to the States for their U.S. Showcase.
The house was packed as the sold-out event was the band’s first-ever show in New York. By the time doors opened the venue’s two floors were filled. Xdinary Heroes music videos played on the LED display as the fans excitedly sang along.
The show commenced as bright red lights flashed on stage, revealing the members positioned with their instruments. Starting with a bang, the band opened up with their latest single, “Boy Comics,” while the backdrop graphics featured them in comic strips. Their next tracks, “Break the Brake” and “Hair Cut,” set the tone for the night of feel-good rock vibes.
After their intros, Gunil revealed that he lived in New York as a teenager, so he felt honored to be back for his hometown show. Although it was only a showcase and not a full U.S. tour, American Villains welcomed them with open arms. Returning the energy, Gaon exclaimed, “We’ll party like there’s no tomorrow!” before moving on to the next stages.
To make the show interactive, the band encouraged everyone to sing along to a snippet of “Strawberry Cake.” The crowd understood the assignment as they sang through the chorus verbatim. Jun Han was touched after hearing them sing in Korean.
Villians especially loved Jun Han’s guitar solo during “Money On My Mind,” which he demonstrated twice. Gunil showed off some snappy drum beats that got the crowd barking. From one song to the next, the band impressed the audience with their vocals and instrumental talents.
While the setlist featured a robust compilation of rock jams, there were ballads added to the mix, starting with “Good enough,” as Jungsu explained, “I’ve been wanting to sing this song with you when I came to the U.S.” For the next tracks, “until the end of time” and “Dreaming Girl,” the audience swayed, enchanted by their voices.
Following a spectacular performance of “Dreaming Girl,” Gunil offered some words of encouragement, “After living in New York, I’ve heard that it’s the city of dreams. You guys have dreams, right?” as cheers rang. “Whatever they are, we Xdinary Heroes will always be here to support you guys,” he concluded. He also explained that “until the end of time” was a song about spending time with loved ones and encouraged everyone to cherish those moments.
After an intermission called “Villians Time,” the boys were back dressed in band merch as they powered through the last portion of their set. To commemorate their first shows in the States, Villians prepared a VCR fan project that included inspiring messages and fanart submissions. With big smiles plastered on their faces, the members were touched by this gift. “Every Villian needs a Hero, and you guys have six. Every Hero needs a Villian and we got billions of you guys,” Gunil remarked.
“Every Villian needs a Hero. We have six.”
The final ment was a lengthy one; it felt like a storytime. O.de first shared that he had fond childhood memories of New York so he was happy to return with all the Villians. “You guys are all rockstars tonight!” Jooyeon exclaimed while gesturing with devil horns. Gaon commented on the fans’ crazy energy before teaching them the Korean word “츼고 (the best)” as he proceeded to quote, “Xdinary Heroes 츼고, Villians 츼고!” This was the one word that the rest of the members would continue to bring up during the rest of their speeches.
A heartfelt moment was when Gunil revealed that he invited some special people for this show. Two of them were his parents who flew all the way from Albuquerque to see him. Another was his friend David who taught him how to play drums which sparked his passion. He also thanked Villians for making his dreams come true, and in return, the crowd proceeded to sing “Happy Birthday” for his upcoming birthday.
While waiting for Jun Han to return backstage, Gunil had another story to tell. He shared that he met fellow member O.de when they were JYP trainees, and they bonded over the fact that they used to live in the same town of Fishkill, New York, but at different times. They coincidentally used to attend the same Korean church too. It was fate that brought them together for Xdinary Heroes.
After taking group photos with the audience, Jooyeon introduced the next song as “the song that kick-started our relationship as a band,” leading up to their debut track “Happy Death Day.” Ditching their instruments, the band finished it with “Night of Fireworks” before their final goodbyes. Although it was the end, many lingered for the post-show HI-BYE offered to all ticket holders.
In conclusion, Xdinary Heroes put on an extraordinary performance, or as Gaon would say, “It was 츼고.” The band demonstrated their rockstar charms that left the audience continuously vibing. With promises of returning one day, we can only hope that they’ll be back for a full U.S. tour next time.
Quotations have been edited for clarity and conciseness.
*Official L.A. concert images provided by JYP Entertainment in place of official N.Y. photos. The post will be updated if/when official N.Y. photos are provided by JYP Entertainment.