After the success of The Colors of Bang Yongguk Tour last year, it wasn’t long before Bang Yongguk made his timely return to the U.S. Last month, Yongguk announced he would be back for III The U.S. Tour 2024, stopping at 11 cities.
The tour is named after his third EP 3. As mentioned by Yongguk, he began working on the album after concluding his first tour. The release came as a special present for his fans on his birthday.
“I would like to first say thank you to all my fans who gave me a lot of inspiration when I started working on the new album after concluding the world tour. I worked on this album with great joy, and I hope you’re able to resonate with that emotion while listening to this album. Please continue sending your support and love, thank you”
– Bang Yongguk
On April 5, attendees gathered at Warsaw in Brooklyn for the first stop of the tour. With Yongguk being a member of the boy group B.A.P, many fans brought out their bunny-shaped Matoki lightsticks for this moment.
The show opened with the “3” logo glowing bright red on the LED display as a DJ kicked off the set with curated beats. “Give it up for BYG!” he proclaimed as Yongguk’s appearance elicited abundant screams. Starting with a bang, Yongguk went right into “Off,” oozing confidence within each rap verse. By the time he performed the fan favorite “Xie Xie,” the crowd went into a frenzy and shouted along to the lyrics.
With his signature baritone voice, Yongguk spoke about how he was really excited to be back in New York. Not much needed to be said for his first ment as the room was already drowned in deafening cheers. “Are you ready to get crazy tonight?” he asked the crowd, rousing up energy for the rest of the show. An important thing worth noting regarding accessibility at concerts was that he had an ASL interpreter on stage signing at an impeccable rhythm to his song lyrics and speeches.
Yongguk proved to be a natural on stage from his soulful tracks to the high-tempo ones. Taking a trip down memory lane, he made sure to include the throwback hit “I Remember” in the set as it was returned with endless chants of “B.A.P!” What came as a surprise for many was when he performed “AM 4:44,” a personal song he wrote that reflects the struggles he faced. The audience watched in awe as he rapped to the emotional lyrics.
While holding a copy in his hand, Yongguk spoke about his new album – “I’m so happy to have this tour right after my new album came out.” In 3, Yongguk experimented with different genres he had never tried before. “In the album, I tried to convey what I wanted to say but haven’t had the chance yet. I encourage you guys to take on a challenge and go out of your comfort zone,” he said before asking the crowd what songs they wanted to hear next. There were many responses that Yongguk expressed his desire to perform all their requests. With the limited remaining time left, he had to include his new songs such as “MOVIMIENTO” and “BAD (feat. YOUHA)” in the set.
The energy there felt electrifying as the heavy club beats accompanied by cheers caused the venue to tremble. Yongguk commented on how hot it was as he frequently sprayed water into the crowd during performances. Throughout the show, the rapper showed his love by blowing kisses and throwing arm hearts. Despite being a man of few words, he made sure to express how grateful he was for his fans.
“Do you want more songs?” he repeatedly asked the crowd before launching into his encore stage with second performances of “BUSS IT DOWN” and “Xie Xie.” Yongguk concluded the set with his 2019 single “Orange Drive” while clutching a Tigger plushie a fan gifted him.
For the past hour and a half, Yongguk delivered a fiery performance that displayed his talents as an artist. From his rich rap skills to his magnetic stage presence, it was safe to say that many attendees were blown away. Whether you’ve known him from his B.A.P days or through his solo work, his shows are not to be missed!
Quotations have been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Thank you for coming back 🫡