Korean American K-Pop artist Big Matthew, also known as BM, brought his highly-anticipated BM 1ST CONCERT TOUR <After The After Party> solo tour to North America in May 2024. Delivering an exclusive experience to dedicated fans, named Hidden KARD, the ATAP 2024 tour visited six major cities over two weeks, ending with a passionate finale in Washington D.C.
Big Matthew is a member of the popular co-ed group KARD, and aside from being a talented rapper and dancer, he is also well-known for his authentic, unfiltered, and playfully witty personality. BM began his solo activities in 2021 with the single, “Broken Me,” and has released several more hit songs since then. Ahead of his May solo tour, he announced his first full EP, Element, followed by a music video for the title track, “Nectar” (feat. Jay Park).
Teaming up with Konnect’d Entertainment for a one-of-a-kind K-Pop concert experience, BM promised a surprise-filled, phone-free event specifically tailored to the 21 and over crowd. Fans were excited and curious about what would occur during the show – sharing hilariously unhinged exchanges on BM’s social media posts in the weeks leading up to the tour.
A few hours before taking the stage at Karma D.C., K-Pop Concerts spoke with Big Matthew regarding the <After The After Party> solo tour. Shortly after the interview concluded, many lucky fans in line were treated to a surprise public dance performance. Standing on top of his tour bus, BM practiced moves for one of the night’s tracks, and as it concluded he took a moment to wave at Hidden KARDs who noticed his amusing, yet heart-stopping antics.
Due to venue circumstances, the D.C. show was scheduled a little earlier in the day, making it more of a wild happy hour gathering instead of a mysterious after-hours event. The afternoon time slot did not prevent Hidden KARDs from arriving dressed to impress and ready to party. As the crowd began checking in, special phone pouches were provided to each attendee ensuring the event remained completely phoneless. Settling into the intimate space, the pre-show vibes were noticeably different than a typical concert due to the lack of devices. People spent time socializing and enjoying beverages as they waited for the sold-out show to begin.
Opening the evening was Korean Canadian duo, CLUB BOYBND, who performed an energetic fifteen-minute set, warming up the crowd within seconds. Members Bu-Wan and Roc Lee had incredible synergy on stage, trading off the spotlight and showcasing each other’s talents throughout songs like “confessions,” “hmu,” and “kiss me thru the phone.” During “like this” they held their microphones over the crowd, inviting everyone to sing along to the chorus. Towards the end of their set, they started throwing water over the audience, which was much appreciated due to the quickly rising temperature in the packed room. Closing out, they requested a photo with the crowd before giving special shout-outs to BM and the whole team who made the tour happen, “Thank you! We’re going to remember this night forever!”
Next on stage was Taiwanese American singer, sunkis, who turned up the heat even more with his smooth voice and skillful dance moves. After announcing that it was his first time in D.C., he jumped right in performing popular songs from his discography, like “Voicemail,” “Trust Me,” and one of his newest tracks, “All For You.” Halfway through the set sunkis removed his leather jacket and, with the crowd’s assistance, chose a beautifully dressed fan to join him on stage. After a quick introduction of his new friend, he announced the next song, “Top Tier,” and proceeded to show off some very sultry dance moves while serenading her. Nearing the end of the set, sunkis sat on the edge of the stage to get closer to fans for the last song, “LAST GOODBYE.” After a selfie with the room followed by lots of barking from the audience, he expressed his gratitude and welcomed the night’s main act, “Make some noise for BM!”
With the crowd completely warmed up in more ways than one, Big Matthew finally appeared on stage. He was welcomed with lots of cheering, followed by even more barking. Opening with the tracks “Lowkey,” “Nectar,” and “Embers,” Hidden KARD’s energy was at an all-time high. They danced and sang along, screaming over BM’s impressive dance moves. “D.C. – man, it’s hot in here!” he shouted. “We are all twenty-one plus in da house! Be as nasty, freaky, and unhinged as you want. Ain’t nobody gonna tell you shit!”
Backed by stunning LED visuals matching each song, he continued with the tour’s namesake track, “ATAP (After The After Party),” followed by “Bad Intentions,” and then “Motion.” At one point a few fans threw their undergarments onto the stage surprising BM. “Hell yeah! Having a good time?” he laughed as he picked them up.
Moving onto the first special stage of the night, one lucky person was invited up for a unique fan experience. As she silently reacted to the very intimate Magic Mike-type performance occurring in her lap, her unfiltered facial expressions and hand gestures throughout the dance said it all. Sitting on stage in disbelief, the crowd went wild on her behalf, screaming louder as BM showed off his skillful and very sensual moves. When the secret stage ended, BM joked that he might have pulled a muscle and that his body had been working really hard on this tour.
Jumping back into the set, he performed a few more tracks including “Loyalty” and “Element” from his latest EP. “Let me hear you guys make some fuckin’ noise!” BM yelled while smoke cannons blasted over the crowd, eliciting more cheering.
“I’ve been doing lots of unhinged shit on tour, but I do have a soft side! I’m going to step away from BM for a moment and just be Matthew,” he stated. “The next two songs are from soft-ass Matthew, then we’ll go back to the party!” Slowing it down a little, he performed two of his older tracks, “LIE” and “Broken Me” while fans sang along, completely lost the music. “D.C. I love you all so much, man!” he said when they finished the last verse.
The second special stage of the night was a competition he called “Put That Ass In Motion.” Four contestants were chosen from the crowd, and each person had to show off their twerking skills during random songs played by the DJ. Competition was fierce and a tiebreaker round had to be initiated, but in the end contestant number one garnered the most applause. She took home a special prize – the signed MIDI keyboard BM used to create Element.
“How well do you know BM?” he asked, moving into the last half of the concert. Hidden KARD proved that they did as he put them to the test with KARD’s “ICKY,” Jessi’s “Put it on ya,” and Koala’s “RVSP Remix.” They flawlessly sang or rapped his verses and their knowledge and enthusiasm completely blew BM away. Impressed, he proclaimed, “God damn!”
Nearing the end of the performance, BM removed his tank top before getting down and dirty on the floor with more of his Magic Mike-type moves, dancing to “Body Movin” and finally “13IVI.” Confetti cannons exploded across the stage in celebration, and he slowly departed after some final words, “Thank you so much! My name is BM, and I’ll be back!”
Hidden KARD were not quite ready for the show to end, so they chanted his name to lure him back for an encore. He answered their request, returning in his tour shirt and holding a selfie camera to capture the crowd. Unbeknownst to him, his production team quietly snuck up behind him while he was filming the audience. Together they dumped water over his head and the audience laughed as he was taken by surprise. Completely drenched he exclaimed, “I came here planning to get everyone else wet!”
After taking a customary group photo with D.C. fans, BM performed “Motion” one last time and closed out the evening with a heartfelt, “I love you all so fuckin’ much!”
The show wasn’t quite over yet, as Konnect’d Entertainment had one more surprise for Big Matthew. Two team members joined him on stage and revealed that the selfie events he had participated in throughout the tour held a secret purpose: to raise donations for two causes that are personally important to BM. $4,000 was raised for breast cancer research and awareness, and another $4,000 for a non-profit organization he supports, called #STOMPOUTBULLYING. BM was speechless for several moments – “This is why I do this shit! Thank you guys so much, you don’t understand what this means to me, to the world.”
The D.C. performance turned out to be literally and figuratively hot, but that was only the beginning for many Hidden KARD who still had the Official ATAP After Party to look forward to in a few hours. When everyone started to depart the venue, Konnect’d shared a final gift with fans in the form of a small collectible photocard, handed out as a souvenir for the night.
BM’s sold-out ATAP 2024 tour has undoubtedly pioneered a unique concert experience for North American K-Pop fans. Based on social media chatter, it has left a lasting impression on Hidden KARDs who will hold onto the memories and emotions for years to come. Want to know more about the unhinged shenanigans that go down during BM’s shows? He promised to return for more, so be sure to catch him when he announces his next tour – hopefully soon!