On Saturday, January 15, GHOST9 took the stage at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles, CA as the first stop on their [INTO THE NOW] MEET&LIVE TOUR in US. The four-city tour marked the group’s first venture into overseas touring as they debuted in September 2020 during a time where “ontact” and virtual events were the new norm. Presented by Hello82, the concert took Ghosties across the group’s discography including their inaugural PRE-EPISODE EPs followed by tracks from their 2021 NOW series. Finally coming face-to-face with their international Ghosties, the seven members of GHOST9 were ready to showcase what they’ve honed since debut.
Entering to the cheers of anticipation and screams, Junhyung, Shin, Kangsung, Junseong, Prince, Woojin, and Jinwoo made their grand entrance with the song, “VISION.” Filled with grandiose, orchestral instrumentals, the song stays true to its name as it expresses the group’s ambition and desire to aim higher. GHOST9’s passion for the stage could be felt throughout the venue as they immediately transitioned into their debut track, “Think of Dawn.” The septet’s debut sparked media attention as they were the first K-Pop act to perform on the rooftop of the 63 Building, a national landmark nestled in the heart of Seoul. GHOST9 continued with dynamic performances of “Reborn” and “Trigger” before finally greeting their LA Ghosties.
As the opening set came to an end, GHOST9 finally greeted their LA Ghosties and went down the line for their introductions. Despite this being their first in person concert, the members showed no nerves as they confidently executed their ments in English and playfully bantered with the enthusiastic crowd. Prince, whose birthday was on the 10th, was greeted with warm “happy birthday” wishes and even entertained a fan who professed, “Let me be your queen!” to which he enthusiastically agreed.
[INTERVIEW] GHOST9 Reflects on Debut Preparations, Shows Off “Think of Dawn” Choreography, and More
After their heart-pumping first set, GHOST9 swapped their chic demeanor for their cute charms as they transitioned to a more playful, light-hearted setlist. Kicking off with “Flying at Night,” the group pulled out yellow paper planes from behind their backs. As they sang the lyrics, “It’s like a paradise,” the group flung yellow paper planes into the crowd. The feel-good mood was infectious as the group continued with “Up All Night” and “Monday to Sunday” before finishing off with the heartfelt ballad, “Antenna.”
Before moving on with the show, GHOST9 wanted to warm the audience up by teaching them the choreography to their latest song, “Control” off of their NOW: Who we are facing EP. Prior to their debut, the group released impressive choreography videos where they showcased their razor-sharp dance synchronization. During the concert, the members set time aside to teach the audience bits and pieces of the highlight choreography of their latest song, “Control.” After a quick run through, GHOST9 continued on with “Control,” “Triangle,” and “Splash.”
As the night drew to an end, the members reflected on their experiences thus far. Prince commented, “Last year we showcased our Cinematic Live, but this is our first time doing an in-person concert, so this is going to be an unforgettable moment.” Junhyung went on to add, “Not only was this tour the grand finale of our NOW series, but it was also the journey of GHOST9 remembering every moment of the process in heading into NOW.” The group segued into back-to-back performances of “Peace,” “W.ALL,” and “Seoul.”
After swapping their performance outfits for their tour merch, GHOST9 returned for their encore stage with “Way to You (꿈길),” a song about how dreaming is the fastest way to meet someone you desire the most. Released during the group’s debut and the global pandemic, the song fell in line with the group’s then-desire to meet their fans in person. Now standing on stage in the city of Angels, they turned their dreams into reality.
As they began their performance, the septet was met with a surprise fan banner project! The light blue banner was decorated with clouds, the LA skyline, and a message that read, “우리 항상 네 곁에 있을게요 (We will always be by your side).” As this was not only GHOST9’s first in person concert, but also the first time meeting their international fans, the gesture did not go unnoticed. During the closing ment, each of the members took a banner for themselves with Junhyung expressing their shared gratitude. “We are really impressed. Thank you guys. We do appreciate it, thank you!”
The banner project was organized by Bloom Cafe on Twitter. Jenn, one of the admins of the account, shared that the project had been in the works since the tour was announced. “We wanted to show our support to the boys as it was their first in person concert ever! We were so happy that they were able to read them, take pictures with them and know how much we support them.”
“I first heard about GHOST9 through their company announcement, so I’ve been supporting them since pre-debut,” she added. “The moment I saw their concept teaser was the moment I fell for them. During their debut with ‘Think of Dawn’ I had no idea what kind of concept to expect from them, and they exceeded my expectations because I was truly blown away!”
For the final send-off, GHOST9 closed off the show with “Cosmos,” a pop ballad that conveys the miracle of fatefully meeting in the vast universe. To ensure everyone leaves with a memorable experience, the members came down to interact with as many fans as possible. Armed with baskets filled to the brim with signed plastic balls, the members threw dozens of balls into the the crowd as friendly keepsakes. They went on to deliver fan service by sitting at the edge of the stage, serenading fans, and even taking fans’ cell phones to take selcas and self-cam videos for the lucky Ghosties.
By the end of the night, fans were filled with good vibes and memories of the group’s historic first-ever in-person concert. As the world slowly inches closer to the full fledged return of live events, GHOST9 can rest assured that their international fans will always be ready and in waiting for their future activities.