On March 3, K-Pop singer-songwriter KANGDANIEL marched along to Webster Hall in New York for his First Parade World Tour. Formerly a member of the now-defunct boy group Wanna One, he debuted as a solo artist in 2019 and is making a big name for himself in the music industry. The long-awaited tour, which started in Asia before making its way to Europe and North America, follows the successful release of his repackaged first full-length album The Story: RETOLD.
KANGDANIEL has developed an established fanbase throughout the years but never held his own concert tour before. So when KONNECT Entertainment announced the First Parade tour, it was expectedly met with a positive reception. Fans (or DANITY as they are called) posed outside in front of the KANGDANIEL marquee as they welcomed the singer to the Big Apple. With Webster Hall being located in the heart of the city, it was an ideal venue for intimate shows like this one.
The “D” logo brightly glowed on the LED display as DANITY across the room could be heard voicing their excitement. The chatter quickly turned into deafening screams as the lights dimmed and a cinematic VCR projected on the screen, setting up the ambiance for the night. The second KANGDANIEL made his first steps on stage, it didn’t feel like it was just a show, but it was as if he was taking the audience on a journey through his own “parade.”
The talented singer was joined by his six backup dancers as he started things off with “깨워 (Who U Are)” from his MAGENTA EP. It was a relatively small, modest stage setup but his presence shone brighter than ever against a backdrop of a grand palace. He promptly moved on to “Don’t Tell,” a track characterized by Latin influences and sultry dance moves. Voices elevated in a matter of minutes as the crowd was immersed in his performance.
He admitted he was a bit nervous about his solo tour but the passionate crowd cheered on for reassurance. While on the topic of New York, KANGDANIEL expressed his thanks to New York DANITY for arranging his birthday billboard ad in Times Square. It was no surprise that many in the audience remembered that project, with one fan even exclaiming, “It was beautiful just like you!”
KANGDANIEL took off his earpiece for a bit so he could clearly hear the screams as he proceeded to hype up the crowd. “I prepared a parade that everyone can enjoy so please wait for it, and now let’s continue on the parade,” he stated, leading up to the title track “Parade” from his The Story album. He performed in front of a confetti backdrop while his dance moves incorporated a raising-the-glass gesture as if he was making a celebratory toast to DANITY.
Fans were immediately captivated from the get-go even when he hilariously noted, “But it’s only been four songs.” With it being the first stop of the U.S. tour, DANITY specially prepared a fan project for this occasion. During “Nirvana” the crowd held up banners with the message “Take DANITY’s hands and we can go go go go!” a reference to the song’s lyrics.
Throughout the night, the singer prepared numerous speeches to connect with his fans. He expressed his love for New York, never failing to mention Spider-Man and Home Alone 2. Of course, the food here was not to be missed as he also brought up the delicious pork ribs that he had in Harlem. Lastly, his short trip to New York was spent visiting tourist attractions like the Empire State Building.
The setlist included songs that encapsulated the different styles of KANGDANIEL’s music. He demonstrated his theatrical dance moves in “PARANOIA” while bathed in a sea of dark red lights to match the eerie vibes of the song. The pacing was dialed down a notch for the ballad tracks “Ghost” and “1000x” in which KANGDANIEL displayed his silky vocals. During “Selfish,” the bright lights of the disco ball illuminated the room while everyone swayed along to the mellow beats.
Alas, the parade was reaching its end but not before fans started chanting his name for an encore. After a few minutes, KANGDANIEL returned and proceeded to sit on the edge of the stage and serenaded the audience with his last song. He closed it off with “The Story,” effectively bringing an end to this chapter of the show. KANGDANIEL also made sure to show his appreciation for the backup dancers as he introduced them to the crowd and they bid their final adieu together.
Although it rained later that night, that didn’t dampen anyone’s mood as fans were seen leaving the venue with smiles on their faces. During this journey, DANITY raised their glasses as they accompanied KANGDANIEL through his parade. As hinted in an ending VCR, there will be a “next parade” and although that is currently up in the air, we will patiently wait till that day arrives!