Written by: Aleisha F. & Caitlin F.
Since their debut in 2023, RIIZE has consistently lived up to the meaning of their name – a combination of “rise” and “realize.” The group started with boyish and wistful energy, but they have since grown into more mature, ethereal concepts. Their latest release, Odyssey, saw members Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee, and Anton experiment with new genres and sounds.
RIIZE has had its share of tumultuous moments over the past two years of their career, but has persevered to become one of K-Pop’s biggest boy groups. They have sold millions of albums, became the first-ever K-Pop group to perform at the iconic Austin City Limits Music Festival, and been nominated for two 2025 MAMA AWARDS. Now with their RIIZE Concert Tour [RIIZING LOUD], it’s clear that the group’s upward trajectory won’t end anytime soon.
On November 1, RIIZE made a long-awaited stop in the Big Apple for the North American leg of the [RIIZING LOUD] tour at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The iconic theater has hosted big names such as Elton John, TOMORROW x TOGETHER, and Doechii over the years. Fans of both RIIZE and Sabrina Carpenter, who was playing at the main arena upstairs that same night, milled around Penn Plaza waiting for the doors to open.
The excitement was palpable inside the venue’s lobby as fans, called BRIIZE, waited in long lines for merch, took photos of their outfits with friends, and traded freebies. Finally, the theater’s lights dimmed, and an ethereal VCR showcasing each member amidst a moody background and billowing smoke began to play. The energy of fans was intense as the members stepped onto the stage, bathed in glowing red light.
RIIZE set the night in motion with “Ember to Solar,” a powerful kickoff that instantly showcased the group’s synchronized energy. The dynamism bled into the next stage as sirens began wailing from the theater’s speakers and blue and red lights washed over the crowd. BRIIZE erupted in cheers as the group performed “Siren,” the fan-favorite pre-release track that put RIIZE on the map.
They kept the celestial vibes going with an intergalactic-themed VCR. It was the perfect setup for “Odyssey,” a UK garage track with a mystical vibe that sees the members singing about their journey together. “Combo” came next, highlighting the versatility of the group’s vocals and particularly showcasing Sohee’s high notes and raspy tone.
The members changed into matching red varsity jackets and baggy jeans following a wholesome VCR that featured RIIZE frolicking through fields and laughing together. The more casual get-up mirrored the old-school romantic spirit portrayed in the VCR. RIIZE then treated BRIIZE to a retro-inspired arrangement of “Love 119,” catching the hearts of the crowd. The group flaunted their synchronicity and perfect harmonies in a display reminiscent of a ’90s boy band.
The members took a break from nonstop performances to introduce themselves. Wonbin cheekily pointed out all the pretty girls and handsome guys he saw in the New York crowd. “It’s so awesome to be performing in such a cool city!” he exclaimed.
While performing “Be My Next” and “Show Me Love,” RIIZE interacted with the audience, waving to fans on each side of the venue and sending BRIIZE finger hearts. The members vibed with each other as well, dancing around on stage and jumping enthusiastically to the joyous beat of the songs as fans sang along.
A guitar-forward version of the nostalgic track “Memories” followed. The members danced against a colorful map background that displayed each of their names. The rap breakdown in the bridge of the song gave Sungchan and Shotaro a chance to shine as they displayed their crisp verses with effortless swag.
The group seamlessly transitioned into the energetic track “Fly Up,” featuring bubbly dance solos from Shotaro and Anton. The sprightly stage had BRIIZE fired up as they chanted along to the catchy chorus.
A dramatic VCR followed, which saw the members in the same field as the one seen earlier in the show. This time, however, they were running from an unknown force in the dark of night, escaping barred cells, and lost in the forest. As the members ran through the fog enveloping the trees, they eventually collided, finding each other and breaking free from their confines.
RIIZE returned to the darkened stage, this time wearing leather pants and leather harnesses underneath white button-downs. They launched right into “Honestly,” a pop-R&B track about moving on from a breakup and learning to love yourself. Instead of singing, the stage served as a platform for the members to showcase their dancing skills. Spotlights lit up the darkness to highlight RIIZE in both solo and duo choreography before the full stage lit up to show the group dancing in unison.
Afterward – and to the delighted shrieks of fans – RIIZE shrugged off the button-downs to reveal t-shirts and muscle tanks underneath. RIIZE seamlessly transitioned into “Talk Saxy” and “Impossible,” two fan-favorites that had the entire theater dancing along.
RIIZE took a moment after the two high-energy tracks to drink some water and address BRIIZE. Each member noted how much of a dream come true it was to perform in New York City and in such a well-known venue. Eunseok mentioned how their stop in the city was also a homecoming for Anton, who hails from just across the Hudson River in New Jersey.
To ring in the milestone, Shotaro led BRIIZE in a fun cheer. He asked the audience to shout, “Welcome home, Anton!” after counting down from 3. The venue echoed the cheer, and the members also surprised Anton by throwing colorful confetti over him.
Sohee led the crowd in another cheer to get them hyped for the next part of the show: “When I say ‘we,’ you say ‘rise!’” The crowd dutifully answered the call, and they repeated the cheer a few more times. In a sweet moment, RIIZE stacked their hands together, then raised them while chanting, “We rise!” before going into an intense cover of “Monster” by EXO.
One of the night’s most memorable highlights was in “Get A Guitar.” Wonbin and Anton proved themselves not just as capable dancers and singers, but instrumentalists, too. The spotlights brightened to show Anton with a shiny black bass and Wonbin with an electric guitar. They showed off their inner rock stars with an impressive instrumental opening before RIIZE returned as a full group to perform the viral hit.
During another break in between songs, the crowd started barking to show their appreciation. Shotaro and Sungchan joined in and even egged on the audience. After hearing the loudness of the audience, the members said they couldn’t lose to BRIIZE. They turned their mics off briefly and shouted out, “I love you, BRIIZE!” as loudly as they could to show that they could still match the audience’s energy.
In another silly moment, Anton asked the members in English, “How was tonight for you?”
Eunseok misheard the question and replied back, “What? Housekeeper?”
The RIIZE members teased Eunseok for the misinterpretation throughout the rest of the night, with Wonbin jokingly complaining that the members would now keep saying “housekeeper” constantly.
The ment was full of entertaining moments. Shotaro pointed out Eunseok’s “face card,” essentially, his attractiveness. He asked if Eunseok was the face of RIIZE, to which Eunseok, who walked in New York Fashion Week in 2022 as a rookie, responded by smizing for the camera. BRIIZE went wild for the fanservice.
As fun as it was to joke around with BRIIZE, it was time for RIIZE to get back to the setlist. They closed the main show with “Boom Boom Bass,” a funky track that had BRIIZE singing along. The venue went dim again, and the crowd began to cheer for RIIZE to return to the stage for an encore. An instrumental version of “Love 119” began to play, and fans sang along at the top of their lungs without missing a single lyric. The cameras also scanned the crowd, spotlighting lucky BRIIZE on the big screen.
Finally, RIIZE reappeared onstage behind mic stands. Decked out in the tour’s official merch, they performed an emotional rendition of “Another Life,” an uplifting song about overcoming anxiety and living with no regrets. Once the song ended, the members gathered to the front of the stage for final remarks.
Shotaro kicked off the speeches, and his remarks hit different for fans who were familiar with his journey. Prior to debuting in RIIZE, Shotaro performed backup for various artists before being scouted and eventually becoming a member of NCT.
“Performing in New York was one of my dreams, and I’m so happy it came true,” Shotaro began. “I’m also so happy to be performing in Anton’s hometown. I felt this in Chicago, too, but I wasn’t expecting so many people to show up in New York. It’s really astonishing to me and made me think that we need to work really hard in the U.S.! Thank you so much for your energy from the start to the end, and we’re going to continue to work hard!”
Wonbin echoed Shotaro’s sentiment, expressing his gratitude to fans for showing up and at being able to perform near Anton’s home. But he also shared some of his worries. “At our last show, there were some things that I was not happy with, so I really wanted to do well tonight. Was it good?” The audience cheered and screamed their affirmation, bringing a smile to Wonbin’s face as he thanked them once more and assured BRIIZE that RIIZE would continue working hard.
“New York, I’m not ready to leave yet! I’m just becoming a New Yorker, like Spider-Man!” Sohee added. He did his best Peter Parker impression by jumping around and imitating webslinging. While Sohee added a little silliness to his remarks, he was earnest while thanking fans. “I was finally starting to feel like a New Yorker. The city feels familiar and like I’ve gotten closer to New York. And it’s a shame that it already has to become a memory so soon, but it has been such an amazing memory. Next time, I really want to be able to come back to New York again and see BRIIZE again, and feel your energy, and drink and eat food with you.”
Eunseok and Sungchan also expressed their gratitude and assured BRIIZE that they would all return to New York as better versions of themselves. Finally, it was time for Anton to deliver his highly anticipated remarks. Before he could speak, BRIIZE cheered and chanted his name. When they calmed down, Anton shared that his family and friends were in attendance and spoke candidly about how it felt to be home.
“Having any fans at all in places we’ve never been to is not something to take for granted, so this whole U.S. tour is such a blessing, and having all of you here tonight…I’m so grateful… Usually, these kinds of moments tend to hit me later. I saw myself in Times Square on not one, but two billboards – that’s still so crazy to me. Seeing the city with my members…it’s a different feeling than having been in L.A. with them. Being back home and seeing the things I used to see with the members feels surreal, and it’s kind of a weird feeling, to be honest. But I’m so glad we could be here to meet you guys. We really want to be able to come here more often. Thank you all so much and we love you. We’ll be back!”
– Anton
After the heartfelt words, they concluded the concert with heartfelt vibes, ensuring that BRIIZE really felt their appreciation through performances of “One Kiss” and “Inside My Love.” Sohee noted that for the final act, they wanted to prepare songs that reminded them of BRIIZE. When it came time to say their final goodbyes, it was clear that it was hard for them to leave. After bowing, they extended their time with BRIIZE, making sure to travel across the right, center, and left sides of the stage to ensure everyone who came to the show could feel their gratitude with more bows and waves to the crowd.
Overall, RIIZING LOUD succeeded at showing what RIIZE is capable of. The sold-out show and enthusiasm of BRIIZE hinted at future success for the group to come. New York City’s BRIIZE will be patiently waiting and supporting RIIZE, with faith that they will see them “rise” to bigger stages in the future.