On Sunday, December 5, Jellyfish Entertainment’s VERIVERY brought the heat to Los Angeles with their first-ever US Tour. Promoted by Sean Healy Presents and brought to us by Jellyfish Entertainment, the tour led Dongheon, Hoyoung, Minchan, Gyehyeon, Yeonho, Yongseung, and Kangmin back to the City of Angels where they kicked off the first stop of their nine-city tour at The Vermont Hollywood. The chilly December weather did not sway diehard fans, called VERRERs, from lining up as early as 1AM to secure their spots in line. With VERIVERY being one of the first South Korean acts to tour in the US again since the COVID-19 pandemic halted international touring in early 2020, it comes to no surprise how eager fans were to attend the show.
Dressed in all black from head-to-toe, VERIVERY received a warm LA welcome when they kicked off the show with “Lay Back.” A song about not being afraid to face your real self, the title track from the group’s FACE ME album was a definite fan favorite. The crowd immediately erupted in roars of screams that quickly transitioned into fanchants as everyone proudly sang along to the chorus, “Show me your face, lay back, lay back.” For East Coast natives, Tegan and Xiu, “Lay Back” was their song of choice to introduce non K-Pop fans to VERIVERY. “It’s so addicting,” Tegan shared. “No matter what language you speak, you can get into the vibe of it. It makes you just want to dance.”
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The stage briefly went dark before being bathed in bold, red stage lights for the next song, “Thunder.” The song hails from the group’s fourth mini-album, FACE YOU, and sings of overcoming fear of facing one’s true self. The performance served as a testament to VERIVERY’s ability to captivate audiences with their stage presence, razor-sharp dance synchronization, and athleticism. The choreography calls for stage formations that make use of the entire stage and integrates level variations through intricate floorwork to create a dynamic, visual performance.
Performing their first live show post-pandemic, VERIVERY was still in awe that they were finally back onstage in front of their VERRERs. During the group’s introductions, each member made it a point to speak in only English, some of whom impressed the crowd with their flawless pronunciation. “I’m a bit nervous…I can’t believe I’m here right now!” Dongheon confessed in English. “We’ve been waiting for this moment for ages!”
For some VERRERs, this was their first time seeing the group live and in person. Fans Sharmel, Sharel, and Shar, made the six-hour drive from San Francisco in order to see the group that they just recently became a fan of. Sharmel and Shairel first discovered the septet during the pandemic through the Mnet reality program, Road to Kingdom. Sharmel shared, “I got to know VERIVERY during the pandemic and it was a really hard time for me. Discovering them, listening to their music and watching their videos made me really happy and gave me more motivation to go about each day.”
Sharel added, “I’m so happy to see them in person, hear them sing, and see their synchronized dancing!”
Shar on the other hand just became a VERRER after being introduced to their music the day before. “I’m actually really new to VERIVERY! [Sharmel and Sharel] showed me their songs yesterday. They were like, ‘Hey want to go to a concert?’ I listened to their music and they have such a wide variety and I really vibe with it. It would be so nice to see them onstage and hear all the songs I heard yesterday.”
After a short ment, the group continued the night with a heartfelt performance of “With Us.” The ballad was featured in the Netflix breakout hit-drama, Itaewon Class. The song instills hope that no matter how difficult the future may be, we can endure it together. In contrast to the vibrant stage lights in the previous performances, the third performance of the night illuminated VERIVERY in warm, comforting orange stage lights. The group took their spots behind their mic stands, looked out into the crowd, and serenaded their fans. Throughout the venue, fans were either swaying their phones and lightsticks along to the beat or simply basking in the group’s moving performance. They went on to perform “All I Do” and “Beautiful-X” before wrapping up the set with “Tag Tag Tag.”
As VERIVERY took turns changing for their next set, the members entertained fans with an interactive Q&A segment. If they could spend one day in LA, Dongheon wanted to visit Hollywood while Kangmin wished to see the city’s famous beaches like Santa Monica. Hoyoung simply wanted to see VERRERs while Yongseung eagerly added that he wanted to see the famed Griffith Observatory so he could teach everyone about the stars. When asked about their favorite songs, VERIVERY surprised the audience with a snippets of aespa’s “Next Level,” BTS’ “Dynamite,” and LISA’s “Lalisa.” Some questions kept it playful. One note proudly called Dongheon an “English” king and handsome while another led to a subtle debate over whether or not a hotdog was considered a sandwich. The Q&A segment was short but sweet and filled with joy and chaotic laughter that left you wondering – who is having the most fun? VERRERs or VERIVERY themselves?
As a gesture of gratitude to their fans’ unwavering support, the septet prepared a handful of special stages. The dance unit (Dongheon, Yongseung, Hoyoung, and Kangmin) snapped as they brought the heat with a dance medley to hard-hitting tracks like SBU BEATS’ “Limelight,” Mims‘ “Like This,” and Coldplay and BTS’ “My Universe.” The vocal line (Minchan, Yeosang, and Gyehyeon) then slowed things down with Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb,” a beautiful rendition that showcased not only their harmonies, but also the fans’ beautiful voices as they sang along.
For their next set VERIVERY returned to their discography with back-to-back performances of their 2021 releases, “Get Away” and “Trigger.” Both tracks hailed from their new SERIES ‘O’ albums that embody the messages of finding and learning to accept the inherent darkness within ourselves. The stages were dynamic and powerful and paid homage to VERIVERY’s continuous growth as both singers and performers.
The final special stage of the night brought VERIVERY and VERRERs closer together with a cozy cover of Coldplay’s “Christmas Lights.” Filled with Christmas joy and merriment, VERRERs received an early holiday gift from VERIVERY. Yongseung eagerly introduced their brand new recorded song and said, “We wanted VERRERs to call our name forever, so we recorded an English version of the song, ‘Ring Ring Ring.’” With lyrics like “So wherever you are, give me a call / Give me that ring ring ring,” the English rendition of their debut song expresses the members’ gratitude to their international fans. Wherever they may be in the world, they can always seek comfort in VERIVERY’s music.
As the night drew to a close, the boys changed into their splatter-paint designed tour t-shirts and sang “Alright,” “Super Special,” and “Paradise.” In less than two hours, VERIVERY bridged the distance with their long awaited concert. Whether you were a diehard VERRER or a casual listener, the show engraved lasting memories into the hearts and minds of all. Until their return, we eagerly await VERIVERY’s upcoming releases in 2022!
Click the link below to see more photos from the concert!
PHOTO GALLERY
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #verivery you guys did so well ❤️❤️❤️