On July 1, hundreds of ABNEW armed with lightsticks and fansigns flocked to the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles for the final stop of AB6IX’s 2022 AB_NEW AREA fanmeeting tour. Since the group’s highly-anticipated 2020 6IXENSE tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ABNEW were more than willing to endure the LA summer heat for hours to secure the best possible spots for the long-awaited reunion. Their efforts were not in vain as Daehwi, Woong, Donghyun, and Woojin filled the night with top-tier performances and unforgettable fan interactions.
In the City of Angels, it’s only befitting that AB6IX kicked off their last show with the English version of the song that started it all, “Hollywood.” The beloved pre-debut track self-produced by Daehwi was first performed on Produce 101 Season 2, the idol competition show where the members first captured the public’s hearts. Ignited by the crowd’s energy, the members delivered the impressive opening number that called for cardio-intensive choreography and a cleanly executed backflip from Woong. Maintaining their momentum, they followed with “Savior” from their latest EP A to B and wrapped up with “Close,” which highlighted the quartet’s effortless harmonies.
After making their introductions, the members took time to play with the audience. Woojin showed off a fan’s blown up photo of a young Woong with glasses while Donghyun consistently delivered hearts, peace signs, and winks towards lucky ABNEW. Their constant interactions and pockets of casual conversations with the audience was a recurring theme of the night and serves as a testament to their strong artist-fan relationship.
Throughout the night, the show guided fans down memory lane with a diverse setlist spanning across fan-favorite title tracks and beloved B-side songs. During, “Breathe,” the members were joined by the audience’s confident fanchants to the English lyrics, “Where am I need some breath in here.” From the sultry, hip-hop number “Red Up” and feel good track “Cherry,” to the entrancing vocal-heavy “Surreal” and “Sucker for Your Love,” the setlist gave a little bit of everything that AB6IX had to offer.
The first official fan engagement activity came in the form of a Fan Q&A board. Prior to the start of the show, ABNEW were handed post-it notes to write down any burning questions or requests that they had for AB6IX. Those who had their questions selected were brought onstage where they were given exclusively signed t-shirts and additional time to ask questions and interact with the members. The second fan engagement activity called for the members to whip out an iPad and sift through their Twitter feed to call out the most standout Twitter mentions. Those lucky users were also brought onstage for additional time and interaction with the members, and were given polaroid photos to commemorate the special moment.
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Per fans’ requests, Woong awakened his hidden twerking skills while Woojin was challenged to muster the loudest and highest “yee-haw” that he possibly could. When he wasn’t yelling interjections, Woojin confessed that LA was his favorite city on the tour due to its perfect weather, beautiful beaches, and most importantly, its resemblance to the video game that he’s currently playing, “It feels like I’ve actually entered the game itself!”
A fan seeking academic advice led to playful banter onstage with Daehwi. As the group’s native English speaker, he immediately responded to the question and confidently boasted, “You know what, I have 4.5 GPA.” Without missing a beat, the fan playfully clapped back and shared that they have a 4.6 GPA, causing laughter from the crowd at their quick witted response. The exchange came to its peak when Donghyun shared his two cents – “First of all, you love AB6IX. That just makes you a good person! And that makes you LOVED at school. There will never be any problem for you!” The artist-fan interaction was as wholesome as it was chaotic – but the audience would not have it any other way.
As the night drew to a close, AB6IX wrapped things up with two of the most sentimental tracks of the night – the poetic ballad “Encore” and the heartfelt “Shining Stars.” “Encore” in particular was a fan favorite. The official recording features pre-recorded vocals of ABNEW from past concerts, a wholesome touch that connected AB6IX and ABNEW during their time apart the last few years.
In order to return the favor, AB6IX’s fanbase, AB6IX USA, prepared a special banner project and pre-recorded voice messages that were unveiled towards the end of the show. The banner read “Just AB6IX & ABNEW ~you are our parachute~” in reference to the group’s song, “Parachute.” AB6IX’s voice messages were collected ahead of the tour and contained words of love and well wishes for AB6IX’s future endeavors. Although the fanmeeting was dedicated to creating lasting memories for ABNEW, the fans’ final expression of their unwavering support may have left the largest impression of all.
Stay tuned for more AB6IX coverage and fan commentaries coming soon!