The Collective Live performance Expertise – Billboard

Whereas 2022 has marked the full-fledged return of live shows for the reason that international pandemic put a prolonged pause on touring, SEVENTEEN’s new tour may arguably be the primary stay present that recaptures the collective feeling of togetherness that makes the stay expertise so magical.

As numerous security measures like masking and restricted crowd interactions have understandably been on the forefront of artists’ and promoters’ minds, the ultimate evening of SEVENTEEN’s Be the Solar tour at Newark’s Prudential Middle was a show in how audiences can reconnect with one another because of expertise, manufacturing and, after all, the members that made up the Okay-pop boy band.

What most clearly created the inclusive setting got here because of SEVENTEEN’s official lightsticks, vital merchandise merchandise for any Okay-pop fan that routinely identifies you as a core member of your fandom. Particularly, the lightsticks for SEVENTEEN can shine and flash in a spectrum of various colours, which might all be managed by a telephone app through Bluetooth, as is the case with many Okay-pop artists’ lightsticks.

At a live performance, the artist staff takes over the app, so each stick within the venue blinks and glows in sync with the music. Nicknamed “Carat Bongs” to include the group’s fandom identify of Carats, the sunshine sticks created a deeper musical connection after they gleamed purple and yellow through the pyro-heavy opening numbers of “HOT” and “March” and tender white and pink whereas the group talked throughout intermissions.

All through the evening, the manufacturing behind the tour additionally appeared to create an setting by highlighting the completely different varieties of individuals and communities who got here to help SEVENTEEN. Whereas cameras are likely to pan all through the viewers to highlight attendees on the sector’s jumbotrons, one couldn’t assist however discover the completely different indicators for which viewers had ample time to absorb and register. “Mexicans love SEVENTEEN,” “They/Thems for Hoshi,” “Biracial Bisexuals for Vernon,” and “Latinas for Dokyeom” have been a number of the fan-made posters that bought ample display time as flags from around the globe and identity-focused ones, like QTPOC Satisfaction Flag, made appearances.

Whereas Okay-pop not often will get overtly political, giving area to those completely different communities and teams was a delicate approach for the band to point out their ongoing help for equal rights as soon as once more.

As a part of the ultimate North American cease within the Be the Solar tour, manufacturing requested followers to be taught and sing a piece of SEVENTEEN’s sentimental 2016 track “Smile Flower” as a present to the group. Earlier than the fellows returned for the encore, the sector screens flashed directions saying, “Right here within the final metropolis of the North American Tour in Newark, there’s a particular occasion for SEVENTEEN: After the photograph shoot time on the finish of the present, we are going to sing ‘Smile Flower’ all collectively for SEVENTEEN. Please be taught the track and the lyrics for ‘Smile Flower’ now” and offered a piece with the lyrics in Korean and through Romanization.

Whereas the brilliant orange font colour made it difficult to memorize — and SEVENTEEN later joked in regards to the viewers’s considerably lackluster singing — the hassle to attach the viewers in one more strategy to the artist was evident.

However SEVENTEEN didn’t simply depart issues as much as the tech and manufacturing however did their half to create a neighborhood on the live performance.

One of many evening’s standout moments got here when the group seen one fan dancing in a glow-in-the-dark, LED “stickman” costume excessive up within the rafters of Prudential Middle. After Hoshi noticed the “stick man” — who turned out to be feminine or, as he known as her, a “stick lady” — he shouted her out for all the 13 members to see.

The singers additionally linked with a number of people within the crowd all through the evening, taking day trip to ask their names and have them sing numerous elements of their songs. Because the live performance winded down with closers “Snap Shoot” and “VERY NICE,” Seungkwan went down the live performance flooring to have Carats sing verses into his microphone earlier than the group would comply with up with the choruses. For the primary time in years, SEVENTEEN and their supporters have been getting face-to-face contact through the three-hour musical affair.

Newark was a rare ending for the Be the Solar tour as all 13 members of SEVENTEEN may shut out the North American leg of the tour collectively.

All through the run, 4 members have been struck with COVID-19 and wanted to sit down out of live performance dates (and skip a Jimmy Kimmel look), however having the complete group shut out this ultimate present not solely added to the central theme of togetherness of the evening however was clearly essential to the fellows themselves.

“We’re so glad to be again as 13 for you guys tonight,” Joshua informed the gang early within the evening and was a sentiment echoed by his numerous bandmates all through the present.

After opening as much as Billboard in regards to the collective “hardship” of negotiating contracts for all 13 members to proceed ahead as SEVENTEEN, the boy band undoubtedly know the significance of staying collectively and leaning on each other — figuratively and actually, one rapidly misplaced observe of what number of instances the members would carry each other on piggyback.

That was mirrored within the group’s newest live performance expertise, which felt all of the extra vital for coming after greater than two-and-a-half years of COVID considerations.