Since the Momoland concert for July was canceled, and they've been announced as a participating group in this year's KCON in LA, I've decided to see about attending KCON. I've already booked a place, and concert tickets go on sale Friday. I really hope I can get tickets. I just wish I could afford the higher end ones... backstage events, extra hi-touch events, or a private meet & greet. All for only $1,000 or $1,800!
Of course, once you buy in to all the highest of the lower tiers and all the extras, it's already over $600, and $1k doesn't seem that much more... {cough} {cough}
But some really good groups announced:
Momoland
Everglow
fromis_9
IZ*ONE
Mamamoo
Seventeen
Stray Kids
+others
And the real reason I came to post is to pass along to Tscott-- LOONA has just been announced for KCON as well! Not sure where you live or if an LA convention would even be possible for you, but I thought I'd pass it along. If nothing else, I'll try and get some good pictures or some merch I can pass along to you. Provided I get tickets. Dunno what the demand will be like.
Ah well. Dang.
I think I read Everglow had to cancel out of kcon as they couldn't get Visas to get into U.S.
I think I read Everglow had to cancel out of kcon as they couldn't get Visas to get into U.S.
They were slated for KCON NY and canceled because of the VISA issues. They're now slated for KCON LA, and hopefully that'll give them enough time to sort out whatever the issues were.
JeremyK wrote:I think I read Everglow had to cancel out of kcon as they couldn't get Visas to get into U.S.
They were slated for KCON NY and canceled because of the VISA issues. They're now slated for KCON LA, and hopefully that'll give them enough time to sort out whatever the issues were.
According to this they tried but failed so had to cancel LA as well.
Dang. That sucks. I hadn't heard that update yet.
Too good not to share:
So, apparently, falling down the rabbit hole of this thread has led me to some interesting news. It seems that Mina from TWICE is off the tour due to extreme anxiety to performing on stage. They seem to be getting her help and letting her rest, so it's cool that JYP is taking a mental health issue seriously.
Not that I'm a ONCE fan or anything!
Bit of a ramble, but tl;dr *I'm going to KCON*
So, KCON tickets just went up. I'm only coming here now because I finished getting mine. It was basically a ridiculous affair to get tickets. First off, there was a different waiting queue *for every tier of tickets.* So if you wanted Diamond, you had to wait for Diamond only and couldn't also try for Platinum or even regular tier tickets. Even more ridiculous because as far as I've been able to read, other years there were like 15 total Diamond tickets (compared to the 50,000+ attendees).
I wasn't trying for Diamond, but I did decide I wanted Platinum as it wasn't THAT much more than the top normal tier I would have gotten otherwise and everything I read described things that would make the experience more enjoyable for my particular temperament. I'm not all that in to crowds, and the Plat/Diam section is less crowded while still being right up close.
Then, after getting in, I had to CAPTCHA for every "no tickets available" refresh. Finally, one of my devices got in to where I could just click search over and over, with no results over and over. Finally, though, I got a ticket to pop up and snagged it. After getting and letting a regular tier time out on another device. In the end, very pricey, and all a bit stressful, but this should give me the best shot at the extras for Momoland and hopefully LOONA.
Turns out you can't pick which artists you want to see for Hi-touch, etc. You get a random assignment that you can then sell, swap, or buy to get the one(s) you want. I understand given the crowd sizes and limited numbers, but it was again a reason that I opted for Platinum as I'll have double the chance to get what I want or have ones good enough to sell/swap for what I want.
I'm a bit dumbfounded that I'm spending so much on this. Honestly, I don't think I would have, had I not mentally spent like $800 total on the canceled trip to see Momoland. That put me in a different mental space where spending a few hundred more than that on tickets alone wasn't all that far-fetched. In the end, this will be the most expensive thing I've ever done for myself, like, ever.
Maybe I really am going through a mid-life crisis and this is my new sportscar.
I’m really glad to hear they’re giving Mina some time off and some help. So much of the industry side of Kpop seems like a grinder, but a ray of hope like this is great.
For all the criticism and flak that MLD gets on their handling of Momoland, one thing they’ve done is made it very clear that they value the idols health. At least half of the members have missed various promotions or concerts at one time or another for health reasons. I can only hope they also take mental health as seriously as JYP is with Mina.
I know it’s cultural more than anything, but it always hits me when I hear an idol say they will work harder for their fans. Like, I imagine these are some of the hardest-worked people and their response is so often, I will do more.
I did just finish a book called The Birth of Korean Cool that’s a good read. It’s a broad view, only half of a chapter focuses on Kpop, but it gives a good perspective on Korean culture, history, and their sudden rise the past 20-ish years. If nothing else, it put the Korean work-ethic into a frame that I get it now. It still pains me to see idols work so hard and then promise to work harder, but I get it a little bit better now.
Also, I could use some help. Before KCON, I want to get more familiar with the groups I’ve never heard or have ignored/overlooked. So if anyone has a favorite song(s) I should start with, I want to have a small primer for each group before I go.
AB6ix
Ateez
IZ*One
LOONA
Nu’est
Oneus
SF9Chung Ha
Fromis_9
Itzy
Mamamoo
N.Flying
Seventeen
Stray Kids
VeriVery
I just got into Mamamoo recently with Gogobebe. I was really missing out.
Thanks for the breakdown, Tscott. I started with IZ*ONE. I really like them. Straight up my alley is right. Also Fromis_9 is good, I've been listening to FUN after you posted and branched out since. They have some good songs, and they've now made it onto my regular rotation. Mamamoo and ITZY are next on my list.
My Kpop playlist is up to 347 songs. I just looked back through this thread and realized how many albums I found from here, and how many I found later but were actually posted here previously.
But here's a few I'm quite enjoying that didn't show up earlier in the thread:
Taeyon's Four Seasons B-side
Dreamcatcher B-side
From a drama soundtrack
Momoland's Ahin got a solo track for a drama soundtrack
Icy is a great summer bop!
Red Velvet have announced the next single The ReVe Festival Day Two will be out soon- like in 8 days. No title has been given for the title track, but they're promising a "popping sparkly summer song" according to a translation of the tweet I saw on twitter.
Oooh, that sounds awesome. I didn't expect another drop from them so soon.
Welp, I made it to LA. All day driving today. 700+ miles, but made it. KCON, here we go!
Staying in my first Airbnb, and boy does it feel strange to enter someone’s home at 10:00 at night.
Have fun, Antichulius
I had a very busy last month, so of course I feel completely out of the loop since this scene moves at such a crazy pace. I'll be using Tscott's thread spam to help me catch up. Thanks for the assist
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