I have been a fan of Kpop since 2010. I haven't ever really had the opportunity to go to a Kpop concert. Even when bands come to the US I was never close enough to justify a trip to go see a Kpop artist or group. It was just too expensive, the timing wasn't right, or it was too far away.
On Wednesday, on a whim, I decided to google concerts in Seoul. I happened upon a concert for B.A.P (a band that I quite like) for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It wasn't super cheap but I thought that this would be a great opportunity to go and experience my first Kpop concert. It. Was. AMAZING!!! I had debated with myself for a bit on whether to get a standing or seated ticket. They were both the same price so I ended up buying a seated ticket. I think that for me this was the best decision but I will touch on that later. So when I got to the venue, I had read online that I should get there early so I left my apartment between 10 and 10:30 for a 3pm concert time. I ended up getting to where I needed to be WAY too early so I went and found a cafe to chill at down in the subway for a while. While I was there I saw a bunch of others who were going to the concert. Lots of foreigners too! After a while, I decided to go and find where I was supposed to pick up my ticket. I had ordered my ticket online and had to pick it up at the venue so I was a touch stressed about that! I eventually found where I was supposed to go but the booth didn't open until noon so I just ended up chilling in this little courtyard area and looking at all of the big posters and donations made in the names of the band and the band's members. While waiting I met several great girls from all over. I met one girl from the Netherlands, one from Germany, two from Belgium, one from France, and one from New York. It was really cool to see so many foreigners there! Also, while I was waiting, there were many fan club members passing out different posters and cards for fans of the band who were attending the concert. I ended up with a few signs, photocards, and stickers from these fanclub members. It was great! I also decided to buy a souvenir light stick as well. I really liked how they had the merch booth set up. You would fill out a paper that had pictures of all of the available merch and then you take it to the booth. You then pay and take the receipt to the next table and they will get you your merch! It was great and it wasn't busy at all! So, in regards to seated versus standing, I was extremely happy to have a seated ticket. I didn't have to queue for a spot in the pit and I had a great view of the stage from my seat. I was worried that I might not be able to see because I am short but with the seat it was perfect. I also didn't have to worry about being stepped on, pushed, or otherwise have my personal space invaded. It was great! I could see the band very well I just wasn't as close to the stage as some people might have wanted. It was a great seat for a casual fan! The only down side was that those of us with seated tickets were not allowed to enter for seating until after almost all of the standing ticketed people were in. It wasn't a problem because we were guaranteed seats but it was a bit stressful thinking "it's almost time for the concert and we're not even in the building yet!" The staff however were great about helping those of us who do not speak Korean to know when to go in and where to go. During the concert, the band would perform a set of songs, talk with the crowd, perform another set, and talk some more. It was really fun but I think that if I spoke Korean it would have been even more amazing. There was one point where two of the boys in the band each brought a fan up on stage and gave them a special gift. It was really cute and it was a nice break between the songs. The band performed songs from many of their albums and had great energy for the entire show. I was so happy to be there and I was a bit sad when it was over even though they had like 3 encores! I would definitely recommend going to a Kpop concert if you can. You can even go by yourself! I did and I had a great experience. I would love to go to another concert while I am here. I haven't really seen any other bands that I like post about concerts but I hope that I can find another for a good price and go! Overall, this was an amazing experience and I am so glad that I went to this concert! It was a fabulous experience that I don't think I could have really gotten anywhere but in Seoul!
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AllisonThese are the chronicles of my time before, during, and after student teaching in South Korea! Archives
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