On Nov. 9 and 10, the globally famous K-pop boy group Seventeen was (literally) right here in Los Angeles for their Right Here World Tour. If you aren’t as well-versed in K-pop, you still may have heard of Seventeen from their recent collaboration with DJ Khaled, “LOVE, MONEY, FAME.” But if you’re a K-Pop fanatic like me, there’s a good chance you’re already a carat (aka a Seventeen fan). The group is made up of thirteen guys who are all incredibly talented, hilarious, and super cute, so what’s not to love?
Seventeen is hugely popular all over the world, so it was no surprise that they went BIG for their latest world tour. In LA specifically, Pledis Entertainment —Seventeen’s record label — held the Seventeen The City Los Angeles event. The company collaborated with several cafes, restaurants, and other businesses across the city to bring Seventeen-themed food items, freebies, and events. From indulging in a Seventeen-themed ice cream treat to dancing the night away at a Seventeen takeover event at a nightclub in Hollywood, it’s safe to say I had a Seventeen-filled weekend.
But of course, all of this led up to the main event itself: Seeing Seventeen in concert at BMO Stadium on Nov. 10. K-pop concerts are so unique compared to any other and it can be hard to fully understand the difference until you’ve attended one yourself. Here’s a glimpse into what my day looked like attending Seventeen’s final U.S. tour date.
11:00 A.M.: Packed Clear Bag.
It’s pretty standard nowadays for stadiums to require fans to carry clear bags. I pulled my trusty bag out of the closet and packed the essentials. My concert bag always includes a portable charger, hand sanitizer, and Advil. Repping your bias at a K-pop concert is a must, so I accessorized with a Hoshi photocard. I also added a Wonwoo photocard and a Bongbongee keychain (a character made by Seventeen that represents their fans).
11:15 A.M.: LSAT Studying and Schoolwork.
Work hard, play hard. I love going to concerts, but I always make sure to prioritize my academics. I’ve been studying to take the LSAT, so I worked on that a bit, as well as some homework.
1:00 P.M.: Ate lunch.
I honestly wasn’t sure when I’d be able to eat again that day, so I grabbed a burrito bowl from my school’s dining hall before getting ready.
1:00 P.M.: Makeup time!
My goal was to do my makeup like Jun’s in the “Spell” music video (my favorite Seventeen song). This sparkly blue look, complete with rhinestones, was a step outside of my comfort zone, but I like how it turned out!
2:30 P.M.: Changed into my outfit!
To go along with my makeup, my outfit was also inspired by the “Spell” music video. I’m so obsessed with the shimmery blue tones of this video, so I had a lot of fun putting this outfit together.
4:15 P.M.: Left for the Stadium.
My friend picked me up, and we were off (all while listening to a Seventeen playlist in the car of course).
5:30 P.M.: Stopped by the carat zone at the stadium.
As soon as we parked, we made a beeline for the carat zone, which is a designated space specifically for Seventeen fan club members. Photocards are every K-pop fan’s weakness, so it was a given that we needed to grab the carat zone exclusive photocards. The cards were distributed randomly, so fans scattered throughout the area asking “Who do you have” and “Who do you want to trade for?” in hopes of securing their bias’s card. Luckily, my friend and I traded successfully.
5:45 P.M.: Collected freebies.
It’s not a K-pop concert without freebies. Fans make and distribute keychains, banners, and more. I even got a mini American flag with Hoshi on it, which was pretty hilarious.
7:30 P.M.: Made it to our seats.
7:41.: Seventeen took the stage.
The group opened with “Fear,” an iconic and powerful song. It literally gave me chills. There is something so mind-blowing about a stadium of 22,000 American fans all singing along to every word, in Korean. It proved to me the impact of Seventeen and K-pop as a whole.
10:20 P.M.: Seventeen’s First “Aju Nice.”
Seventeen has a long-standing tradition of ending every concert with the song “Very Nice,” better known by its Korean title, “Aju Nice.” But they don’t just sing it once. In fact, this tradition is known as the “neverending ‘Aju Nice.’” There’s no way to know how many times they will sing “Aju Nice,” as the song loops over and over. The members often begin to walk off stage, making the crowd believe the show is over, just to start the song again.
10:44 P.M.: Final “Aju Nice.”
You read that right, we “Aju Nice”-ed for 24 minutes. I honestly lost count of how many times they sang the song.
12:09 A.M.: Dinner at BCD Tofu House
My friend and I were both craving hot tofu soup to warm us up after being outside for so long. BCD had also been taking part in the Seventeen festivities, but they were out of freebies when we got there.
Nonetheless, the soup hit the spot as we shared concert videos and reminisced about our amazing weekend.