PROJECT 1004

Tag: kpop concert in minnesota

  • AMPERS&ONE Becomes the First K-pop Band to Perform at the Mall of America

    AMPERS&ONE Becomes the First K-pop Band to Perform at the Mall of America

    Bloomington, MN

    The large crowd surrounding Huntington Bank Rotunda at the Mall of America got louder as it got closer to 6PM. Everyone was waiting for the first K-pop band to ever perform at the Mall of America. Debuting in 2023 under FNC Entertainment, AMPERS&ONE is a 7-member boyband that consists of Kamden, Brian, Jiho, Siyun, Mackiah, Kyrell, and Seungmo.

    Who is AMPERS&ONE?

    AMPERS&ONE combines “ampersand” (&) and “one” to represent the group’s mission: uniting together to achieve their dreams. Even before their debut, they were already making waves in the industry, thanks in part to popular Boys Planet contestants Brian and Kamden. Since then, the band has continued to grow steadily.

    What sets AMPERS&ONE apart is their remarkable international makeup. Kamden and Kyrell are from Seattle, Brian is Chinese-Canadian, Jiho spent a year living in Massachusetts, and Mackiah has Australian roots. This global background gives the group a unique advantage — they can connect and communicate comfortably with fans all around the world.

    They recently released their fourth mini album titled, Definition. This mini album features six songs led by their title track, “GOD”. The title track showcases a more mature side of the group, telling a story of rising from the ground, overcoming doubt, and being ignored to finally claiming their place at the top. It also incorporates traditional Korean instruments in the song and has an addictive and repetitive melody. The album has a diverse mix of sounds, from the upbeat pop song like “All Eyes on You” to the heartfelt ballad track like “Tears in Your Smile” and upbeat hip hop dance track like “What you Talking About”. The members also participated in writing the songs in the album.

    Performance at Mall of America.

    AMPERS&ONE held a free performance at 6PM. Although the show was free, fans had the opportunity to purchase upgrades to get closer floor seats to watch the show and interact with the idols. Some of the VIP events were held before the concert. However, the High Touch Event and the You+ and Selfie events were held after the show. The full schedule can be seen on the Instagram post below:

    Before the show started, many people could be seen crowding around the Huntington Bank Rotunda. The lucky few who were able to get upgrades or claimed floor wristbands were able to stand by the stage to watch the performance. Everyone else was encouraged to watch the performance from the balcony from the other floors.

    AMPERS&ONE opened their show with their newest title track, “GOD”. The performance started at 6PM and ended at 8PM. Throughout their entire performance, the boys could be seen giving 100% of their energy. From dancing vigorously on stage to interacting with the crowd, every second was filled with entertainment and energy. Fans could be seen singing along to the songs, shouting fan chants, and dancing throughout the entire performance. Some of the members even stepped off stage to interact with the fans.

    Outside of their songs, AMPERS&ONE prepared special unit stages for the fans. Kamden and Jiho performed a dance cover to “Fever” by Enhypen; Brian and Kyrell sung a cover of “Love Story” by Taylor Swift; and Mackiah, Seungmo, and Siyun prepared a cover of “Drag Me Down” by One Direction.

    During their short commentary breaks, the members mentioned how excited they were to be back in Minnesota again. They were here last year for their 1st US tour. Member Kamden mentioned that it was his dream to perform at a big mall. He thanked everyone for making his dream come true. They also talked about how they came a day early to rehearse and set up and were able to ride the log and SpongeBob rides at Nickelodeon Universe inside the Mall. Throughout the night, the members also thanked Mall of America for allowing them to have their concert there. In good FNC style, Mackiah ended the night by telling fans to attend their other stops if they wish to see AMPERS&ONE perform again.

    AMPERS&ONE is currently on their <BORN TO DEFINE> U.S. Tour with LEO Presents. They are about halfway done with their tour. They are visiting 17 U.S. cities for this tour. After their Minnesota show, they will be heading to Des Moines, Iowa then to Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and ending their tour in San Jose on June 2nd. The tour features lots of merch that fans and concert attendees can purchase. The prices and items can be seen below.

    Check out more photos from the show below.

  • TWICE Becomes the First K-pop Group to Perform at an Arena in Minnesota

    TWICE Becomes the First K-pop Group to Perform at an Arena in Minnesota

    St. Paul, MN

    TWICE lit up Grand Casino Arena (previously known as the Xcel Energy Center) in downtown Saint Paul and became the first K-pop band to perform at an arena in Minnesota. They are currently on a long World Tour promoting their album, <THIS IS FOR>. Consisting of 9-members, TWICE debuted under JYP Entertainment in 2015. They have released many hit song such as ‘The Feels’, ‘Signal’, and ‘Likey’. Many fans were excited for this upcoming concert as it will be the first time a big K-pop group will be performing with a big production in Minnesota. Members Dahyun and Chaeyoung were missing from the concert due to health issues. Dahyun fractured her ankle and Chaeyoung hurt her back.

    Twice brought concert-goers from all ages and united all generations of K-pop. Some fans were retired 2nd generation K-pop fans whom came out of concert-retirement to see TWICE perform. Others were newer 5th gen K-pop fans who loves TWICE’s newer concepts. Others were K-pop Demon Hunter fans who are exploring K-pop for the first time. No matter what generation K-pop fan you were, everyone was really welcoming, giving out freebies, and excited to celebrate the first K-pop arena tour in Minnesota.

    A special part of this tour is its utilization of a raised 360-degree stage. The stage was placed in the middle and allowed more fans to attend the concert and get a closer opportunity to see TWICE perform. Fans had the options to get a seat and watch the performance or to stand in the pit and see TWICE perform closer. Whichever option you chose, it was a good view of their performance.

    TWICE performed a wide range of stages. From their B-side tracks to their solo tracks and most popular songs, fans were able to get a full experience of their discography from this concert. Many fans knew the dances from the songs and you can see them dancing along with TWICE as they performed.

    Outside of their performance, TWICE had short commentaries with the fans. They did a dance battle with some of the fans and learned a new “meme” (slang) from the audience. The audience taught TWICE the “clock it” gesture. Jihyo had the most fun with the new slang as she quickly picked up the meaning and used it throughout the concert.

    TWICE ended the concert by giving fans the choice to choose the last song. Although there were many songs that fans requested, the chosen song was ‘Signal’ released in 2017. Fans screamed with joy as TWICE performed their hit song. During the performance, TWICE walked around the stage, interacted with fans, and greeted everyone.

    TWICE will be performing in Denver, Colorado on April 14th then ending their North American tour in Austin, Texas on April 17th. They will fly to Europe and start the European Tour in May.

  • Se So Neon Lights Up Dinkytown with their “NOW” US Tour

    Se So Neon Lights Up Dinkytown with their “NOW” US Tour

    Dinkytown, Minneapolis.

    Korean indie rock band Se So Neon (새소년) stopped in Dinkytown as part of their North American “NOW” tour. Originally formed in 2016 as a project duo band, the band has undergone several lineup changes over the years. Today, Se So Neon is a solo project led by guitarist and lead vocalist Hwang So-Yoon, who performs under the stage name So!YoON!. The tour shares its name with her album released earlier this year, which features tracks such as “Jayu,” “Kidd,” “Twit Winter,” “Remember!,” and “New Romantic.”

    Joining So!YoON! on tour were Spencer Zahn on bass and Gyun on drums. Minnesota was one of the few stops without an opening act, and the show began about 30 minutes later than scheduled. Still, the energy in the crowd remained high as fans were excited and more than ready when Se So Neon finally took the stage.

    The Se So Neon show drew a diverse crowd. Some attendees were K-pop fans eager to show their support, while others were University of Minnesota students taking advantage of the concert’s close proximity to campus. Many in the audience, however, were long time fans who first became interested in Se So Neon because of the band’s distinctive and genre-defying sound.

    Se So Neon had a diverse setlist. They played slow songs, upbeat songs, and heavy rock songs. The most memorable performance was when she performed her song, “Remember!” Se So Neon took a moment to teach the audience the chorus to the song. She mentioned it was the easiest track to sing along to, thanks to its repetitive melody and simple lyrics. With a hint of shyness, she encouraged the crowd to groove along with her. Fans responded enthusiastically, cheering as they picked up the tune. As the chorus echoed through the venue, the audience sang and danced together in sync.

    Other than performing, So!YoON! took some time to talk with her fans. She mentioned that she really liked Minnesota. She walked around Minneapolis, walked across a nearby bridge, and took a short nap before returning to the concert venue to perform. She also mentioned that when she first started the tour, the songs felt very foreign to her– as if they weren’t her songs. But after performing them for each stop, they now feel as if they were her songs.

    They ended the concert with a short encore. They performed popular songs like their track, “Midnight Train”. After they completed their setlist, So!YoON! threw a tour t-shirt and guitar pick into the audience. Drummer Gyun grabbed the set list and handed it to a lucky fan at the front barricade. They ended their performance with a bow to the crowd before exiting the stage.

    Minneapolis is the 9th stop of their 16-stop US tour. Se So Neon will stop in Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland before they finish their tour with 4 stops in California (San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Ana, and Los Angeles). After they finish their US tour, they will go on their Asia tour, then end the year with an Australia tour.