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.
