EXO-CBX "Magical Circus 2019 Special Edition" 4/28/19
This is sort of a report but mostly just me rambling because it's quicker to type on my computer than my phone.
BAEKHYUN SMILED AT ME!!!!!!!!!
Anyway. This is the encore edition of a concert tour CBX did here last year which ofc I did not see. My understanding is that it's mostly the same except everyone got a second additional solo. The other important thing is that one of the members, Xiumin (the X) announced a few weeks ago that he was going into the military for his mandatory service starting 5/7 (aka next week). He has a fanmeet in Seoul next weekend, but these are the last concerts before he goes. Tonight was specifically the second to last, as there's one more tomorrow.
In (large?) part because of this, the goods line was crazy and everything other than the uchiwas, clearfiles, and penlight sold out. The goods stand was only two tents, and only opened three hours before the doors to the venue did, making for very long lines. I waited two hours for my penlight and uchiwa and was Kind Of Annoyed at the less than ideal management of the whole thing. I was also disheartened when I checked my ticket on my phone, as seat assignments were due to show up three hours before the concert. Arena row 52, seat 61. That didn't sound very close, and a brief perusal of Twitter confirmed it'd be in the back corner somewhere but probably at least on an aisle.
After getting my goods I took a few pictures but otherwise went straight into the venue. When I found my seat, I discovered that it was indeed in the back. As in, the very last row. At first I was pouty, but then I took stock of the situation. Positive #1: I was the only seat in my row. This meant no dealing with anyone else, and I had some extra space next to my seat to put my bag and drink without constantly having to trip over it and fumble for stuff. Positive #2: the stands started so high above me that when facing forward it was impossible for me to block anyone's view, so I could do whatever I wanted (within the rules ofc). Positive #3: to my left, towards the center of the arena, was a production area with desks and computers. Aside from some coming and going, everyone in here mostly sat, and I could see over them easily. This also meant that the other sections of the arena were far enough away that I could mostly see over them too. Positive #4: While I couldn't see directly in front of me as well because there were people there, being so far off to the side meant they only blocked like 10% of the very side of the stage, which was barely used.
And finally, the main Positive: There was no one behind me or to my right, and a big aisleway between me and the stands higher up. If carts came around (spoiler: they did) I would be right in front with an unobstructed view of the boys and, more importantly, them of me. I worried the carts would be up at the level of the stands, and ergo too high for me to really see them well, but luckily that was not the case.
I have no pictures from inside, because there was an employee holding a no pictures sign less than a foot to my left between me and the production area (he moved when the show actually started). There was no way I was sneaking any haha. I meant to take one after but I forgot~ Also they had a ton of employees in both the arena and the stands walking around holding giant "no pictures or video" signs in multiple languages. Way more intense than a Johnny's concert, which was amusing to me because there are always fancams. There were also employees patrolling the aisles constantly during the show lol.
Just before the show started, they tested our penlights. They controlled them remotely like Arashi and NEWS do, and it worked with both the more recent EXO penlight (the one I'd got) and the (nicer) older one. It was really cool, because when I turn it on I can only have the light be on, blinking, or blinking faster. But they were able to turn it all kiiiinds of colors and patterns. So they did a quick test to make them all flash various colors and then it began!!!
They started on the central stage, which I could see pretty well as it was closer. The layout was the common main stage - catwalk - central stage one (but with a twist! later). Then they went back to the main stage, which was a bit far even with binoculars but luckily there's so much dancing that I wouldn't really want to use binoculars anyway. They did an intro MC here, in Japanese! Their Japanese is around my level, complete with the pauses and the awkward searching for a word and the starting a word wrong and having to start it over. At least for Chen and Xiumin, Baekhyun spoke more quickly and confidently. Xiumin accidentally called Chen "Chen-chan" and then kept doing it on purpose, which was super cute.
For the solos the format was the same for each member: intro VTR, old solo, group number(s), new solo. Chen's was first, his old solo is really fun and upbeat and rock-ish so I was glad he still did it because I'd wanted to see it after hearing about it last year. Then for his new solo he did one of the songs off his all-ballad solo album that came out less than a month ago. His voice <3.
Baekhyun's first solo was a fun dance song. Then came another group song and another short MC with more cute my-level Japanese. Honestly it probably sound silly that I was so happy about that, but it's a combo of a) struggling through Johnny's MCs and b) seeing people I like and admire struggle with something I also struggle with. Then they went to the center stage and started a ballad, a slow but pretty song called "Diamond Crystal." During this the stage rose up (cool! didn't know it could do that!) and there were sparkly lights like stars all around the arena. The slowness of the song made me think about Xiumin going off to the military, the first member of EXO to do so. I've been following EXO since spring 2014, when I was finishing up my final semester of grad school, so I feel like I've journeyed with them a bit. I started getting a bit emotional.
Then they started another ballad, called "Cry" (lol). As they did the stage... began... to move! That's right, a moving stage!!!! Like Arashi's!!!! And while I wasn't in its path (I really want a moving stage to move over me someday tbh) I was wayyyy closer than I was for Arashi's and it was so cool. So my moving stage feels combined with my Xiumin feels and I was crying. The stage came back to the back!!! So now they were level with me but in the center, not very far away (another reason to cry lol). I was vaguely amused that they were singing a song with the lyrics "don't you cry" and I was crying haha.
A quick note on me and seeing EXO: I've seen them twice in LA, but both times from the stands because the concerts there just had an open pit on the floor and no seats and I am not about that life. First year I was at the front of the upper stands, second year straight back in the lower stands but since carts and moving stages don't exist in America the central stage was as close as they got. Both concerts were great, my first idol concerts, and the first one in particular gave me an appreciation for a lot of older album songs I otherwise wasn't as attached to, especially a really pretty song called "Don't Go" (remember that one!).
Anyway, so just as I was recovering the stage lowered down in the back and they moved into carts!!!!!! Xiumin came towards us first, and he looked right at us including me!!! I was really glad because I'd been having so many feels about him lol. Chen went around the other way first and Baekhyun after him. When they both came by they were singing and didn't wave specifically at us but it was still great to see them. Unlike Johnny's these carts moved very quickly! So they all made full circuits within one song, and Xiumin came by us twice!
Baekhyun ended back at the moving stage in the back, and rode it back to center stage while singing his second solo: a ballad cover. I love his voice so I didn't even care that I didn't know the song. Then we got Xiumin's VCR (these were the only times during the whole show when we sat other than while waiting for the encore btw, no long MC like Johnny's). Then his first solo, which is a fun dance song. Then after another fun group song it was FEELS O'CLOCK. I already knew vaguely what would happen but I was Unprepared.
So he says this is a present for us and begins. It's a solo version of "Don't Go" and even though I knew it would be I was still having feelings. He did the whole first half dancing to an instrumental, and it was a sweet, balletic, emotional dance. I cannot imagine the vulnerability that went into that. There was a lot of butterfly imagery and arm/wing flapping choreo. I watched the dance through binoculars but put them down when he started singing the song. By this point I was definitely crying, especially because of all the memories the song was bringing me. Also, the normal choreo for the song (which he did while singing) is really cute and I love it. At the end he turned to face the big screen over the main stage, which showed a ticking clock counting down. The imagery of what this song was about (him going away into the military) was no longer even remotely subtle and I could feel the tears on my cheeks. Then the lights went out and he said "boku wa wasurenai" and you could HEAR people crying. It was intense.
Then the lights came back on and he joined the other two on the central stage. They both started singing the chorus of "Don't Go" a bit, and then everyone started singing along. They stopped and we in the crowd sang the rest of the chorus, it was really emotional. He said a small piece in Korean about the meaning of his solo (with an invisible translator translating), then they lightly teased him to bring the mood back up and he wiped his eyes. I was just trying to live haha, the three of them are so close! They had another small MC (back to Japanese) and then sang their new group ballad "Paper Cuts" which made me tear up AGAIN when Baekhyun and Chen turned to face Xiumin for part of it.
After that emotional ordeal, they got into carts again! Xiumin came by us first again, and I had to hastily wipe my eyes so I could see him lol. They did a snakey S pattern through the arena this time and over two upbeat songs everyone came by multiple times (fast carts! I love it!). Baekhyun looked right at us and saw me and I was pretty happy. Chen was always singing when he came by but after the emotional upheaval and seeing them so close I was pretty satisfied with everything. This whole segment was exciting but also a juggling act of holding my Baekhyun uchiwa when he came by and putting it down for the others so I could wave with both hands lol. They went back to the main stage and did some final group numbers. At one point there was gintape but I was too far back to even think of getting any.... BUT an employee came around and gave the group in front of me a whole bunch. Before the concert one of them had noticed that she and I both had Baekhyun uchiwa and we exchanging smiles. After a minute she turned and gave me some, yay!
By this point I was super pumped up and the final numbers were really upbeat and dancey and everyone was dancing and bopping around, the atmosphere was really good. I had gotten over the initial awkwardness of all the nearby employees and embraced having no other fans behind me to dance if I wanted to. After they "finished," we sat and began putting away gintape and such lol. I was musing about how wonderful it had turned out, and that my seat ended up being A Good Seat After All, and then they came back! They started on the main stage, but then moved into a cart together! Baekhyun at the front, then Xiumin, then Chen. I was happy we'd get to see them one more time, but little did I know. They started on the other side, and as they rounded the back and came to my corner I was ready with my uchiwa and penlight and smile. Then, the highlight of my life the concert happened!
Since Baekhyun was in front, he looked down and saw me. We made eye contact, which is usually a split second thing, but as they went by me he HELD it and then SMILED!!!!!! SPECIFICALLY AT ME INDIVIDUALLY!!!!!!!!!!! I was so happyyyyyyyyy I almost started crying again. They looped past the main stage back past the other side again (but not us, not that I can complain) and ended at the moved-back central stage. Here they did their final MC (mostly in Korean and translated) and acted cute for the cameras (making hearts and etc). When Chen said "suki da yo" Xiumin mimed skiing and even going over a ski jump lol it was hella cute. Then they sang the actual final song, "In this World," while the moving stage carried them back to the center. This song sounds like it should be in a show at Tokyo Disney it's so cutely Disney-sparkly-sounding but I actually love it. It was a fitting end. They walked back to the main stage and Baekhyun did a small call and response ("Ariga?" "TOU!" "Aishite?" "RU!"). They left, peaked their heads back in, and then left for real.
After a credits video showing rehearsals it was over and we all filed out. I'm really happy with how it all turned out, even if I didn't get all the goods I wanted. Luckily, there's online ordering (with exhorbitant shipping ofc). Thanks for reading this emotional mess haha, I promise the group numbers not involving carts were also good lol I just have less to say about them. Hopefully the rest of EXO will come again while I still live here!
BAEKHYUN SMILED AT ME!!!!!!!!!
Anyway. This is the encore edition of a concert tour CBX did here last year which ofc I did not see. My understanding is that it's mostly the same except everyone got a second additional solo. The other important thing is that one of the members, Xiumin (the X) announced a few weeks ago that he was going into the military for his mandatory service starting 5/7 (aka next week). He has a fanmeet in Seoul next weekend, but these are the last concerts before he goes. Tonight was specifically the second to last, as there's one more tomorrow.
In (large?) part because of this, the goods line was crazy and everything other than the uchiwas, clearfiles, and penlight sold out. The goods stand was only two tents, and only opened three hours before the doors to the venue did, making for very long lines. I waited two hours for my penlight and uchiwa and was Kind Of Annoyed at the less than ideal management of the whole thing. I was also disheartened when I checked my ticket on my phone, as seat assignments were due to show up three hours before the concert. Arena row 52, seat 61. That didn't sound very close, and a brief perusal of Twitter confirmed it'd be in the back corner somewhere but probably at least on an aisle.
After getting my goods I took a few pictures but otherwise went straight into the venue. When I found my seat, I discovered that it was indeed in the back. As in, the very last row. At first I was pouty, but then I took stock of the situation. Positive #1: I was the only seat in my row. This meant no dealing with anyone else, and I had some extra space next to my seat to put my bag and drink without constantly having to trip over it and fumble for stuff. Positive #2: the stands started so high above me that when facing forward it was impossible for me to block anyone's view, so I could do whatever I wanted (within the rules ofc). Positive #3: to my left, towards the center of the arena, was a production area with desks and computers. Aside from some coming and going, everyone in here mostly sat, and I could see over them easily. This also meant that the other sections of the arena were far enough away that I could mostly see over them too. Positive #4: While I couldn't see directly in front of me as well because there were people there, being so far off to the side meant they only blocked like 10% of the very side of the stage, which was barely used.
And finally, the main Positive: There was no one behind me or to my right, and a big aisleway between me and the stands higher up. If carts came around (spoiler: they did) I would be right in front with an unobstructed view of the boys and, more importantly, them of me. I worried the carts would be up at the level of the stands, and ergo too high for me to really see them well, but luckily that was not the case.
I have no pictures from inside, because there was an employee holding a no pictures sign less than a foot to my left between me and the production area (he moved when the show actually started). There was no way I was sneaking any haha. I meant to take one after but I forgot~ Also they had a ton of employees in both the arena and the stands walking around holding giant "no pictures or video" signs in multiple languages. Way more intense than a Johnny's concert, which was amusing to me because there are always fancams. There were also employees patrolling the aisles constantly during the show lol.
Just before the show started, they tested our penlights. They controlled them remotely like Arashi and NEWS do, and it worked with both the more recent EXO penlight (the one I'd got) and the (nicer) older one. It was really cool, because when I turn it on I can only have the light be on, blinking, or blinking faster. But they were able to turn it all kiiiinds of colors and patterns. So they did a quick test to make them all flash various colors and then it began!!!
They started on the central stage, which I could see pretty well as it was closer. The layout was the common main stage - catwalk - central stage one (but with a twist! later). Then they went back to the main stage, which was a bit far even with binoculars but luckily there's so much dancing that I wouldn't really want to use binoculars anyway. They did an intro MC here, in Japanese! Their Japanese is around my level, complete with the pauses and the awkward searching for a word and the starting a word wrong and having to start it over. At least for Chen and Xiumin, Baekhyun spoke more quickly and confidently. Xiumin accidentally called Chen "Chen-chan" and then kept doing it on purpose, which was super cute.
For the solos the format was the same for each member: intro VTR, old solo, group number(s), new solo. Chen's was first, his old solo is really fun and upbeat and rock-ish so I was glad he still did it because I'd wanted to see it after hearing about it last year. Then for his new solo he did one of the songs off his all-ballad solo album that came out less than a month ago. His voice <3.
Baekhyun's first solo was a fun dance song. Then came another group song and another short MC with more cute my-level Japanese. Honestly it probably sound silly that I was so happy about that, but it's a combo of a) struggling through Johnny's MCs and b) seeing people I like and admire struggle with something I also struggle with. Then they went to the center stage and started a ballad, a slow but pretty song called "Diamond Crystal." During this the stage rose up (cool! didn't know it could do that!) and there were sparkly lights like stars all around the arena. The slowness of the song made me think about Xiumin going off to the military, the first member of EXO to do so. I've been following EXO since spring 2014, when I was finishing up my final semester of grad school, so I feel like I've journeyed with them a bit. I started getting a bit emotional.
Then they started another ballad, called "Cry" (lol). As they did the stage... began... to move! That's right, a moving stage!!!! Like Arashi's!!!! And while I wasn't in its path (I really want a moving stage to move over me someday tbh) I was wayyyy closer than I was for Arashi's and it was so cool. So my moving stage feels combined with my Xiumin feels and I was crying. The stage came back to the back!!! So now they were level with me but in the center, not very far away (another reason to cry lol). I was vaguely amused that they were singing a song with the lyrics "don't you cry" and I was crying haha.
A quick note on me and seeing EXO: I've seen them twice in LA, but both times from the stands because the concerts there just had an open pit on the floor and no seats and I am not about that life. First year I was at the front of the upper stands, second year straight back in the lower stands but since carts and moving stages don't exist in America the central stage was as close as they got. Both concerts were great, my first idol concerts, and the first one in particular gave me an appreciation for a lot of older album songs I otherwise wasn't as attached to, especially a really pretty song called "Don't Go" (remember that one!).
Anyway, so just as I was recovering the stage lowered down in the back and they moved into carts!!!!!! Xiumin came towards us first, and he looked right at us including me!!! I was really glad because I'd been having so many feels about him lol. Chen went around the other way first and Baekhyun after him. When they both came by they were singing and didn't wave specifically at us but it was still great to see them. Unlike Johnny's these carts moved very quickly! So they all made full circuits within one song, and Xiumin came by us twice!
Baekhyun ended back at the moving stage in the back, and rode it back to center stage while singing his second solo: a ballad cover. I love his voice so I didn't even care that I didn't know the song. Then we got Xiumin's VCR (these were the only times during the whole show when we sat other than while waiting for the encore btw, no long MC like Johnny's). Then his first solo, which is a fun dance song. Then after another fun group song it was FEELS O'CLOCK. I already knew vaguely what would happen but I was Unprepared.
So he says this is a present for us and begins. It's a solo version of "Don't Go" and even though I knew it would be I was still having feelings. He did the whole first half dancing to an instrumental, and it was a sweet, balletic, emotional dance. I cannot imagine the vulnerability that went into that. There was a lot of butterfly imagery and arm/wing flapping choreo. I watched the dance through binoculars but put them down when he started singing the song. By this point I was definitely crying, especially because of all the memories the song was bringing me. Also, the normal choreo for the song (which he did while singing) is really cute and I love it. At the end he turned to face the big screen over the main stage, which showed a ticking clock counting down. The imagery of what this song was about (him going away into the military) was no longer even remotely subtle and I could feel the tears on my cheeks. Then the lights went out and he said "boku wa wasurenai" and you could HEAR people crying. It was intense.
Then the lights came back on and he joined the other two on the central stage. They both started singing the chorus of "Don't Go" a bit, and then everyone started singing along. They stopped and we in the crowd sang the rest of the chorus, it was really emotional. He said a small piece in Korean about the meaning of his solo (with an invisible translator translating), then they lightly teased him to bring the mood back up and he wiped his eyes. I was just trying to live haha, the three of them are so close! They had another small MC (back to Japanese) and then sang their new group ballad "Paper Cuts" which made me tear up AGAIN when Baekhyun and Chen turned to face Xiumin for part of it.
After that emotional ordeal, they got into carts again! Xiumin came by us first again, and I had to hastily wipe my eyes so I could see him lol. They did a snakey S pattern through the arena this time and over two upbeat songs everyone came by multiple times (fast carts! I love it!). Baekhyun looked right at us and saw me and I was pretty happy. Chen was always singing when he came by but after the emotional upheaval and seeing them so close I was pretty satisfied with everything. This whole segment was exciting but also a juggling act of holding my Baekhyun uchiwa when he came by and putting it down for the others so I could wave with both hands lol. They went back to the main stage and did some final group numbers. At one point there was gintape but I was too far back to even think of getting any.... BUT an employee came around and gave the group in front of me a whole bunch. Before the concert one of them had noticed that she and I both had Baekhyun uchiwa and we exchanging smiles. After a minute she turned and gave me some, yay!
By this point I was super pumped up and the final numbers were really upbeat and dancey and everyone was dancing and bopping around, the atmosphere was really good. I had gotten over the initial awkwardness of all the nearby employees and embraced having no other fans behind me to dance if I wanted to. After they "finished," we sat and began putting away gintape and such lol. I was musing about how wonderful it had turned out, and that my seat ended up being A Good Seat After All, and then they came back! They started on the main stage, but then moved into a cart together! Baekhyun at the front, then Xiumin, then Chen. I was happy we'd get to see them one more time, but little did I know. They started on the other side, and as they rounded the back and came to my corner I was ready with my uchiwa and penlight and smile. Then, the highlight of my life the concert happened!
Since Baekhyun was in front, he looked down and saw me. We made eye contact, which is usually a split second thing, but as they went by me he HELD it and then SMILED!!!!!! SPECIFICALLY AT ME INDIVIDUALLY!!!!!!!!!!! I was so happyyyyyyyyy I almost started crying again. They looped past the main stage back past the other side again (but not us, not that I can complain) and ended at the moved-back central stage. Here they did their final MC (mostly in Korean and translated) and acted cute for the cameras (making hearts and etc). When Chen said "suki da yo" Xiumin mimed skiing and even going over a ski jump lol it was hella cute. Then they sang the actual final song, "In this World," while the moving stage carried them back to the center. This song sounds like it should be in a show at Tokyo Disney it's so cutely Disney-sparkly-sounding but I actually love it. It was a fitting end. They walked back to the main stage and Baekhyun did a small call and response ("Ariga?" "TOU!" "Aishite?" "RU!"). They left, peaked their heads back in, and then left for real.
After a credits video showing rehearsals it was over and we all filed out. I'm really happy with how it all turned out, even if I didn't get all the goods I wanted. Luckily, there's online ordering (with exhorbitant shipping ofc). Thanks for reading this emotional mess haha, I promise the group numbers not involving carts were also good lol I just have less to say about them. Hopefully the rest of EXO will come again while I still live here!