JAY B SHOW REVIEW
What originally was intended to be the second iteration of ‘Kpop After Dark’ evolved into JAY B’s TAPE:RE LOAD tour. After visa-related delays and what must’ve been an anxiety-inducing kick off to the tour, fans of the beloved GOT7 leader had the opportunity to see him perform in six cities across the U.S., with a setlist catered to Aghase (GOT7’s fans).
The show opened with K-R&B singer Tabber, who set the tone for the rest of the show with a short but sensual, moody set. As for the main act, he did not disappoint. Jay B had mentioned earlier in the set that he was feeling a bit tired and “not in the best condition”, but once the show began and he felt the energy from his fans, there was an obvious change in his energy too. It was evident that he loves being on stage and performing for his fans with how quickly his vibe shifted. Once he started smiling, it never left his face.
JAY B opened his stage with a few older songs like “Fountain of Youth”, and “B.T.W” before diving into the music off his first full-length album “Archive 1: [Road Runner]”, which he performed in its entirety before the concert ended. During “B.T.W”, JAY B was accompanied by several back-up dancers that increased the energy of the set and crowd’s excitement tenfold with synchronized choreography and fun interactions between the dancers and JAY B on stage.
After the first half of the set, JAY B switched up his outfit and the vibe by performing some more provocative songs off his latest album. In a semi-sheer plum colored button down and loose fitted pants, JAY B amped up his sex appeal in both appearance and his dance moves. The range of music on the setlist and encore spanned across almost all of JAY B’s music endeavors and talents, including “PAGE” by GOT7, “Sigh” from JUS2, and even fun remixes of his own songs, like the rock version of “Crash” which was a Cherry Notes personal favorite!
“Even though he had such a demanding timeline, he managed to create such core, intimate moments with his fans and his dancers.” says Sheena, friend of the Cherry Notes podcast. This was a special night for her and many ahgase, who have eagerly been awaiting JAY B to perform in the States. It was truly heartwarming to experience this show with her, as JAY B is someone incredibly dear to her heart and has been an ultimate bias for her for years. The fans were one of the most memorable aspects of the night: everyone we spoke to was so kind, and their passion and energy for JAY B were unrivaled.
And the love was reciprocated. JAY B doesn’t just show his love for his fans through his music and performances— he’s an acts of service kind of guy as well. At one point during the show, a fan dropped their lightstick, and JAY B quickly hopped off stage to pick it up and hand it back to them. At the end of the concert there was a brief Q&A session for VIP attendees, during which he played a snippet of a finished Def. (a pseudonym under which he self-produces music outside of his JAY B pseudonym) song. Sheena marks this as one of the most memorable parts of the night, stating “I had hoped he would play a Def. song, which would have been a stretch, but that satiated my wish.”
Keep a look out for our review of JAY B’s TAPE: RELOAD tour on our next episode!
Review by Ingrid Evariz/Em Fischer. All photos by Em Fischer and Sol Delgadillo.
