nct 127 show review
I Survived Seeing “Designer” Live and Here’s What Happened
NCT 127, a subunit of NCT, debuted in July 2016 with “Firetruck”. The group originally debuted with nine members, but now comprises eight: TAEYONG, JOHNNY, YUTA, DOYOUNG, MARK, HAECHAN, JUNGWOO, and JAEHYUN. Each member brings something different to the table, but it blends beautifully like a potpourri of talent. Best described as a noise music chameleon, the group can effectively experiment with several genres and still make good music. Their albums are a wonderful mixed bag that can only be cohesive because they did it, thus subscribing to the NCT 127 sound. They’ve done everything from rap (“Intro: Wall to Wall”) to ballads (“The Rainy Night”) and the members are so versatile that they can pull it off every single time. The NEO CITY: MOMENTUM tour was set to be a bittersweet occasion for several reasons: TAEYONG and JAEHYUN are in the military as part of their mandatory service, this is the group’s first tour since the ex-member was kicked out, and DOYOUNG is likely enlisting next.
When the setlist for Seoul (the first stop) came out, I firmly believed that changes would be made before they came to the United States. It happened for the NEO CITY: THE LINK tour; “Black Clouds”, for example, was the encore for Seoul but was taken entirely out of the setlist for the States. I was not expecting this tour to be any different. I saw “Designer” and “Whiplash” on the setlist, two of my personal favorites, and thought they’d be two of the songs on the chopping block. So imagine my delightful surprise when “Designer” was not only still on the setlist, but also one of the songs NCT 127 played during soundcheck.
Speaking of soundcheck, no one does soundcheck like NCT 127. We noticed how they turned the lights down and it felt like the actual concert had already started. The enthusiasm we felt during soundcheck set the tone for the show, which they opened with “Gas”, a fan-favorite that showcases the group’s chops for rap. You could tell that their mics were on, and they delivered vocally all the while keeping up with their rigorous choreography. The crowd was loud and matched the boys’ energy to a T. During songs like “Regular” and “Fact Check”, it almost felt as if the ground was vibrating with how loud it was. Despite the language barrier, the fans sang along to almost every word.
To balance out the energetic songs in the setlist, there were songs like “Gold Dust” and “No Longer”. The latter was perhaps the slowest song of the night, but still left us with our jaws on the floor. DOYOUNG and JUNGWOO in particular stood out to me during that performance. As for fan interactions, there is never a shortage of those at a 127 concert: the guys were reading signs, completing hearts, waving at and laughing with fans the entire time. 127 is one of those groups that shares a mutual love and admiration with their fans.
As Em pointed out, while TAEYONG and JAEHYUN were certainly missed, the remaining six delivered a performance that certainly did not lack. There were VCRs including both members at one point during the concert, with TAEYONG’s “Intro: Wall to Wall” verse being played over the speaker in place of having another member cover it (which of course brought me to tears as a TAEYONG ult). It was impressive to see how they filled the gaps in songs belonging to the ex-member, TAEYONG and JAEHYUN. As previously mentioned, the members are all insanely talented and versatile, so it came as no surprise to see vocalists filling in for rappers and vice versa. For example, DOYOUNG rapped JAEHYUN’s “Bring the Noize” verse so well that he could probably pass as a rapper to those unfamiliar with the group. At the end of the night, there were no complaints on my end. The concert was incredible– the performances were top notch, the setlist was absolutely insane, and I got to see “Designer” twice. Of course I missed TAEYONG and JAEHYUN, but, as they said in “Time Capsule”, they will be back.
CHERRY SETLIST PICKS
SOL - Regular
EM - Whiplash
INGRID - Desginer
