EXO-L’s who were lucky enough to attend the EXO’luXion in Los Angeles got to spend Valentine’s Day with one of the most well-loved groups in K-Pop—EXO! Los Angeles was the third stop in EXO’s first North American tour, which included a total of five cities: Dallas (2/10), Vancouver (2/12), Los Angeles (2/14), Chicago (2/19), and New York (2/21). From fan support events to jamming along with EXO live, the EXO’luXion in LA was an unforgettable experience that united fans from all over to share their love of EXO and K-Pop. One of our staff members (and devoted EXO-L) attended the concert and brought back the highlights!
Outside the venue, fans were passing out goodies like candy, stickers, fans, and banners to support the individual members. One of the most touching fan activities was a large banner dedicated to EXO member Lay, who was unable to partake in the tour due to his schedule. Lay supporters filled the banner with little messages and also wrote individual letters to be delivered overseas to Lay!
The arena was filled with ear-splitting screams right from the beginning, as fans could not to wait to finally see EXO in person. Throughout the show, VCRs appeared on the stage to showcase the charms of each member and transition into different songs. Some were similar to epic sci-fi movie trailers, while others were cute to pull at the hearts of the fans. The concert began with “Overdose” and included many fan favorites, like the iconic “Growl.” (See the setlist at the end.)
All the members were charismatic onstage and received lots of love from fans, especially D.O. Loud screams followed whenever D.O. did something or when the cameras zoomed in on him. He looked extremely happy and dazed by the glittering lights of the fans. Suho, who the crowd also went wild for, engaged with fans the most in English during the talking segments. Suho’s “You have to attention me” had all the fans paying attention and screaming. There was a marathon in LA that day, and Chanyeol expressed his interest to join. During the second talking segment, Chanyeol jogged back and forth a couple times around the stage before Suho finally stopped him. Chanyeol’s incredible stage presence always livened up the crowd (not that it needed it!) and made me realize how amazing it is to hear him rap live.
The main vocalists of EXO did not disappoint and sounded so much like they do in their albums that I had to remind myself that they were performing live. Baekhyun’s piano-playing skills in “My Answer” made everyone in the audience swoon. Fans praised Chen’s clear, strong vocals in songs such as “Miracles in December” and “Sing for You” with deafening screams. And anything that came out of D.O.’s mouth delighted the audience, because well, he’s D.O.
Kai and Sehun shared the stage in a passionate dance solo during “Baby Don’t Cry” that mesmerized everyone. Fans showed their love by chanting their names. Xiumin was very energetic throughout the concert and shared a rap stage with Chanyeol that had bits of “Drop That” and “Machine.” They tried to teach us a chant to call out during the rap, but it took a couple tries to finally get a chant that sounded somewhat coordinated. “Let’s be one,” as Chanyeol said when he decided to not give up on us.
If you’re wondering about any aegyo that occurred, one of the highlights was D.O. doing vibrating heart gestures after Chanyeol volunteered D.O. to do a special dance if the pit audience took a step back. (And no, he was not a happy tribute.) During “Peter Pan,” the members froze and Chanyeol tried to make Baekhyun and D.O hug. Baeksoo didn’t happen and Chanyeol ended up getting kicked by both members and Kai. Xiumin had the members falling over and the fans going crazy when he used the acronym LA to mean “lovely angels.” It was undoubtedly the cheesiest line of the night, but his sweet words made the fans very happy!
Although Lay could not make it to the concert, fans made sure everyone would feel his presence. Thunderous cheers erupted from the audience whenever Lay appeared in the VCRs, showing how well-loved Lay is and the immense support fans gave to all the members.
The energy from the crowd was unlike anything I had ever experienced and made this one of the most fun concerts I have ever been to! Fans fervently chanted “E-X-O” before the concert and before the “Promise” VCR encore. Fans even chanted “one step back” with EXO to urge the pit audience to step back. It was incredible to be a speck of light in EXO’s gorgeous silver galaxy ocean. The arena filled up with the sounds of EXO-L’s singing together in a massive choir for the emotional songs. With cool lighting effects and lasers, faster tracks like “Drop That,” “Let Out the Beast,” and “Run” turned the concert into a gigantic rave party that had everyone dancing and jumping crazily.
The concert came to an end with one of EXO’s newer hits “Unfair,” which was a lively performance that shot a blizzard of confetti over the stage. We were sad to see EXO go but were grateful that they tried to connect with us in English and of course, with their music. From the awesome LED graphics, special effects, and extended stage to the member interactions, vocals, and choreography, EXO sure knows how to put on a phenomenal performance. The EXO’luXion gathered diverse fans together to experience the excitement of K-Pop, and we hope EXO’s global popularity continues to rise. EXO has two shows left in their North American tour, but we hope they come back soon. Thank you EXO!!!
EXO’luXion in LA Setlist:
[column size=one_half position=first ]1. Overdose
2. History
3. Mama
4. Don’t Go
5. Playboy
6. Baby, Don’t Cry
7. My Answer
8. The Star
9. Exodus
10. Hurt
11. Peter Pan
12. XOXO
13. Lucky
14. 365
[/column]
[column size=one_half position=last ]15. Christmas Day
16. First Snow
17. Miracles in December
18. Full Moon
19. Machine
20. Drop That
21. Let Out the Beast
22. Run
23. Call Me Baby
24. Dubstep
25. Growl
26. Love Me Right
27. Sing for You
28. Unfair[/column]
