Kalai Chik Just like how dessert finishes and rounds off a full meal course, KCON 2017 topped off Los Angeles’ summer line up of conventions. KCON showered LA with the best and the brightest of K-pop stars for a two-night concert.
Convention
Throughout the three day event, KCON attendees experienced the biggest marketing bang in the event’s six years of existence. Everything from free reusable bags to giant bags of several hundred dollars’ worth of makeup were given away. For die-hard fans, waiting hours just to see their idols on the red carpet or meet them at high touch events was nothing. Overall, panels and events were along the lines of previous year’s KCON. Luckily, “Line Con” was largely nonexistent, though there were a couple of freebies that had fans lining out the door. The Flowers Boy Café proved to be a fan favorite, as they had to close off the line several times for breaking fire code.
Concerts
This year, the two-night concerts featured 12 artists with each performing their best tracks. KCON brought some of the newest and hottest idol groups such as Wanna One and K.A.R.D to veterans like Kim Tae Woo. Of the two nights, the second night drew in more excitement and a much larger crowd.
Starting off the first night was VIXX’s Leo and Girl’s Day Minah performing “City of Stars” from La La Land to a cell phone lit filled Staples Center. The first night’s lineup included experienced acts like Super Junior D&E and VIXX, showcasing their repertoire and reflecting on the past years of K-pop. However, it was clear that the torch has already been passed down to newer groups, as Cosmic Girls and Seventeen overshadowed their veteran counterparts. Girl’s Day and Super Junior D&E missed critical moments mainly because their fan base moved on and neither band performed certain fan favorite songs.
On the second night, over 85,000 people stood in the stands for the most anticipated night of KCON 2017. K.A.R.D, well known for their addictive dance music, kicked off the night with a number of their popular tracks, setting a high bar for the other acts to follow. Oh My Girl wasn’t able to hold as much ground, especially since they only sang two ballad songs. Heize finished up the round of female performers for the night, leaving the center stage for Wanna One, Astro, Kim Tae Woo, NCT127 and crowd favorite: GOT7. KCON 2017 LA came to a close, with artists and fans hesitant to leave for home. K-pop’s past and present were displayed in the closing moments as the groups came out on stage to bid their final farewells to adoring fans.
Prior to the concerts, APA was on the red carpet and snapped some photos of the KCON lineup. Check out our photos below for your favorite bands!
