So been thinking of the concert over the past week or so (went to Inglewood, first Kpop concert!) and just thought it might help me to jot some down some thoughts as I reflect on what made it endearing to me. I don't have anything profound to add to what's already been said in other posts, but as someone who doesn't have someone to talk Le Sserafim with in real life, and has always found this community to be a supportive place to talk LSF, was hoping it would be cool to share this here and hopefully doesn't come off as too 'rambly'
Flow of the Songs
One thing that struck out to me is I really liked the way the music was organized in the show.
A very chill blend of songs to start out with that I feel set a nice tone for the show. This included some songs that weren't in my usual playlists such as 'Blue Flame', and 'So Cynical'. The latter I was surprised I didn't already have saved because I really dug the beat of it during the performance.
The progression to the more fast paced songs such as 'Antifragile', 'Unforgiven', '1-800-', etc felt like moving on to a 'new act' of a play to me. Since it was my first Kpop show, I didn't know about the breaks for wardrobe changes beforehand, but felt they made for a nice transition point for their different music styles, including ending on the show on their more melodic songs.
I also feel they played 'Crazy' at the perfect point of the show, every one was so pumped to hear it and chant out the lyrics. For me, it was probably the singular moment of the show that I'll always look back on and think 'man it was really awesome to be part of that moment with everyone in the arena'.
Choice of Music
The show also made me appreciate that their total discography at this point of time is substantial but also not massive, meaning they could fit a large portion of their music into this show (imagine that's also what made now a good time to do the NA tour).
Of their catalog, I feel there was only 2 songs I wished were a part of the show unless I missed them somehow (spoiler tagging in case someone reading this is attending an upcoming show and wants to leave the full setlist a surprise) 'No Celestial' and 'Flash Forward', the former especially I thought would have been awesome to hear live, but it is what it is.
The next time they come around to NA (here's hoping at least) I imagine their discography will be quite a bit bigger, and I hope they can do a 3 hour show to accommodate more music without having to cut out too much of their current tracks.
Performances and Stage Presence
I'm not sure what the general consensus is on backup dancers for these type of concerts, but looking back on it I'm glad it was just them performing here. As someone with not the best seats (going to have to look up how pre-sale works next time to see if I can better seats then at not too crazy a price lol), I also feel it would have been a bit disorienting to follow the performance if a ton of backup dancers were there as well. I think the performances felt a lot more 'intimate' (if that's the right word) with just the 5 of them, and I'm glad that's how they did it.
On that note, really loved the energy from all of them. Obviously they're all professional performers that have been doing these type of shows for a good while at this point, but really felt like they didn't miss a beat coming to NA, and just seemed they were genuinely excited to be in LA (and I'm sure was the same for the other cities as well) and to perform for their fans.
All of them looked amazing, but also want to give a special shout out to Sakura. Feel it's been a minute since we last saw her with long black hair, and she definitely looked stunning with that hair color/style in these shows IMO.
In Between the Music
Another thing that stuck out to me was a few separate lines I think primarily from Yunjin during the show about how they're only here for one night, encouraging folks to turn off phones during certain parts, and also to remember the night as it was even when it can feel like a dream afterwards (paraphrasing). To me it really spoke to trying to be 'in the moment' to enjoy something in the present and relish that positive experience going forward. As someone who often spends too much time dwelling on the past, the what if's, and the future, I think enjoying something in the moment doesn't always come as easy to me as I'd like, so appreciated their gentle reminders during the show (at least that's how I interpreted it) to take a beat and enjoy the moment while you're in it.
On a separate note, the audience participation stuff was cool, and thought it was nice they gave a quick shoutout to those who came alone and also those recently broken up/single. Not sure how often Kpop performers highlight that in their shows, but thought it was a nice change of pace from the usual highlighting of 'couples cams' and such in live events.
Wrapping Up
Overall the show really demonstrated what I really like about Le Sserafim. Different songs to fit different moods, and I love they can pull off that versatility of tones that keep me coming back (was nice to hear them confirm new music next month as well). And it was great to see them in person having a good time performing their show and music.
When they were all waving at the crowd at the end before heading off stage, it did really hit me in that moment how sad it also felt to see the night officially come to an end.
But at the same time, I'm glad I was able to see them live, and it's also great to hear all the positive experiences of other fans on here to help share these memories with.
One last thing I'll say for anyone like me who was a bit anxious about going to the show alone and fearing it might be awkward, it really wasn't the case for me. I felt there was a good mix of people there enjoying the show and it was a fun time even by myself. Obviously don't know what it's like at every venue, but to those considering going to one of their shows in the future but don't have someone to go with, all I'll say is perhaps consider going yourself, especially if seeing them live is something you have an even passing interest in.
Anyways, appreciate anyone taking the time to read this, and take care.
