When I walked into the Center Stage venue in Atlanta on August 28th, I went in as a K-pop fan who had only recently become a fan of The Rose’s lead singer Woosung (thanks to his solo debut) and who only knows The Rose through their title tracks and music videos. However, when I left the event, I exited as a converted fan who wondered why no one had never told me before just how amazing this band is!
Over my career as a K-pop writer, I’ve seen numerous groups and artists live and have been to tiny shows with a handful of fans to huge shows that filled arenas. However, I quickly ranked The Rose’s 2019 WE ROSE YOU LIVE concert in Atlanta as one of the best concerts I’ve been to.
The group casually walked onstage to pick up their instruments amid the cheers of an excited crowd before going into the first song of the night. As they begin to play “ILY,” I realized these guys weren’t just good musicians, they were excellent! As a musician myself, I couldn’t help but be impressed with their quality work on their respective instruments, but when they all came together, the sound was simply incredible.
The band continued on with songs like “Insomnia,” “I Don’t Know You,” and “Candy” before stopping for their first ment (time of talking with the crowd) of the evening. It was very quickly apparent that in addition to their great skills as musicians, they were also skilled entertainers with charming personalities that made the entire crowd fall for them.
For the first several songs of the night, I was sitting in the press pit in front of the stage where we could take pictures of the band performing. At one point, however, I realized I was just simply staring at Woosung as he sang and played the guitar right in front of me. “How is this guy so charismatic?” I thought. “With his personality and talent, he should be a household name for mainstream K-pop fans… they would love him!” It was at this moment, when he caught my eye and smiled knowingly, thus proving my opinion about his charming personality onstage.
After our photo opportunity was over, our other staff member and I moved to an actual seat to the right of the stage and settled in to enjoy the show. As the songs played, we both ate it up! From the vibe of the night to the talent of the group, from the fan service towards the crowd to the genuinely amazing songs from the band, our other staff member and I couldn’t help but be captured by this group and their great talent, turning to talk to each other throughout the show about how great The Rose was.
Fans had a special treat for them as The Rose, a band known for doing a lot of covers on YouTube, held a special corner in the show to do some of their favorite covers. The band performed “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles, “Breakeven” by the Script, “ILYSB” by Lany, and a beautiful cover of “HOME” by Park Hyo Shin.
The group then progressed into a series of special stages and covers. Fans were treated to hearing Dojoon sing “Hold Back The River” by James Bay, as well as a duo by Jaehyeong and Hajoon of “Soldier” by Before You Exit. Afterwards, Woosung came back out and sang his recent debut track “FACE,” as well as the track “Lonely.”
The group then got the crowd super hyped up with fast-faced, fun tracks that set people moving and dancing. In fact, the crowd grew so energetic and loud that it was hard to hear the band. The mood continued to great heights before it finally set the members off with their own excitement, with Woosung tearing off on the guitar in a frenzied riff. The other members soon joined in, with the lights of the venue going crazy and fans jumping around as if they were in a mosh pit. The excitement continued so long that the members finally had to draw it to a close by saying they were getting too tired. “You guys are the loudest crowd so far!” Woosung yelled excitedly, making the fans cheer even more loudly.
Throughout the night, a few minor mishaps occurred, yet it all added to the charm of the band. At one point, the fans were too excited and started clapping too fast, making the band get off tempo. Another time, they missed their opening line since they were still too excited from the loud crowd’s behavior a few moments earlier. All in all, they handled everything so well and with such ease and laughter, that it only added to the adorable interaction with the crowd that the band had displayed all night.
After playing fan favorite’s like “Sorry,” the group then drew the night to a close with an amazing performance of “RED.” Each one of the members truly shined onstage, allowing their vocals and instrumental skills take center stage throughout the night, while adding to the fun with their charm and personalities.
As I walked out of the venue singing “FACE” in my mind, I knew this was one concert I wouldn’t forget any time soon. In fact, I turned on The Rose playlist on my Spotify and haven’t stopped listening to it since the show in Atlanta. As a group that is just barely two years old, their charisma and talent onstage, along with their maturity as performers, shows me that the sky is the limit with this amazing band.
Were you at the Atlanta show for The Rose’s “WE ROSE YOU” tour? Let us know what you thought of the show! In the meantime, you can also check out our full set of photos by scrolling through the gallery below! However, it’s not to late to see The Rose in the U.S.! They still have several shows left on their U.S. tour, so click here for information and tickets for the tour.
Thank you to MyMusicTaste, The Rose, and J&Star Company for allowing us to attend this concert as press!
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Media: What The Kpop
(Photos by Solita Delacruz, Review by Amy Leigh)