The Thing about K-pop Concerts
The Korean genre of music attracts thousands in attendance at concerts in Houston and across the U.S.
Hearts are high as you somehow feel anxiety mixed with the good kind of butterflies as they both swirl around your stomach. The lights darken and the background music comes to a complete halt.
In the span of half-a-second, you hear scuffling sounds of footsteps move across the stage, followed by a domino-effect of screams as everyone realizes what is about to happen. The lights come back on with spotlights now focused on the center stage.
“They’re real,” you think in silence as another half-second goes by. A familiar tune plays and one member sings the first line as all the members start to dance in perfect, well-manufactured synchronization. The screams from the crowd are deafening cheers at this point, but you also had a hand in contributing to it.
K-pop, or Korean pop music, has been around since the early ‘90s, but it has only taken off internationally in the last decade. Equipped with seemingly flawless performers (referred to as idols), ear-worm melodies, intense choreography, and high production values, K-pop has taken root in the hearts of fans all over the world.
Estimated to be a $5 billion dollar industry in 2017, K-pop has only continued to grow — extending its reach into the American market as more artists each year tour various cities around the nation. Among some of the popular destinations are Dallas — and now Houston.
“K-pop seriously swept up America,” said K-pop fan and frequent concert-goer, Bianca Macahilig, “more so with groups BTS and Blackpink. After all these entertainment companies saw success testing the waters with tiny American cross-overs, it was a good business move for their artists to tour in North America.”
Since the start of 2019, there have been 22 confirmed tours announced with stops in the U.S. from different K-pop and K-hip hop artists. There have been 13 Dallas stops and eight Houston stops, with some artists perusing both Dallas and Houston as a destination, and some choosing to omit Texas altogether.
Dallas was almost always the sole it city if there was a Texas stop in early touring years, however Houston quickly became a favorite place of choice.
“Perhaps through social media, the promoter companies that help organize the concerts realized how many fans there are in Houston,” Macahilig said. “And Houston is a diverse city, so it’s a good step in the grand scheme of things to make a stop here. I have one concert coming up soon — NCT127.”
Other than group ensembles and dance performances, there are noted differences in the fan experience at concerts for K-pop acts vs. Western acts.
“What’s different about K-pop concerts is that the fans are a lot more involved,” said Darsie Harper, another avid K-pop fan and concert-goer. “There are things called ‘fan projects,’ where people will pass around banners to be held up on certain songs.”
According to Harper, they also give out goods such as photo-cards or banners of individual members of the group.
“I had never seen this concept before whenever I attended Western artists’ concerts,” Harper said. “It’s something that brings the fans together as a community.”
Even with the growing demand for K-pop tours across the U.S., going to a show may not be such an easy feat — unless you are willing to shell out up to thousands of dollars.
According to Forbes, most K-pop shows range from $50-$350.
However, since the artists are only touring a number of cities, and most of the time in smaller venues, there arises an issue with supply and demand for a band.
For example, Stray Kids, who are set to tour in May, are stopping only in three U.S. cities, including Houston. Many of their fans were unable to acquire tickets because of (1) the lack of tickets, but also (2) secondary ticket scalpers, who are buying and re-selling tickets at much more inflated prices, thus contributing to the supply and demand problem.
Unfortunately, there are not any current enforcement efforts placed that examine or restrict this kind of practice at this time.
If any consolation, K-pop fans can enjoy a free concert at the annual Houston Korean Festival every fall.
“We focus on new and talented groups,” said the Korean American Society of Houston Director David So, “by providing them U.S. exposure while limiting our expenditures to travel and lodging experiences. More well-known groups are quite costly to book, if we consider their performance fees. We are looking into making it possible.”
Most fans, however, do not run into major issues when purchasing tickets for K-pop concerts — if they are lucky enough to secure them when sales open.
In fact, the infographic below, highlight some upcoming tours in Houston:
“Going to K-pop concerts is much more than listening to the music, it is viewing the entire performance,” Harper said. “It’s also so surreal in the moment you’re in the same room as your favorite K-pop group because of how far away their country of origin is. I love how they connect with their audience and the energetic atmosphere.”
