Rock-pop Korean band, CNBLUE, returned to Los Angeles after an eleven-year drought. Their last appearance in the LA area was at KCON 2014, while their last headlining US tour was in 2013 for their Blue Moon World Tour. Although KCON 2017 NY fans had the final opportunity to see them before their military enlistment. Now, BOICE could rejoice as CNBLUE gave them a show to make up for lost time. With only four tour stops in North America, fans had a limited window to see how much their favorite group has grown in their discography.
The veteran group spared no expense with their stage production as their opening visuals played and confetti exploded, showering the crowd in a rain of paper. In addition, BOICE generously received light up wristbands and long, blue light sticks to cheer the group in. Leader Yonghwa’s explosive vocals in the upbeat “In My Head” set the tone for the rest of the night. Joined by touring guest guitarist, Keun Park, CNBLUE made sure to cover different eras of their musical history. As the intensity of three back-to-back songs, the three members paused to address the crowd.
“We’ve missed you so much LA,” said bassist Jungshin. “SCREAM!” Drummer Minhyuk joined in with his other bandmates to thank BOICE for the warm reception. “This is no joke guys, this is big! I’m so thankful for the big welcome and cheers. Please enjoy this precious moment.”
Needless to say, the rock band knew exactly how to work the crowd, showing no signs of shyness or hesitation. Yonghwa took a moment to thank BOICE who traveled from far away, like Mexico, just to see them. He spoke in every language he possibly knew, including Thai, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Mandarin. “With our album, X, we aim to capture the boy does energy that defines us. Energy with no limits.”
Tying together their past, present, and future, CNBLUE promised to show every possible side of them. Slowly bringing up the mood with their next set of songs, the trio jammed to familiar tunes from 2014 all the way to 2024. The triumphant outro to the end of “Tattoo” had both longtime and new fans hollering for more.
During their fan engagement period, a BOICE showed off their CNBLUE tattoo and impressed the members. Having been together since 2009, the three members knew how to banter with each other while balancing the energy they gave to the crowd.
As a welcome surprise, they extended the chorus of “Wake Up,” signaling for BOICE to clap and yell back, “WAKE UP WAKE UP” to the group. Yonghwa would continue to strum and maintain the wailing of his guitar and his voice, challenging the crowd until they couldn’t catch up with his vocals and growls—which lasted longer than ten minutes! Their boundless energy continued into their lighthearted banter, even during emotional love ballads like “To My Love” and “A Sleepless Night.”
“You’re having fun? It’s a sad song! It’s been a long time since we released something new so we poured our hearts into these albums. I want to thank all of you for being there in the past and here now,” said Yonghwa. “You still got some energy right? Let’s change our vibe a little bit. We want to go back to 2011. 14 years ago, I was 23 years old,” as he turned to point at Minhyuk and Jungshin. “You guys were 19. Teenagers!”
Bringing the show to an end, CNBLUE had more they wanted to perform, as well as more confetti to unleash. For the encore, they revisited “Can’t Stop,” the lead single that released the last time they performed in Los Angeles. During every stop, Yonghwa would change the lyrics to include the city they were performing in. “You make this day so special for us. We’ll remember this moment for a long, long time. We’ll make sure to come back as fast as possible!” Closing out with “YOUNG FOREVER,” CNBLUE reflected on the bittersweet truth that the night has come to an end and there was “no way back.”
“I wrote this song at a tough part of my life,” shared Yonghwa, who left meaningful parting words. “Those difficult times were one of the most precious moments in my life. This song helped me find my way during the hard times and I hope it does the same for you. We stay young forever!”
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