ONEWE "O! NEW E!volution IV" Tour in Dallas

 April 29th, 2025

This is one of those things you have to have lived with me to fully understand, but I will do my best to explain the background information in case you missed the original development here...

I first started listening to kpop the summer before I entered high school. It was apparent to me (even at that time) that most people assumed I would phase out of enjoying it after a while, but 10 years have passed and I still have a short list of artists I keep up with. I have definitely developed a narrower scope of artists that I choose to follow nowadays and I have not gotten into a new group in a few years, but I do still keep up with several of my favorites from years ago.

I had a pretty revolving and ever evolving list of favorite groups for a long time, but many of my absolute favorites were (and still are) artists that write and produce their music themselves. I feel like it is a popular misconception that kpop artists are not involved much in the creative process of their projects. Though that is true in some cases, there are plenty of successful Korean artists who navigate the writing/composing/producing side of the industry pretty independently as well.

Another popular misconception made in the west is that all Korean artists release subgenres of pop music. People want to categorize all of their music releases as "kpop" because it has morphed into an umbrella term for artists signed to big production labels, especially if they promote their music with live performances and develop strong fanbases in the process. There are so many genres to explore in other cultures, and Korean bands are often signed to these "kpop" associated companies as well. I found myself getting really invested in bands that wrote and promoted their own songs in other genres, mostly indie and rock, towards the end of my era of discovering new Korean artists to follow a few years back. Onewe quickly landed themselves the spot as my favorite.

This is where knowing me previously may help you understand what I'm talking about. Onewe were one of my favorite groups for a pretty long stretch of time (primarily between 2019-2021). I was obsessed with the bassist, Giuk (then nicknamed "Cya"), but I was overall equally impressed with their music and the members' contributions to it. Though they pretty exclusively write and release modern rock music, there are singles that lean a bit more indie or pop mixed in with their typical rock vibe. They function as a standard five-piece band, consisting of a bassist/vocalist, a keys player/vocalist, a drummer, a guitarist, and a lead singer. They embrace a lot of "kpop culture" when it comes to promoting the music, dressing the part, and interacting with fans, but they were not signed to a traditional "kpop label" until 2019. Before that, the members were performing and releasing music under a different name with a much smaller company beginning in 2015.

The band originally came together when the youngest member was 14 and the oldest was 20, and this year they will be 25 and 31. I love nothing more than a group who has chosen to stick together through major changes over the years, and Onewe are another perfect example of that. You can see in their dynamics with each other that they are friends first, but that they all genuinely love what they do and love doing it together. Their friendships are so sweet, genuine, and apparent when they are on stage. I love that they've grown up together!

April 28th, 2025

I will start by saying this venue was really weird for a rock concert! The Coppell Arts Center holds an art gallery, studio space, a blackbox, and the auditorium that this show was in. I believe the room only holds about 500 people, but it was packed from front to back when we arrived about 30 minutes after doors. We ended up sitting together in the very last row against the back wall of the room, which was an excellent view for theater seating in a room this small.

The stage was reasonably sized, which I feel is probably why they opted to book a venue like this instead of a 500-capacity general admission bar situation. They had plenty of room for all five of them to have their full setups on stage with them. I know that I knew this previously, but I was thoroughly impressed with the talent of the band, especially instrumentally. Kanghyun (guitarist) and Giuk (bassist) both blew me away with their ability and musicality on their respective instruments, and I found myself watching their hands move for a lot of the show. Both were very impressive musicians and all were incredible performers!

I was fearful going into this show that I had missed a lot of music releases, (I have not been adamant about keeping up with releases from hardly anyone, if I am honest) but I realized upon arrival that there was not much to miss. The band took a two year hiatus so that the lead singer could fulfill his mandatory military service, which ended at the beginning of this year. Onewe did recently release an album, which I still need to get into, but most of their setlist was still heavily composed of "older" music. They did a few covers in English too!

I always appreciate when international artists make an effort to learn a bit of the language or culture for the country they are touring, and Onewe did a great job with speaking in (mostly rehearsed) English in between songs so that they could address the crowd while using the translator as little as possible. They were very interactive with the first few rows, and Dongmyeong (keys) and Younghoon (lead singer) both left the stage a few times to interact with people all through the aisles of the venue, too.

Again, though they are not really kpop artists, this tour is being managed by a kpop touring company, and I have to say this was one of the best I've seen. The merch prices were great, the staff both in the lobby and in the auditorium were helpful and friendly, and all of the benefits and upgrades for VIP purchasers were extremely reasonable and accessible! I did not personally purchase anything more than a GA ticket, but there were many inexpensive options for meeting members of the band and taking photos both before and after the concert, and all of these added perks could be purchased in addition to a regular ticket. I have had some rough VIP experiences with kpop tours in the past, but this was not one of them. This show seemed to be smooth for everyone involved.

April 29th, 2025

This was kind of a bucket list show for me. Though I don't listen to my Korean bands and kpop artists as frequently as I once did, this band meant the world to me at age 18, and it was a full circle moment to see them in person at 24. I was so happy with the way this show played out and I had such a good time even in the very last row, which I think says a lot about their performance!

I have dialed down my kpop tour attendance post-covid (mostly due to pricing and lack of active groups that currently interest me), but I do think I have one or two more planned for this year. Though I am pretty removed from the fanbases now, I still like to experience the fan culture every once in a while! This was the perfect opportunity to come back for. I love this band and I loved this show!!