gingerfried

The location of the venue was less than ideal. Really hard to get to when you’re already traveling to NYC from out of state. I’m just lucky that some other fans organized a bussing system to transport us from Penn Station to Long Island. HUGE thank you to them! The venue was really small with a round, rotating stage, but Block B adapted to it so well. Even though my seats were in the last row (Section H, Row R), I was still incredibly close to the stage (not even fifty feet away). Front row seats probably weren’t more than a foot or two away from the stage. Anyone could have climbed up there with them if they’d wanted to (but thankfully no one did!). It felt so personal and intimate, and if Block B ever returns to the states, I wouldn’t mind going back to that venue.

Since I took the busses to the concert, I arrived around 2:30/3:00. Early, early, early, since the doors were slated to open at 5:30 (though that… didn’t happen). I was insanely close to the door though, so I guess that’s something? At points we could hear them doing sound rehearsal inside, teasing us.

After baking in the sun for like, an hour and a half, a concession stand worker came out and asked us why we arrived so early. Like, if we would get a special prize or something for showing up long before the show started. The guy was so confused, it was adorable. He seemed legitimately concerned for us. Everyone explained that we just had to ride buses in (though, honestly, most of us probably would have shown up just as early of our own accor).  As he talked to his boss, probably discussing how obsessive dedicated fangirls are, we called to him, asking him to bring us some water. They disappeared for a while, but showed back up with a cart of ($5) water, and got swamped by fans instantly. No one was fainting from heat stroke or dehydration today!

All the fans I talked to were really cool and well-behaved. Some girls on the bus got a bit too noisy, but hey, we’re going to see Block B so I understand the cause for excitement. I never witnessed any fan misbehavior or shenanigans of any sort. Everyone was in high spirits and very respectful. Also, I-BBCs pulled out all the stops. EVERYONE was so adorable. If you were there, and I saw you, chances are I talked about how cute you and your outfit was at some point. In comparison to some people there, I felt supremely underdressed. If I’d known I was going to a black tie event, I would have worn something other than my cut of jean shorts and baggy tanktop!

Jazzy Group staff (I’m guessing) were running up and down the line filming and photographing people. They had a picture frame decorated with a “Very Good†theme (think the wall decorated in graffiti in the Maximum Close Up version) that they were letting fans stand in. I kinda regret not doing it now, because it would have made a really cute photo. Yesstyle/asia reps were there passing out cards, and one of the girls I was standing next to got some small freebies. There was another lady handing out free Block B buttons if you gave her your email address (I guess she has an Etsy store or something), and I regret not doing that, too….

Finally at around 6, a staff dude started walking down the line saying we couldn’t take in certain items like food and cameras (which was expected), and that we shouldn’t have anything to give to the band (which was the opposite of what Jazzy Group had been saying on their FB page for weeks). There was a lot of confusion over whether this meant gifts for Block B or items to have signed, or... what exactly was going on. I still don’t really know what all happened in that regard, but I know a lot of fans prepared gifts for Block B that they were unable to give.

They called VVIPs and VIPs to the doors first, and it took at least twenty minutes to get them seated and sorted out.The concert was supposed to start at 6:30, so it was at this point some fans started worrying that Jazzy Group would cancel the hi-touch like they’ve done in the past because everything was starting later than planned.

I got to my seat around 6:30, and there was so much excitement in the air.  Block B songs played over the speakers to hype us up, not that we needed the help. As I entered, Nillili Mambo came on, and all the BBCs starting singing along. Towards the end, the song started skipping  during the “Nillili la la la nillila ya†portion. Over and over and over again for like, two minutes straight. Apparently no one felt the need to fix it, and I’m kinda glad because I found this hilarious as all hell. I could just imagine a frustrated Zico hearing this happen in the waiting room, wanting to run out on stage to finish the song and save us from our Nillili Time Warp.

Around 7, everyone knew it was time for the show to start. Security began lining up along the aisle between section A and H, and the atmosphere shifted so dramatically. If the Bees were buzzing before, this was a swarm. A chant of “Block B†went up, and then…

….Out came the boys. They marched out single file to the Nillili Mambo intro instrumentation in black suits, and then fell into formation on the stage. The lights darkened, and I had NO IDEA what song to expect. No music was playing, until…

“FOOOOOOOOOD FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHTâ€

AND EVERYONE WENT NUTS. It was the perfect song to start with. Fast paced and energetic, it set the mood for the rest of the concert. Block B was facing away from my section for this song, so I just had a lot of Block B-ooty to look at, but every time I glanced at the screens, the boys were trading grins amongst each other. It was so apparent they were enjoying the show just as much as we were.

After “Very Good†came a blend of “Freeze†and “Wanna B.†Which were not songs I was expecting to hear AT ALL, but I’m glad Block B performed them. It finally settled my longtime internal debate on whether “Freeze†was ridiculous because of the MV, or just because… it was ridiculous. Turns out, “Freeze†is very, very awesome, and I think I may finally put it on my iPod after THREE YEARS OF LOVING BLOCK B. The transition to “Wanna B†(ONE OF MY FAVORITE BLOCK B SONGS) was WICKED and I remember it so vividly. Nothing I write will capture how pumped I was when that switch happened. Pretty sure I just exploded all over my friend, though.

When “Wanna B†finished, an MC came up on stage (kinda destroying any momentum Block B had from the songs, but whatever) and had the boys do a small introduction. They were facing away from my section again for this, but I remember Jaehyo being the only one to turn around and bow to my side. Most of them tried using some English at some point, if I remember correctly. Zico told us to “enjoy the show†and announced that Block B was “in the building.†He was trying, lmao. The minute P.O opened his mouth, I was taken aback by how much DEEPER his voice sounds in real life? I guess that’s what it was, because holy shit. And apparently, I wasn’t the only one shocked by it - everytime he spoke, girls went crazy (well, everytime any of them spoke, girls went crazy, but…).

The MC also kept throwing out the word passionate throughout the whole show, haha. It was really weird. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that word so often in such a short span of time. She had the boys answer some “personal questions,†but it was all pretty generic like, “what’s your favorite food†(B-Bomb loves hamburgers from Shake Shack, btw) and “what have you done/what do you want to do in NYC†(Zico said he’s taken a shit ton of pics already, and Taeil said all the members really wanted to go shopping since they’re interested in fashion, but they didn’t have time). The MC asked all the members questions if I remember correctly, trying to get everyone to participate, but I can’t remember everything.

They moved on to a flower giving game after the interview, where Block B drew out ticket numbers from a box. The ticket owner was able to go up on stage, and the member who drew out her ticket would serenade her with “Romantically†and give her a flower. There were a lot of tickets being called that didn’t exist, because no one thought to only put in the seats that sold, apparently? I’m also assuming Jazzy only put in tickets from Rows A-F, or somewhere in there, so only VVIP and VIP ticket holders could go up. Donno, but the MC and Block B made a couple jokes to keep the atmosphere from getting awkward. I know a lot of people weren’t very fond of the MC (she kept fumbling, calling them B Block, and it didn’t really seem like she knew the names of the members), but I personally thought she did a good job. She kept the show moving along and joked around with the members/fans.

Kyung helped Taeil pronounce the English on the ticket, and that was adorable, and then a small little girl got called up for Jaehyo, and that was even more adorable. Block B just fawned over her, it was so cute. They were all so gentle, patting her on the head and asking her if she was okay. The minute she spoke, everyone’s hearts melted, Jaehyo’s most of all, omfg. Her voice was so tiny. Also, Kyung was a charming little shit during this, my god. Kyung-stans, I don’t know how you cope, because I about switched favorites that night.

After “Romantically,†they performed “Synchronization 100%.†For most of this song, I remember all the members like, standing in front of a certain section, and waving their arms to the beat. All the members, that is… except P.O. Watching him was hilarious. He was trying to get the section to clap, but everyone just kept waving our arms around. At one point, he spun around, confused as to why all the fans were kept waving instead of following his lead, only to see that all the other boys were waving. P.O’s such a goof, omg. Seeing all the honey wands wave in, well, 100% synchronization with Block B was so beautiful and touching, too. I really need a honey wand.

Then came the second fan game! This time it was charades, and only six girls were picked for this. Block B was divided into two teams, and I remember Zico and Kyung arguing over who was more of a “boss,†(and thus, worthy to be a team captain), and then P.O jumping in like, “I’M NOT A BOSS.†Kyung and Zico ended up leading their own team, and Kyung at one point told U-Kwon to hustle over to his side, omfg. So sweg.

After the team situation was sorted out, they drew out more tickets... that didn’t exist. P.O and Zico made a little game out of the ticket mess, by going “WHOAAAA†every time a new one was pulled out. I swear, Kyung had to have pulled out like, four or five different tickets in a row, and every time they would wait for a girl to shriek her head off to signal that a working ticket had been pulled.

Eventually the ticket thing was sorted out. I saw Kyung talked to the girl he called up for bit. No idea what they were saying, but just watching him interact with her was really cute. He really does seem like the sweetest thing, guh.

Zico’s team had to mime spiderman, and it was hilarious. Zico was hopping (errr… web slinging?) all over the stage. His team finished pretty fast, and after they were done…. Zico turned around and like, adjusted his pants and shirt in front of my section, omfg boy why. The girls in the very front must have been dying.

Kyung’s team had to mime weightlifting, or being a strongman or something. P.O SMACKED HIS ASS WHEN HE BENT OVER TO PICK UP THE INVISIBLE WEIGHTS. That is all.

When it was U-Kwon’s turn, he ran into a small issue, where the girl who got called down just like… crumpled emotionally. U-Kwon turned to her to give her the hint, and she just froze, and seemed like she just stopped processing everything. Dunno if it was being in Block B’s presence or just stage fright that did it, but they had to escort her off stage. The members diffused the situation really well, and I’m impressed with how they handled it. They got everyone laughing again. Kyung like, pointed at U-Kwon threateningly like “How DARE YOU make her cry,†and then Zico came in to “take out the trash†so to speak, lmfao. He grabbed U-Kwon by the arm and practically marched him off stage, and of course all the girls cheered.

Kyung’s version of a strong man was… far too optimistic for the poor lad, hahah. He pretended to lift the barbell one handed, all easy-peasy, and then threw it down like “What? You want some of this? BRING IT!†The girl he was supposed to be showing it to was so fucking confused, bless her. He had to redo it the proper way so she could guess it.

The game was proclaimed a tie, so Block B duked it out with some really intense rock-paper-scissors. They were doing like, spins and kicks Jackie Chan style, but in the end, Kyung’s team won. They said they were going to give a signed t-shirt to the girl who got lead off stage early, which is a really thoughtful move.

Then came “Be the Light,†which is really something special to see live. Wow. Pretty sure all BBCs were feeling some strong emotions during this performance. Not even going to try and convey what I was feeling at this point in time, hahah.

After that was “Did You or Did You Not,†and I know we all sang along with Taeil during the chorus, but ultimately I don’t remember much. XD

When we all calmed back down, the MC lady came back out, and asked Block B some more…. uh “personal†questions. She said these questions came from the fans, but I’m not sure how? I didn’t see a box anywhere to submit questions, and I don’t remember Jazzy ever asking for any on their FB page, but ah well.

Taeil was asked what other career he’d have, if he wasn’t a singer (his answer: vet).

U-Kwon was asked what words he’s happiest to hear from fans (I heard some of the girls yelling “I love you†and “sexy†and “sexy†is the answer he went with, haha).

B-Bomb’s question was just like, how he feels about having so many foreign fans? (Answer: so awesome [this is heavily paraphrased, sorry lmao])

Zico’s question! He was asked what three words he’d use to describe himself (His answer: “Passion! Fashion! Action!†and then he swaggered off to the edge of the stage with this huge ass grin on his face. Kyung looked at him like “aw yeah that’s mah boy, keepin it real†and ugh. Zico was so proud of himself for rhyming in English. What a dweebus.

Kyung was asked what U.S city he’d like to travel to in the future, and he said….. Vancouver! I had a little giggle, and so did several other people in the audience, so I think he realized his mistake. xD P.O said he’d like to travel to Vancouver/Canada (there were some girls in the audience with a giant Canada flag, so I’m glad they were recognized) in the future, so I guess that influenced him? Donno, but Zico chimed in with “started from the bottom now we here,†like a total fanboy.

THEN WE GET TO “MENTAL BREAKER,†AND WOOOOW. BBCs were going wild (not that I’m an exception). Everyone (save for the dad I was standing next to who looked kinda scared lmao) started jumping around and singing, and Block B just could not stop smiling and trading glances at each other. Our voices pierced the heavens. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of the whole night. AND KYUNG DID HIS SHOULDER DANCE IN THE DIRECTION OF MY SECTION. I can finally die in peace omg. I’ve seen all I need to in this lifetime. This entire song, all the boys were just so playful. Forget perfect choreo, who even needs that? Also, Zico fell into P.O’s arms at the end of this song, so have fun with that ZiPyo shippers (or is it the JiJi ship? no clue lmfao).

After we all calmed back down came the final words/goodbyes. The MC asked how they all feel, and they all start saying thank yous and whanot.  U-Kwon says “I’m… so…. happy†(in English) and then all the members started dancing and singing Pharrel Williams “Happy†which is pretty much Block B’s theme song at this point. Zico mentioned how he was heavily influenced by western artists (surprise surprise).

Then KYUNG busted out the English: “I’m not good in English, but I want to talk to you in your language…†I can’t remember verbatim what else he said, but I made SURE to memorize that line at least. He basically just went on to say that he’s been to the US in the past, but he’s never performed here before, and he’s really thankful…. all in perfect English.

Taeil got kinda shy after Kyung, and let out lots of cute little embarrassed noises omfg. He said nothing he did could follow up Kyung’s English, but he ended up singing some of his solo song, “Where Are You,†and of course we BBCs loved it, haha.

After Taeil, the MC told us it was the last song, and we all groaned. That didn’t last for long, because, well...

Nanlina was explosiiiiiive. We all went crazy, just like we were supposed to. Everyone was up and dancing and singing and just having a blast. When the song ended, they all took their sweet ol time exiting the stage, saying bye and waving, but once they were all off, everyone began chanting for an encore. The security never left, so it was pretty apparent we were going to get a few more songs, even though the MC kept mentioning how Nalina was the last song of the night. After a few minutes passed, “Nice Day†came on, and Zico charged back out on stage.

Then came the “Very Good Rough Version†which hilarious and fun omg. There wasn’t even dancing anymore, everyone was just flailing and jumping around. Zico was running aaaaaall over the stage, that boy just would not sit still omg. He really is the epitome of action. At the beginning of the song he like, slammed his jacket on the ground as the beat kicked in, and Kyung picked it up and moved it out of the way. What a bro. Kyung also just like, collapsed at the end of the song, and laid on stage for a bit.

Once all the excitement died, Block B took a selfie with all the fans :D They’d take a pic, then slide on over to the next section, take another pic, then slide on over to the next area, take a pic… Until they’d done a complete rotation. Then they all once again slowly made their way off stage, with U-Kwon throwing out some last minute fanservice.

Side comments: All the fans stood when a song was playing, and sat when interviews and whatnot were going on, without anyone (at least where I was) being told to get out of the way. No one was ever in the way or anything. There were a few times when the screams drowned out the MC/Block B and I couldn’t hear what was being said, but AH WELL. Future concerts are ruined for me, too. Block B’s performance and BBC’s fan behavior has set the bar too high. Thanks, guys.

This concert was hella fun, and I will remember it forever and ever (especially now that I’ve written this fan account), and I love Block B even more now that I’ve seen them. I didn’t think it was possible, but well… I don’t think there’s room in my heart for anything else.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to have as much fun with the fan events/Q&A as I did, but the boys are hilarious. They do so many little gags (as we already know xD). I would have liked for them to perform more songs (Nillili Mambo and Jackpot were songs I was really looking forward to), but I guess I'll just need to go see them again, hehe.

TL;DR - Here’s a setlist:

1. Very Good

2. Freeze + Wanna B

3. Introduction + Q&A 1

4. Rose Giving (Fan Game 1) + Romantically

5. Synchronization 100%
6. Charades (Fan Game 2)

7. Be the Light

8. Did You or Did You Not

9. Q&A 2

10. Mental Breaker

11. Goodbyes/Final Words

12. Nanlina

Encore:

1. Nice Day

2. Very Good (Rock Version)

All of the members are delightful performers to watch. They really are passionate about everything, and it’s so obvious they care about the fans. I’ve put them in the order they were standing in for the hi-touch.

Jaehyo - It was really apparent Jaehyo was exhausted. He was trying not to show it, and the guy definitely went hard and gave his all during the concert, but you just cannot hide exhaustion. The cut of his coat was also longer than everyone elses, and it kinda made him look like a scarecrow lol. He’s so tall and willowy, and his coattails would like, blow around behind him as he moved. He also seems kinda introverted, though this may just have been from tiredness, who knows. He gave me a “thank you†during the hi-tou

Taeil - Taeil is a constant source of adorable amusement for me. The way he talks is just so… musical? I don’t think I can properly explain that. He also makes a lot of small, cute noises. Like, all the time. If he’s flustered, if he’s happy…. ALL THE TIME. There were a few moments during the choreo where it seemed like Taeil got up a bit slower than the rest, and that just makes him even MORE endearing. Towards the end of the concert, it also seemed like he was having to strain his voice a bit? Also, Taeil is tiny, and I want one. He gave my friend a slight bow during the hi-touch, and she is now in love with a Korean singer she’s met once. :D

P.O - P.O told me and my friend, “Good job,† which is hilarious. I get the feeling someone ahead of us told him that, and he thought it sounded nice, and decided to use it on fans without fully understanding what it means? Or hell, maybe I did just do a “good job†as a fan, flailing around and singing horribly in the audience. WHO KNOWS?! P.O’s adorable. He had so much energy throughout the entire concert, and he really is just a giant, goofy dweebus. He’s very good at working the crowd, I guess? He’s got great comedic timing

Kyung - Kyung is also kinda tiny in real life. Honestly, Kyung is deadly in person. Be careful. He’s just so… attentive, I guess? He really makes you feel special and important, and his eye contact is INTENSE. I got too nervous and self-conscious and had to look away when I got to him in the hi-touch line, and he just WOULD NOT STOP STARING. Goddamnit Kyung. On stage, he was such a joy to watch, always grinning from ear to ear, clearly loving EVERY SECOND of the show. He just seems so relaxed when he performs, too. Bah, cutie.

U-Kwon - This kid is flipping crazy omfg. Forget everything you know about U-Kwon being “shy†or “quiet†or whatever, because NO. HE IS NOT. He’s just straight up crazy. He was so pumped up for the entire concert, bouncing all over the place, SMILING AT EVERYONE. And wow, his smile is extra beautiful in person. He was so fanservicey during the show, throwing out those body rolls and hip thrusts lmao. Pretty sure he was the last one to leave the stage, or he at least like, turtle-assed around in leaving, that’s for sure.

B-Bomb - The members tease B-Bomb for not having any presence, and omfg is that a lie. He does seem more reserved/serious than some of the other members, but there’s just something so… magnetic about him when he dances. Before, I could never tell when an idol was a good dancer? I had no idea what people meant by it but now, having seen him dance live….wooooow. His movements were a lot crisper compared to most of the members. So sharp and strong. Also, B-Bomb came off as very gentle during the hi-touch? Nooo idea why, but…. he’s a big ol’ sweetheart.

Zico - Zico did this hilarious thing where, if he saw someone with a camera in one of the first few rows, he’d dance over to them and make faces. He also goes HARD in performances. He’s so serious? I mean, he was definitely enjoying himself on stage and smiling all over the place, but it was also very clear that it was, well, work, and he expects the best.

Zico’s also a total motor mouth, for serious. I feel so sorry for that poor translator. He’d say a bunch of things in Korean, pause for a sec, with the translator revving up to speak, and then he’d just start going again, without giving her a chance to translate what he’d already said. You could tell she was struggling, but Zico shows no sympathy!

During the hi-touch, he didn’t make eye contact or say anything to me. He was just staring straight down the line watching everyone like a hawk, holding his (super soft) hand out. I know I’m not the only one who’s said it, but he seemed dead tired (just like Jaehyo), and I’m surprised he was still able to stand. There were several instances where he mentioned how Block B could only perform as well as they did because the fans gave them so much energy, and well…. I believe it.