On a nice, breezy day in San Francisco, a growing crowd waited outside of a music venue. Taking place on April 3rd in San Francisco, a sign above showed the name Above Ordinary, the tour headed by Korean music label AOMG. The fan base was excited to see AOMG once again, as the concert promised to be anything but ordinary.
And a big reason for that is Jay Park.
AOMG is Jay Park’s label, created in 2013, and known among Korean music listeners to house some of the finest R&B and hip-hop singers. The last time that Park toured the US was back in 2019 with his “SEXY 4EVA” tour.
While Park, himself, was not present at the 2022 Above Ordinary tour, his influence was still heavily felt. His AOMG singers all have their own deep R&B, hip-hop beats that embroidered Park’s own musical style.
Instead of Park, AOMG singers Woo, Coogie, DeVita, Sogumm, and DJ Wegun would perform this night.
As the doors finally opened and the fans flooded inside the concert halls, the Above Ordinary concert would be its last one on AOMG’s US tour. And it would be a night to remember.
The first of the AOMG performers to be introduced was DJ Wegun. Providing the pre-concert show, started off showing off his mixing and deejaying skills.
For Korean hip-hop fans, DJ Wegun is no stranger to them. Debuting in 2006, he has collaborated with many artists, including Ugly Duck’s “A Piece of Cake” (누워서 떡 먹기) in 2015; Fana’s “Nervous Breakdown (Fresh Avenue)” (신경쇠약) in 2020; and “Everyone Sucks” with Jay Park in 2020.
To keep the audience entertained, he played songs from other AOMG artists, such as Lee Hi and Hoody.
Then the lights started to dim into darkness. The crowd started cheering loudly, as the concert was about begin.
Photo credit: Genius.com
The first singer to come out was Sogumm. Debuting as part of music collective Balming Tiger in 2018, she would later joined AOMG a year later in 2019. She would step out onto the stage barefoot and wear a backpack, setting the tone for her thought-provoking songs. She performed her four songs with some soothing, R&B vocals before giving way to the next singer.
DeVita came out next, as she sang “EVITA” from her 2020 album CRÈME. As one of the newer members to AOMG, she had infectious energy and brought a lot of interaction between singer and the audience. Her interactions with the audience makes sense, as she spoke solid English, having moved to Chicago when she was 11 back in 2009. She often served as one of the English translators when the other AOMG artists spoke Korean.
DeVita would give way to the next singer.
Newest AOMG member Coogie stepped onto the stage. For hip-hop fans, Coogie rose into prominence with his 2018 appearance on Show Me the Money. He was a pleasure to listen to, with hits such as “Good Night” and “Out of My Way.” At this time, the crowd was either putting their hands up or jumping up and down.
Last would be Woo, a veteran rapper that’s been with AOMG since 2017. He rapped “We Are” and “Taste” to hype up the crowd, as the audience put their hands and phones in the air. He often spoke to the crowd, through a translator, saying that he’s happy to perform in San Francisco and that COVID stole two years from fans enjoying concerts.
Afterwards, all five AOMG artists came onstage to perform “119 Remix” to the delight to the still energetic crowd. After a lot more “put your hands in the air” and jumping up and down, the show was coming to a close.
The singers said that the San Francisco show was the last show, wrapping up their tour, as they were to head back to Korea soon afterwards. DeVita said that she and the rest of the AOMG performers wanted to come back to the US in the future. After an encore performance, the confetti and hand waving signaled the end of the concert.
And also, the end of the Above Ordinary tour, a tour that was definitely above ordinary.
Special thanks goes to Kohai, who graciously invited us as press / media to cover the Above Ordinary concert.
If you liked the Above Ordinary concert, check out AOMG at their official website.