When IVE came out on stage for their first song, “I Am,” the crowd instantly broke into a loud, crazy applause.
And with good reason. US Fans have been anticipating when IVE would make their US tour. After all, many of the biggest K-pop stars have already toured the US.
So it’s no surprise when tickets sold out fast after the IVE US solo tour, ‘Show What I Have,’ was announced in early 2024. The show in Oakland Arena was a packed one, with not an empty seat in sight.
IVE isn’t just megapopular in Korea, but in the US as well.
The group surged to the top-tier of female K-pop groups in a span of just two and a half years. Debuting in 2021, the six member group of Leeseo, Liz, Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, and Wonyoung made their first appearance in the SF Bay Area (Oakland) in California. With pink-colored IVE lightsticks brightening up Oakland Arena and all smiles and DIVEs – IVE fans – all smiles, IVE came ready to make their Bay Area stop a special one.
The concert could be broken up into four parts:
- The energetic, happy first section
- The duo performances of the second section
- The dark, story theme of the third section
- Lastly, the encore and heartfelt message of the finale.
Let’s Start Off With a Bang
With confetti popping off and the LED screens showing the members walking on stage, the song “I Am” blared throughout the arena. This banger instantly got people out of their seats and standing for the next two songs: “Royal” and “Blue Blood.”
The group then showed off their musical versatility when “Heroine” and Cherish” were played, slowing the tempo and going R&B. Then they would finish off the first section with “Shine with Me” and “Either Way,” with these songs having the lyrics displayed on LED screens, a nice touch for fans that want to sing along with IVE.
Throughout the first hour, the ladies would take breaks and talk to the audience. “How are you Oakland?” and “We were so nervous coming here to the US, but you DIVEs gave us so much energy. Now the nervousness is wearing off,” the members told the audience.
The Star Power of Yujin and Wonyoung
Two of the biggest K-pop starlets, Jang Wonyoung and Ahn Yujin, shined on stage. After seeing them up close and in person, I can see why many fans, as well as the Korean public, hold them in such high-regard.
During many of the talking segments with the audience, both Wonyoung and Yujin opted to speak in English, rather than in their native Korean with a translator. While I have seen Wonyoung speak English in short clips before and was expecting her to speak well, Yujin was the big revelation for me. She quite comfortable speaking in English, as she was quite expressive in talking about the group’s nervousness for the US tour, how much the DIVEs’ support meant to the group, and joking around with the audience.
Wonyoung later stole the show during the darker segments. During the latter half of the show, a horror video came onto the LEDs, depicting a story with a ballerina being mistreated and getting a nail stuck in her foot. This scene, combined with the sudden horror shift, made some in the audience scared. The Grudge-inspired intermission did have a purpose though, setting the mood for “Hypnosis.” She would sell the horror theme in the song, writing the words “Satisfied?” on an old, antique-looking mirror while looking to the audience.
Solo and Duo Performances
In the second half of the show, the group showcased their solo and duo performances.
Gaeul would sing Adriana Grande’s “7 Rings” and Rei followed up with NIKI’s “Every Summertime.” Then Gauel and Rei would kick it back to the 90’s with British group Spice Girls’ banger “Wannabe,” with several of the older audience members singing in unison.
Leeseo and Yujin would perform their duo duet of Little Mix’s “Woman Like Me” (feat. Nicki Minaj), while Liz and Wonyoung would perform Richard Sanderson’s “Reality.”
What should we do in the Bay Area?
In between segments, the ladies asked the common question when touring a new city: What should we do in Oakland? Any recommendations?
Some in the audience suggested eating at In-N-Out, a hamburger joint staple in California. The brand is also popular in Korea, despite not having a chain there yet, so the IVE members wanted to go there.
They told the audience that one of their favorite films is “Inside Out,” which takes place in San Francisco. They also wanted to check out Union Square, which is also in the city.
Farwell and Never-Ending Encore
As the concert was coming to an end, the final songs of “After Like,” “OTT,” and “All Night” were played. “All Night” is a big favorite among Bay Area DIVEs, as the song featured Sawantee, who was born in Santa Clara and went to high school two hours north in Sacramento (Elk Grove). Sadly, Sawantee wasn’t at the concert to perform alongside the ladies.
During their encore, they said, “Touring outside of Korea has always been a dream of ours,” before thanking DIVEs for giving them support and energy to keep going. Then they kept playing “All Night” for a good 20 minutes, saying “one more time!” signaling to the sound team to loop the song again.
As the night came to a close and people headed to the subway, a chorus of “All Night” was sung by many concert goers.
As the audience screamed “come back!” to the ladies, the group responded with “we want to” indicating we may see them again in the Bay Area.