[Review] Aespa LIVE TOUR 2023 SYNK: HYPER LINE

Aespa’s Atlanta Concert Review 

This will be based on my personal experience at their Atlanta concert. Fortunately, I’ve been able to attend and experience multiple concerts which a majority of them being K-POP groups.

I will giving my person review of the show from the visuals, the music, the performance, the production, the atmosphere, the crowd, and the overall experience. 

Parking 

One of the more difficult things about concerts in Atlanta is the parking, but luckily, I was able to find parking at the Fox’s Orange Parking Lot for $25. There were other parking lots that I did pass by that costed $30, but I would recommended to use the MARTA, rideshare, or carpool for those coming from out of states. 

Pre-Show

The doors opened around 7pm and show was stated to start at 8pm. I arrived around 7:30pm, so I was able to go through security and ticket quite smoothly. The staff at the venue were friendly and helpful with helping people find their seats. There were merchdise booths with items including tour shirts, pin set, key chain, hair clip set, baseball cap, and their lightstick. Recently, a lot of the tour merchandise I’ve been seeing at K-pop concerts have been lackluster with not much pertaining to the concept and themes of the tours. Personally, I feel like companies know fans would be willing to purchase the items regardless if the design is worth it. The one design I do enjoy is the t-shirt that had a sticker-like collage on the back and small outline design in the front. 

Visuals 

The show was originally suppose to start at 8pm, but it started around 8:10pm. There was VCR visuals that started playing that displayed their metaverse concept. However, the 3D models of their avatars as well as the green-screen of alternate universe wasn’t the highest of quality. I noticed the highlight of green on the members for the green screen, and the animation of the dancing of the avatar was very stiff. Honestly, I was expecting a more polished visuals because I SM made a web series about the SM Culture Universe. There are concerts where the VCR concept videos being displayed during intermissions usually develops a story that keeps the audience engaged. However, I was slightly confused when the the plotlines were switching between their metaverse concept to girl crush then back to metaverse. 

On the other hand, the stage outfits were amazing on all the members. Their starting outfits were a matching and bright sparkling outfits captivated the audience. Aespa would change during the intermission for their different stages which developed into indiviualized outfits for their solo stages leading up to their more group-based ones. On a side note, all the girls of Aespa were beautiful and stunning on the stage.

Performance and Productions

The girls put on their best performance and amazing choreography for their show. One thing I did notice was the instrumental music would overpower the vocals of the members. Their vocals were as if they ate CDs, but I wouldn’t be surprised since SM Entertainment is known for their vocals. The one feature that stuck with for me from the show was when Winter whipped out an electric guitar for their “Girls” performance. It was really cool to see the concert setting being used to display the range of talents that each member has to offer. It would be interesting to see their songs being played with a rock band or a live band as I’ve seen been used at other concerts. Another cool feature was having Aespa’s avatar versions doing the dance with them on the large screens.

The Music

Aespa’s setlist was a great balance between their title tracks as well as B-side tracks from their discography. As mention before, each member was able to display their solo stages between their sets ranging from dancing to vocals. It was cool to see them perform “Hold on Tight,” the song with the Tetris backtrack. There were moments where the momentum slowed down with their slower tracks, but picked backed up when it ended with “Next Level” and “Black Mamba.”

The Atmosphere and Crowd

The crowd and energy throughout the concert was very energetic especially when Aespa’s more upbeat songs were being performed. The fans were constantly screaming and cheering the moment the girls came on stage. The fans were singing their hearts out and waving the lightsticks in the air will always be a magical moment whenever I go to Kpop concerts. As much as it was difficult at times to see the stage performance of the girls due fans also recording moments, the energy was consistent throughout the concert. In addition, it’s not a Kpop concert in the United States, if the fans don’t start barking. I also enjoy all the fans getting dressed up for the show which just adds more to the concert experience. 

Overall Experience

The concert ended around 10:30pm the concluded with the encore stage with all the members in their tour merch. I loved seeing how much they interacted with their fans during the encore stage as they accepted gifts and recorded on their phones. We were able to see all the sides to each of the members throughout their performance. Given that it was their first world tour, they handled it like professionals and put on a show for the audience to enjoy and watch. I applaud that more and more idols try to break the language barrier even though not all the members are fluent in English. Hopefully, in the future, the members become more comfortable to speak to their fans in English without needing to read off a script. Personally, I find it okay for the idols to speak in their most comfortable language and it be translated. It feels more genuine and relaxed when the members get to express their feelings naturally. I enjoy their performance and spectacular vocals on stage, and their stage presence is captivating for each member. I am excited to see where Aespa goes in terms of music and their performances, and I would highly recommend seeing them if they are in your city.