Our ATEEZ Experience: What Makes K-Pop Concerts Special

Last week, after saving up and working up, I took my 22-year-old on a 450-mile overnight road trip to see her favorite group on the planet: ATEEZ.

This was partly because the senior trip we had been promising her since she was a middle schooler fell through. She graduated in 2020, ’nuff said. It was partly because she had loved ATEEZ since she discovered them just a couple of days after their debut back in 2018. She immediately decided they were something special and has been a loyal ATINY ever since, likely before the word “ATINY” was coined for the official ATEEZ fandom. It was also partly because I really, really wanted to see these eight men who have been such a big part of our eldest’s life that they have practically been our roommates in spirit.

Back in April, I covertly joined the official ATEEZ fandom and dove into the hellscape that is Ticketmaster online sales to acquire a pair of tickets to their closest stop to our city, Phoenix… six hours away. I kept the secret for a month before her birthday while she rotated her hours between work (gotta make that money) and school, resolving herself to another year of just experiencing seeing her favorite boys through others’ fan cams.

When she finally received her tickets, she was overwhelmed. “Six years,” she kept saying, referring to how long she loved these guys, “Six years.”

From May to July, the concert prep took place. Planning for a normal overnight road trip is one thing, but planning for a K-Pop concert, that’s a different baby. I have been on plenty of road trips and have seen plenty more live musical performances of all genres. However,  I was not prepared for the massive world of difference between a K-Pop show and any other type of music.

First and foremost, I have to say ATEEZ gave what I would argue is one of the best live shows I have seen, from the storytelling to the precision to the body and voice control to the incredible stage setup. They have got to be the most unique act of any genre touring today, but their show still had three elements that make all K-Pop concerts something special.

These are three reasons every music lover should try to see at least one K-Pop concert in their life:

Light Sticks Alive!

Ever since the first person held up a Zippo lighter at a concert to let the band know they were out there, audiences have loved to be part of the fun. “We’re here, and we love you!” Glow sticks have replaced actual fire at many shows, but the K-Pop light stick is next level.

When a K-pop group announces their official light sticks, you know they have reached a certain level of fame. If you want, you can also decorate your light stick with personalized bling—and there were some clever adornments we witnessed at ATEEZ—but my daughter is a light stick purist. They are perfect the way they are, she feels.

Some of the bigger groups, like ATEEZ or Stray Kids, have QR codes with their light sticks giving their fans a way to sync their sticks to the performance with beautiful results. It was so cool to see the colors in the entire stadium change with each song, and the light sticks even created their own dancing lights show before the encore, using rainbow-hued cues to start audience waves.

It really made you feel like part of the show.

It’s a Cosplay Parade!

I do try to dress the part for every concert I have been to. Jeans and boots if it is a country or folk show, and black tees for metal, punk, and rock. Fancier dress for classical or jazz music. Dress for the weather if it’s outside. Fellow concertgoers know the drill. That is another part of the fun.

I have never seen anything like I did for ATEEZ. I designed a special pair of “concert jeans” for the show, and I was afraid I would be the only fifty-something at the event trying to look cool. Not even close. The K-Pop crowd was all ages, all walks of life, and ALL fun! Everyone was there to be part of the ATEEZ psyche, and the costumes and outfits raged from elegant to intentionally hilarious.

My daughter chose an outfit inspired by the song that first got her into the band: “Pirate King.” There were plenty of pirates, too. There were also a lot of black-trench coats—even in 114° Phoenix—jeweled cowboys about to “slow it down and make it bouncy,” cosplay of anime based on some of the group members’ own favorites, steampunk, cyberpunk, and more “Halazia” scarecrow hats than you would imagine.

There was one entire family, including a grandma,  dressed in red “Crazy Form” ballroom parade bests, a couple dressed as members San and Wooyoung from the “Bouncy” video, various forms of “Mingi Wonkas,” and two dudes dressed as chili peppers. Those guys won the night!

It was like being at San Diego Comic-Con, except everyone chose the same theme: ATEEZ.

And everyone was complementing each other on a job well done!

Fandom Giftgiving!

I was expecting the cosplay and light stick show, but I didn’t expect the extent of this third element: the fandom gift exchange. When we were packing for the show, my daughter told me to grab a big handful of these ATEEZ Outlaw Customs stickers I made for a small event “in case I wanted to hand them out.” I felt I was being a little overkill, but I took them anyway. I’m glad I did!

Before we even entered the venue, ATINY were handing out handmade beaded bracelets and phone charms, photo cards, posters, key chains, original little pieces of art, and other items “just because.” The ATEEZ fans wanted to share their love of the group with each other. You didn’t need to have any items to give them back, but it was nice being able to return the gesture. I handed out so many stickers that I should have brought more.

The merchandise lines were crazy long for the event, and if you weren’t able to get in on official merch, these little trinkets gave you a memory to take home. It was a great way to meet and connect with other ATINY as well, even for just a few moments. That is a level of music community I haven’t seen at any other type of concert. Maybe some other artists’ fans in different genres do this now, but I haven’t seen it.

Both my daughter and I came home with a little bag full of handmade or collected memories. I called it “Delulu Trick-or-Treating” and it was so much fun. It made the time in line go faster too.

My daughter will be graduating from college not too long from now, which means she will be heading out on her own adventures. Every chance I get to spend time with her seems more and more priceless.

Of course, we weren’t the only two who knew how special the moment was, as we were surrounded by thousands of other people all focused on the same thing. The girl my daughter sat next to was about her age, and she had crocheted Hongjoong “JJOONGrami” squirrel cozy for her light stick. My daughter, being a walking encyclopedia on all things ATEEZ, filled her in on all the diary lore and meanings behind every song and symbol as they talked about their biases and favorite show moments.

When we left, my daughter told me, “That girl was super nice, and I feel bad I didn’t even ask her name.”

“Tonight her name was ‘ATINY,'” I said, “just like yours.”

That right there is the essence of a K-Pop show: one big family.