To Moon (ONEUS’s fanbase) came out in droves Saturday night for a full view of their beloved Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwanwoong and Xion (the latter being my personal bias). With any Kpop show, the fans are the kindest and most generous of any that I’ve seen, and Saturday night was no exception. I watched as they traded photocards, exchange stories and and shared their excitement as they waited in line, amidst beautiful sunny weather, for an incredible show.

While ONEUS’s members didn’t originally come together at the same time to be a debut-ready group, they did come up through similar channels with some winning competitions and others directly training through a label. When they finally did form as a full band, they had a solid start creating a pre-debut single with labelmates Onewe, and after their debut in 2017 they enjoyed a top ten spot in several countries, not to mention a number one spot in the US, with their first EP’s single “Valkyrie” making waves. As they worked to get more exposure and find their spot amongst the innumerable Kpop groups out there, they continued to release EP after EP and the singles were making their mark. Even as COVID wiped out any band’s ability to perform live for and gain energy from their fans, ONEUS continued to work through that messy time and even came out with their first full length album Devil. It speaks to their determination that they were able to keep up with such a grueling schedule of releases and creation in such a tough time.

While I didn’t get a chance to see the entire concert, even the first three songs I captured told me plenty about the group and their eagerness to be out in front of their fans again. Seattle was their first stop on the La Dolce Vida tour, which is their second world tour since debuting. I was curious how a group like ONEUS (or any Kpop group really), who is hungry for fan interaction to create the best possible experience and enjoy it to the fullest, would work in a venue like The Moore. There’s assigned seating, the third level is pretty high up (especially the back rows) and the seats are set in a way that makes it a bit more difficult to dance. The moment the show started, I knew that wouldn’t make a bit of difference. The fans were ready with their lightsticks in hand and a craven look on their faces just waiting for the first note to drop. They didn’t miss a beat and even with a smaller stage they had a big presence and choreo that made you want to dance right then and there.

With bands like ONEUS, VAV, Enhypen, Itzy and Tomorrow x Together making their way to the Seattle area this this year, it’s looking like a much more exciting time for Kpop here and I can’t wait what tours we get to see next. Keep ’em coming!