The Rose graced Seattle’s beautiful McCaw Hall in early August. Their sincere and open communication with the audience was completely endearing and disarming from the moment they stepped out on the stage. While for some this group may be lumped into the ever-expanding definition of Kpop, it couldn’t be a less accurate description. As a matter of fact, all of the members had been involved in the Kpop training gauntlet at an early age, but decided to move out of that world and into one where they had more control of their music and themselves. Coming together after varying degrees of disillusionment in the industry brought on a kinship of sorts and gave them an earnestness that the fans can feel and relate to. The Rose is a rock group, regardless of where some of the members hail from, and just like American-based groups their music draws from their own experiences and you can feel it in every word they sing.

This tour, dubbed Once Upon a WRLD, was a way for the guys to tell the fans their story from the beginning. While they didn’t get into a lot of detail (it was a concert not a play) the stage was set up like Woosung’s bedroom where most of their music was being written at the time. They took us back to the early years when they had little money but a lot of passion to create something that was their own. You’d wonder how a venue like McCaw Hall would work with a group like The Rose, but it lent itself to a more cozy, intimate feel as the guys recounted their early years but still offered a larger space (with great acoustics) so a large number of Seattle Black Roses (their fan base) could enjoy the night. Something really fun that no one would have anticipated was the mass amount of confetti thrown at the end of the evening completely covering the floor and then some. It created a giddy atmosphere where fans were up out of their seats and dancing with abandon.

I really don’t need to describe the Seattle concert itself because you can stream it through their youtube channel right now and join in the fun. They had a livestream going during the show and almost immediately posted it to their channel to share with Black Roses across the world. What an amazing night to be a part of.

Now that it’s been a bit since the end of their tour has ended, The Rose has their sites set on a different stage. In June of of 2026 they’ll be releasing a documentary showing a more in-depth history of their beginnings, where they are now and where they want to be. Each member has a story worth telling and it seems this documentary will give us an opportunity to learn more. They just posted the official trailer and I’m sure it has all their fans (and many more) chomping at the bit for its release.