Concert Report: Ateez, The Fellowship: Beginning of the End

The ManelyKpop team gathered together to see Ateez live after our concert got delayed for 2 years. This was the first time we all went to a kpop concert together, and honestly, the first time we went to any public activity in the last two years as well. This is a quick review and I will have no song or setlist spoilers, there are other places for that, but I don’t want any readers who don’t want spoilers to accidentally receive them through my foolishness. So, how was the concert?

I’ve seen a few groups live now, and I feel like each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, and for Ateez, their biggest strength is their boundless and infectious energy. Even on the slower songs everybody was standing up and having a blast, and on the fast songs the energy throughout the room was incredibly high. I think this comes down to their incredible ability as performers, they sing, rap, and dance at a high level, but their performance is at a top level, my wife and I thought that the first time we saw them live at KCON LA 2019 as well, they’re just better than most groups in this regard.

Speaking of their performance, I also want to praise the charisma of the members. In the speaking parts they all tried to do as much as reasonably possible in English in spite of the fact that most of the group aren’t confident in their English skills. This willingness to just try means a lot to fans, and really helps keep that charismatic connection that they display in the music. At least in our show, three members were really having a great time and were feeling themselves from start to finish: Hongjoong, Mingi, and San. These three were feeding off of the crowd’s energy, and then sending that right back and getting the audience more excited, and just seemed to put their heart and soul into every song. And, to be clear, I’m not even discrediting the other 5 members, they were ridiculously good too, and I wouldn’t be surprised if different members own the stage at different stops along the tour.

Last note on merch, the sweatshirt is incredibly soft and comfy, well worth the price in my opinion considering my Itzy hoodie is my favorite one. I think this hoodie is on that quality level and I expect it to be part of my regular rotation because it looks dope too.

So, this concert was something special. After years of waiting and going through increasing anxiety, I was finally able to enjoy a live event, and it felt really good. This concert was more than music, but a really amazing reminder of what life can be like, the fun and freedom that we should be aspiring to in a world that feels so dark and lifeless at times. If you are near one of their remaining stops of the tour and there are tickets available, I absolutely think these are worth it. Alternatively, just see Ateez whenever you do manage to have a good time to do so, they’ll be around for a couple more years, so there’s going to be more opportunities in the future. Stay safe everybody, things aren’t back to what they weren’t were, but they have been getting better, and we’re starting to get these occasional sparks of hope.