JYJs first concet signals rough, chilly start

Yu-chun from three-piece band JYJ smiles during the group's first concert ``JYJ Worldwide Concert in Seoul" at the Olympic Main Stadium, Sports Complex, Saturday evening. Despite the chilly weather, some 30,000 fans cheered on for the band, but JYJ failed to fully satisfy high expectations due to poor preparations. Insets: JYJ performs during their first concert. /Yonhap, Courtesy of Prain

By Han Sang-hee

Members of boy band JYJ may have made headlines with their departure from one of Korea’s most popular bands, TVXQ, and with their efforts in broadening their fan base, but it seems they will need to work on the basics: professionalism and consideration to the audience.

The three-member group — consisting of Yu-chun, Jae-joong and Jun-su— held its first concert “JYJ Worldwide Concert in Seoul” in freezing weather at the Olympic Main Stadium, Sports Complex, Saturday night.

It snowed and rained a bit in the morning, and although the weather seemed to get better during the day, it got chilly and very windy again as evening descended.

By the time the concert was scheduled to start, which was 7 p.m., the bare and open stadium was literally ice cold.

To make matters worse, the concert was delayed for an hour, which made even the most devoted fans a bit frustrated.

Around 7:20, the three members suddenly appeared on the stage, thanking the fans for coming and also expressing their condolences to the victims of Yeonpyeong Island, where a North Korean artillery attack took place on Nov. 23.

“We are sorry for the delay,” was all the members said regarding the delay and they left the stage, leaving the fans waiting in the cold for another 40 minutes, some shouting “come out!” and “why aren’t you coming out!”

When the show finally started, which was around 8:10 p.m., it seemed the fans forgot all about the icy temperatures and the delay, as they shouted the members’ names and waved bright red glow sticks in the air in perfect harmony.

The members performed songs from their first album “The Beginning.” The first track “Empty” was impressive, along with the other numbers, as the group managed to put on a great show despite the cold.

Their hands and noses were bright red from the wind, but this didn’t stop them from dancing and running around the stage, waving and shouting out to the screaming crowd. Each member had an individual stage as well, with Jae-joong’s sexy track “Still In Love,” Yu-chun’s ballad medley and Jun-su’s reinterpretation of “I Can Soar” with an orchestra playing in the backdrop.

The group also presented some new tracks as well, such as “Nine,” “Fallen Leaves” and “Mission Make it.”

When the intro for “Be My Girl Remix” came out of the speakers, the crowd shouted even more loudly and followed the groups’ dance moves perfectly. Yu-chun recently posted the video for the number’s choreography on his twitter, and the fans managed to learn the moves and display a memorable flash-mob experience for the three members.

After singing some 18 songs, the members left the stage with the fans continuously shouting out their names. But JYJ, despite the fans who had waited for some freezing 10 minutes after their departure, didn’t return to give an encore.

Overall, the show was fun and entertaining. JYJ’s agency explained that the concert was produced by creative director Jeri Slaughter, who worked with Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera, but there was nothing extraordinary.

Laser shows, fireworks and unique installations have been around in the pop idol concert scene for quite some time; there’s even been pianos held up in the air and members flying over their fans on wires.

The two big screens on each side of the main stage was impressive, but it was not enough for the fans who sat in the back as it mostly offered full shots instead of close ups. Due to the frigid weather, the three singers also had a challenging time singing their songs, which mostly included their signature powerful dance choreography.

The concert’s stage effects would have been a bit better if they went on with their original plan in covering the open ceiling with a specially-made dome, but due to the grueling weather, this plan was scrapped.

Scrapping the dome was not only a regrettable incident for JYJ, but also for the fans as well. The tickets for the concert ranged from 110,000 won to 198,000 won, and concert organizers explained that the cost was a bit high due to the special effects, including the dome. Tickets for a concert held by SM Entertainment at the same venue cost 11,000 won to 88,000 won, a lot less expensive than JYJ’s.

In the end, fans had to pay full price for something they didn’t get to see, had to wait over an hour in the freezing cold without getting a clear explanation, plus were unable to enjoy an encore with the band.

It would have been hard for any experienced band or artist to perform in such adverse conditions, but it would have been more professional to prepare for the unexpected, especially if it was being held in late November, at an open and exposed stadium and charging a lot of money for seats.

JYJ의 멤버들이 동방신기를 떠나고 해외 시장으로 눈을 돌리면서 신문 헤드라인을 장식했을수도 있겠지만 어쩌면 가장 기본적인 요소에 신경을 써야할지도 모르겠다. 바로 프로페셔널리즘과 관객에 대한 배려이다.

유천, 재중 그리고 준수로 이루어진 JYJ는 그들의 첫 콘서트 JYJ Worldwide Concert in Seoul을 토요일 저녁 종합운동장 올림픽 주경기장에서 치뤘다.

노래와 무대장치, 그리고 그들의 파워풀한 댄스는 흥미로웠지만 기대가 컸던만큼 실망도 컸다. 우선 그들을 찾은 팬들은 추운 날씨 속에서 한시간을 기다려야했고 표값에 포함되었다고 설명했던 돔 장치 또한 찾아볼 수가 없었다. 나아가 팬들이 추운 날씨속에서 십분동안 앵콜을 외쳤지만 JYJ는 나타나지 않았다.