Two Part Harmony

written by: Liana Progar|AJ

Back in Dec. 2022, K-Pop group Golden Child embarked on their Meet & Live Grand America Tour. Three Sparks Magazine members attend the Orlando concert for two very different reasons. Sparks’s photographers AJ and Nathan, applied and received the tour company’s press pass, allowing them to attend concerts for a short period of time for free. For AJ and Nathan, they said this would be their first time photographing a big concert, making it a new and exciting experience. On the other hand, Liana, Sparks’ writer and a fan of Golden Child, was overjoyed to have the opportunity to see Golden Child without having to travel to a different state. These two reasons created different yet similar experiences for the Sparks members.

Having a best friend whose favorite group is Golden Child, I’ve had the honor of seeing them live twice before, with the Orlando stop being my third time. Going into the concert, I was not quite sure what to expect. I wondered if they would just stick to the same concert they did on their Meet & Live in USA Tour or if they’d find a way to change it up despite being on tour only a few months prior.

One thing I knew before the Grand America tour started was that main rapper and vocalist Tag would be a part of this tour and lead dancer and vocalist Bomin would not be due to a facial fracture (Woollim). During the USA tour, Tag was recovering from liver issues and was on hiatus (Woollim). Additionally, on the

USA tour, main dancer and vocalist Donghyun tested positive for COVID-19, and was unable to perform in Nashville and Atlanta, the two shows I saw. Automatically having different members performing would make the show different with different line distributions and dance formations.

The USA tour was great in itself since it was my first time seeing them live. The difference between the Nashville and Atlanta stops were how much energy the crowds brought. Nashville was lower energy and so the artists had to work harder to bring up the atmosphere whereas Atlanta was more lively allowing the artists to relax and become a little sillier. While the USA tour shows were great, the Grand America tour was far better.

Compared to the previous shows I saw, fans were more outgoing and Golden Child fed off that by becoming more alive and charismatic. Even before the show, I think they felt the different vibe of the audience prompting main vocalist Joochan, to come out of their waiting room and take selfies with the crowd below him causing quite the ruckus in the pit below.

Similar to the USA tour, once they started the show, they plowed through the first three songs like it was nothing and immediately vv`wanted to chat with the fans. They clearly doubled their efforts to learn more English since their last tour and used their increased fluency and vocabulary to maximize audience engagement.

Due to Donghyun testing positive for COVID-19 mid tour, restrictions on how the group could interact with fans was increased. Before it was mandatory that fans wore masks and not touch the artists, but it evolved into Golden Child being unable to take fans’ phones during the peak fan interaction song, “Bottom of the Ocean,” and restricting close interactions generally. However, on the Grand America tour, they sought to find ways to include more fan interactions in the show. Golden Child asked more questions, did raffle giveaways, accepted a few gifts–for example, a really cute bunny hat–and they even took fans’ phones to record videos of themselves during “3! 6! 5!” and “Pump It Up.”

Consistent with the USA tour, they asked fans which songs they’d like to hear a snippet of live and in moments like this I could see how much they cared about fans’ opinions. They didn’t have time to sing bits of their entire discography, but they made an effort to take different suggestions to make each stop its own unique experience for fans.

Besides a few setlist changes, on the Grand America tour it seemed like they were a little more attentive towards fans. They listened and reacted to the audience extremely well. The members threw out hearts galore, read all the banners and posters, and they even started casually bantering with the fans during the giveaway like we were just a group of friends having afternoon tea and gossiping. I enjoyed being able to experience the different touches added throughout the concert to differentiate between the two tours.

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While the USA tour shows were great, the Grand America Tour felt more exciting and fun making it just a tad more stunning of an experience. It was clear that Golden Child took note of what international fans respond to best and with that information, put on a better, more unique show. Though, one thing that definitely did not change was the quality of their performances. With each step and each note, you could see how passionate they were about music and dance. It truly was a treat to be able to see Golden Child perform live for that alone.

AJ

Nathan and I arrived two hours before the show began, which gave us ample time to lament our shared lack of concert photography experience. Neither of us knew quite what to expect, not to mention we were not even familiar with the performing artists. In fact, this was the very first K-Pop concert either of us had been to.

Regardless, Nathan and I were ecstatic to be there, though, like the fish out of water we were, we had no idea where we were supposed to collect our physical media passes. Confused, we were content to trail behind the line of eager concertgoers as we discussed strategy, compared camera specs and decried the prices of the new lenses we hoped to buy.

Around us, our idle chatter mixed with that of eager fans, their anticipation becoming a thick, palpable buzz as the concert time inched closer. I felt my adrenaline grow, too, but for different reasons. The more I overheard the gushed enthusiasm of strangers bonding over their shared love of Golden Child and their music, the more I felt out of place. The camaraderie of the attendees felt much like a secret world to which I lacked access.

Eventually, an event volunteer steered us to the front of the line, which wrapped around two sides of the building to the venue’s entrance. Here, I felt even more awkward standing adjacent to concertgoers who undoubtedly had been waiting for this moment much longer than Nathan and I.

Once inside, media was granted a prime spot just steps away from the edge of the stage. Nathan and I were quickly crowded by fans straining to get as close to the barrier as possible, including one attendee who politely asked me when I would be moving out of the way. She had noticed my camera, badge, and distinct lack of Golden Child-branded merchandise.

Soon, the group filed in from an overpass above the pit of attendees. After their appearance, the energy in the audience swelled. I turned around, squinting to spot the members over a mass of recording phones and waving lightsticks. I found my own excitement being piqued as they engaged the audience with enthusiasm and confidence

When the lights adjusted in preparation for the first song, the venue took a collective anticipatory breath before exhaling in a burst of energy when Golden Child began to perform. The liveliness of the crowd did not dwindle for the rest of the song.

As soon as the lights illuminated the members, I found myself on auto-pilot. My index finger pressed the shutter button in frantic intervals between minor setting adjustments. I was unable to pause, lest I lose precious seconds of the song. It was only until after the show when I was reviewing my memory card that I processed what I had actually witnessed. At the concert, my main focus had been capturing as much as I could.

The only coherent thoughts I allowed myself were making sure I was getting a variety of angles and coverage. My zoom lens worked overtime, switching back and forth from group wides to close-ups of particular performers as I strived to get even coverage of everyone. In my periphery, I recognized the patterns occurring in the lighting, working it to my advantage to capture vivid, dynamic moments.

At the conclusion of the song, I felt like I was pulled from a dream, awakened by the audience erupting into cheers. I remember looking over at Nathan, who was just as enchanted as I was. However, there was little time for me to say more than a brief, exhilarated comment before the second song began and the process repeated itself.

As a neutral observer, I could not enjoy the performances in the same way that the rest of the audience did. Their love for Golden Child, however, was palpable in the unwavering energy I felt around me. There was a freneticism in the pit and a sense of being surrounded by devotion at every turn. No matter how alienated I had felt waiting in line, it was impossible not to become one with the crowd as they celebrated the performers.

Photographing the concert was an incredible experience and I would love to shoot another one. It was a delight to capture what was clearly such a source of joy for everyone who attended, myself included.