Near the end of the BTS’s first Southern California show since 2021, rapper-singer RM told the audience at SoFi Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 1, how much it means to the group to come back to a place where so many good things have happened for the band.
“You guys have given us so much,” he said during the customary break in which each of the seven BTS members take turns thanking their fans.
“We got our first KCON in 2014,” RM said. “We shot [the BTS reality show] “American Hustle Life” in 2014 in L.A. And we made [new album] ‘Arirang’ precisely a year ago in Los Angeles. And now it’s our concert.
“So, you know, I’m speechless,” he continued. “But I always feel at home when I come to L.A. And we’ll never forget what you have always shown: the love, the support, the truth. We’ll never forget tonight.”
Fans who packed the stadium Tuesday for the first of four BTS shows won’t forget this night either.
BTS hadn’t played a full show here since Dec. 2, 2021, when it wrapped up a previous four-night run at SoFi. For many fans, these were the first live performances of the songs on “Arirang,” which was released on March 20.
And it was BTS member Jungkook’s 29th birthday, which provided a bonus thrill for him and the crowd.
“Thank you so much for congratulating my birthday,” Jungkook told the cheering crowd. “It’s an honor to spend my birthday with you guys. Also, because we’ve been doing this for such a long time, I wasn’t really expecting an event at a concert, but I guess there was.
“I was kind of looking forward to it. I was trying not to look forward to it, but because it happened, I am so happy.”
The concert opened with “Hooligan” and “Aliens,” two of 13 songs off “Arirang” performed at the concert. “Run BTS” followed, and three songs in, the audience was locked in like few ever are.
Each time an image of a different BTS member appeared on a video screen overhead, they screamed. Each time one of the seven guys got a vocal spotlight, they screamed a little bit more.
The production maximized exposure of the band to the fans. A large oval stage sat at the middle of the floor with huge video screens hung overhead. Four long ramps led from the stage through the audience and to the four corners of the floor. At almost no point were you without a good view of the singers and their 20-some backing dancers in person or on screen.
The band had gone on hiatus during late 2021 and early 2022 when, one by one, each member entered the military to satisfy their mandatory South Korean military service.
The first act of the show presented BTS as bad boys in black leather jackets and pants, some with dark sunglasses, many with gloves, fingerless and not. It was a tougher look than they’d employed in past concerts, but with Jungkook, at 29, the youngest of the band – the others range from 30 to 33 – it felt right for their ages.
“They Don’t Know ‘Bout Us” and “Like Animals” slowed the tempo for a bit. For “Swim,” about 30 backing dancers flowed to the stage from the ramps, unfurling sheets of fabric to build around the BTS guys for this number and then for “Merry Go Round,” using the fabric to create one.
The second act saw BTS shed the black leather for a muted palette of denim and sweatshirts. “Not Today” and “Mic Drop” delivered strong rock energy, the latter a highlight with the kind of tight group choreography that the younger BTS often used on most songs.
“FYA” and “Fire” both included endless blasts of flames from the edges of the stage. After “Body to Body” and “Idol” closed out the second act with a march around the perimeter of the floor by BTS and their backing dancers, many of whom carried large flags, including some made of LED lights which allowed the patterns to morph and change at any moment.
At a moment when the band picks a wild card song most nights, BTS announced its pick with the opening notes of “Boy In Luv,” which earned it some of the biggest screams of the night.
Several of the guys decided it was time to celebrate Jungkook’s birthday, which they did first with a little friendly teasing and joking around on stage, and then by picking the song “Magic Shop,” which Jungkook had a big hand in shaping, to sing as the video screens overhead filled with “Happy Birthday, Jungkook.”
“It’s J.K.’s birthday, so today was extra fun,” Jin said when it was his turn to address the crowd. “And last time in LA, I caught a tuna. It was very delicious. I want to go fishing again. Who wants to come with me?”
Judging from the screams that his question earned, he’s gonna need a bigger boat.
“OK, J.K., let’s go,” he continued as Jungkook grinned sheepishly. “If I catch one, I will take a picture, and I give it” – the picture or the tuna, it wasn’t entirely clear – “to Jungkook as the birthday present.”
Then, with “Please” and “Into the Sun,” the concert came to a close, if only for a day.
BTS plays SoFi again on Wednesday, Sept. 2, and after a few days off – let’s go fishing with Jin! – returns to close out its U.S. tour with two more shows on Sept. 5-6.