On May 10, one of the K-pop JAAM members, Jenna, attended GOT7’s showcase in Dallas. The photo gallery features a few images from the concert. Following this theme, two other JAAM members reflected on their own experiences attending K-pop events.

Maddy

I’ve been two different K-pop events – one in South Korea and one in Los Angeles. Both were free on account of my father’s refusal to pay for tickets but still exceedingly memorable nonetheless. The first was in 2011 at the Yeosu Expo. The acts featured were 4Minute, BTOB (who had just debuted at the time), Jay Park, and the headliner BEAST. Because of the limited seating in the open air venue, my family and I sat in a spot on the balcony for seven straight hours to ensure a good view. I made an unlikely friend in the Korean grandmother seated beside me – it’s a mystery why she would be interested in the loud concert – and was surrounded by screaming fans for the duration of the event. Although we were far from the stage, our high vantage point made for good pictures that I still keep today. It was an amazing first experience that will never cease to be surreal.

The most recent event I attended was in the summer of 2014. My family had just driven down from San Francisco to visit my cousin in Los Angeles and that night, I heard that one of my favorite groups, BTS, was holding a free showcase at a venue 20 minutes away. They were only letting in the first 200 people, so we got up at an ungodly hour to go get in line. However, 200 other people had also woken up at an even ungodlier hour to make the cutoff. Since we were so close, we decided to wait it out in the case some people would leave. Luckily enough, we were able to secure tickets. Cameras weren’t allowed inside, but I was able to more fully enjoy the experience instead of being fixated on a screen. BTS was filming a reality show at the time, and in the last episode that aired a few months after the showcase, my sister and I can be seen for a full second on the edge of a frame.

Although different groups performed in a different language and in different countries, both of my concert experiences were memories I will never be able to forget.

Angela

I’ve only been to one K-pop concert that was in Dallas. When Asha and I heard that B.A.P was going to have a concert in Dallas on April 16, we were so excited that they were coming to a place somewhat close to Austin. Before the event, we made matching B.A.P shirts, a banner, and bought lightsticks which added even more to the experience. On the day of ordering tickets, Asha ordered them online and somehow, luckily, we got SECOND ROW seats. It was expensive, but the experience was totally worth every penny since B.A.P is one of our favorite K-pop groups. However, the concert was held on a school day, which was a downside, and we had to stay at Dallas for two days.

When we got to the venue, we were surprised because the seats were technically first row since we didn’t have seats in front of us. We were so excited that even the waiting time before the concert started seemed short. Some of the lucky people who got passes in their albums got to meet them before the show started, and we could hear screaming from afar. The concert was about two to two and a half hours, and it was filled with many unforgettable stages, little skit-like events in between, and the VCR that added to the concert.

Overall, this was an amazing experience that I get to share with Asha, and one that I will never forget. I would definitely go to another K-pop concert after my experience at the B.A.P Dallas Attack concert.