DBSKnights' Review - JYJ in LA

The JYJ trio were in fine form on November 19th, their dance as crisp and energetic as you could imagine, their vocals record-worthy.

I think most Cassies will agree with me when I say the highlight of the evening was the final performance, the Empty remix. The sense of fun and joy they displayed on stage for this song in particular is part of the reason we all fell so in love with them – adlibbing, winking at the camera and dashing around the stage urging fans to “Jump! Jump! Jump!” a la TVXQ’s Somebody To Love.

I was caught off guard by the beauty of the red sea. It’s one thing to read about it or see it on video, but quite another to see the synchronized waves in real life. 

MCs Shane Yoon and Arden Cho did a wonderful job of keeping fans entertained. Before the interview portion of the showcase, Shane rose from below the stage wearing Jaejoong’s furry vest and belted the first few lines of JYJ’s Empty. So should Shane quite quit his day job? Sorry Shane - you're a fine MC - but somehow he looked less kpop star and more yeti.

When asked about the meaning of their names on twitter, Yoochun explained that "6002" when spoken in Korean sounds like "Yoochun" (육천이 - yukchuni). Junsu also explained the numbers in his twitter name, telling us that the “0101” stands for his birthday. Arden Cho told fans not to forget that and Junsu agreed in English: “Ya, don’t forget.”

Best of all, this was not the only Junsu Engrish of the evening. When introducing themselves, Junsu at last caved to demands for a remake of his infamous “OH MY GOD SUN”. Was it cute? I dare say I let rip the loudest shriek of the evening because of it.

Even the mysterious Egg Man Elbowyeish made an appearance! Well, sort of. The same egg that had been making appearances on twitter all day, was brought on stage and presented to boys (Yoochun cracked up and Jaejoong laughed and mimed throwing it into the audience, to the amusement of his fans). While some sharp-eyed fans may have noticed him roaming the line shortly before doors opened, the Egg Man remains largely a mystery. Expect many more exciting tweets from him in the future!

The concert suffered somewhat from overexposure. As LA is the second-to-last stop on the JYJ tour, most fans in the audience had already seen fancams of the showcases in other cities. The video breaks like “JYJ in LA” and “Dear Fan” that were played between songs have been available on YouTube andjyj3.com for a month now.

When I talked to fans afterwards, many expressed some disappointment with the length of the show. "I mean, I can understand why it was so short," said one fan, referring to the presumed copyright conflict with Avex that prevented JYJ from performing any songs from their album "The...". It would have been great to see JYJ fill out the show with a cover of a classic American R&B song but perhaps that would have added to the expense of an already costly tour.

Though the security feared that the fans would rush the doors once they were open, creating a dangerous situation, Cassies remained orderly while waiting to enter the Galen Center. I was continuously impressed by the passion and generosity that the fans displayed. From the girl who was giving out cookies to the incredible fan who gave this hapless Chicagoan a ride to airport (Phuong, thank you!), you were the ones who made this concert so fabulous!

Please visit our Facebook page for more high quality photos.

Written by Rachel@DBSKnights.net
Photography: Mel@DBSKnights.net