The rising K-pop boy group ATEEZ set a new standard for K-pop concerts with a theatrical and thrilling show July 28, bringing over 30,000 fans together with a performance rivaling the best of Broadway. 

The eight members of the group — Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho — were just coming off their energizing performance at Coachella and a No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 with their latest EP, “Golden Hour.” They kicked off their nearly sold-out tour on July 14, which included a stop at the Texas Rangers’ home stadium, making them the first and only K-pop boy group to perform there.  

From the early hours of the day, Arlington’s entertainment district was full of ATINYs, or ATEEZ fans, in outfits that wouldn’t look out of place at a fashion show — ranging from outfits that members of the group have worn on stage to custom outfits referencing the group’s pirate and cowboy history. K-pop concerts often become all-day experiences, especially for those with VIP tiers who have access to an exclusive lounge or a pre-show soundcheck. Hundreds of concertgoers took to doing dance challenges or buying tour merchandise while bracing for the hours-long wait under a hot Texas sun to be let into the venue.  

VIP concertgoers entered the venue around 4:30 p.m. and were greeted with the view of a gigantic tower onstage as they climbed down the stairs of the baseball stadium, where they awaited the group’s soundcheck. Although nearly the entire stadium was to be used for the concert, only a small part of the floor was open to roughly 1,000 VIP attendees before the main gates opened. 

The group made an explosive entrance by running onto the stage once the pre-show began, with Seonghwa and Wooyoung specifically standing out by wearing custom-made Texas Rangers jerseys, while Hongjoong had on a cowboy hat, embracing Texas culture. The other members were in casual clothes, Yeosang in ATEEZ’s official tour T-shirt. 

After introducing themselves, they performed for their soundcheck, which was more casual than the main concert. Members interacted with the fans more, making the soundcheck an intimate experience. Hongjoong noticed some fans who were dressed as chili peppers, referencing their song “Bouncy,” and cracked some jokes, while the other members waved to lucky fans in the crowd. The group performed three songs — “Say My Name,” “Work” and “Dreamy Day” – before promising to come back during the main show.  

Once non-VIP pass holders were let in, the venue filled with tens of thousands of fans who sang along to music videos and connected their lightsticks while waiting for the show to begin. The concert started with a narrated intro from MADDOX, a producer from ATEEZ’s company, about finding your light and your path – a reference to the theme of the tour.  After the intro, members of BB TRIPPIN, a dance group that typically works with ATEEZ on their choreography, opened with a performance. With their shining black outfits and pyrotechnics, ATEEZ took the stage after the dance team and opened with their hit song “Crazy Form.” Crazy Form then led into “Say My Name,” where fans chanted the members’ names at the end of the song. 

ATINYs know that one of the most exciting parts of any ATEEZ performance is hearing “Guerilla” live. The song started with Hongjoong performing an electrifying guitar solo intro, leading into an unexpectedly metal-infused rendition of the song that had fans aggressively waving their lightsticks and shouting fan chants during the chorus. Near the end of the song, the entire stadium erupted into the “Break the Wall” fan chant after Yunho yelled “Make some noise!” to hype up the crowd. Once the song ended, the group caught their breath during the opening mention, formally introducing themselves to the cheers of the stadium.  

Next came crowd favorites “Cyberpunk,” where the members danced sensually in chairs, and “Halazia,” which had a darker mood that incorporated religious imagery, before leading into special unit performances. Yeosang, Wooyoung and San performed “It’s You,” a sensual R&B song with choreography that includes a lot of body rolling. Shortly after, Yunho and Mingi performed “Youth,” a song about the memories of their lives before they were officially idols. Jongho then performed his solo, “Everything,” a ballad that caused a hush to fall over the stadium as the emotional song gripped the crowd’s hearts. The final unit song was “MATZ” with rapping duo Hongjoong and Seonghwa, whose verses and intense pyrotechnics set the stadium’s atmosphere ablaze. 

ATEEZ set a new standard with story-driven performances, a staple in K-pop acts. In between main performances, members acted out scenes of a story that followed their fight to show emotion in a world that wanted strict, lifeless obedience, and their acting did not disappoint. The first half of the concert had exhilarating story moments like Seonghwa having his wings torn off after being chased down by guards.  

The second half of the concert was Western themed, with a bar as the theater background when the full group came back out to perform songs off their album “The World EP Fin” and one of their most popular songs, “Bouncy.” Almost all the members had fringes on their outfits that flailed around as they performed “Django,” a song referencing the fictional bounty hunter. Before leaving the stage again for one last costume change, tentacles erupted from the ground and were slayed during the song “Wonderland,” a song that follows ATEEZ’s concept of being pirates. 

As the night wound down, ATEEZ performed upbeat and more heartfelt songs. As the final song “Utopia” was coming to an end, all eight members said goodbye during the closing mention, bringing the experience to a close for teary-eyed ATINYs. 

ATEEZ not only brought out amazing music with intense choreography to the stage, but a one-night theatre performance rarely seen recently in the K-pop industry.