The last time the South Korean band DAY6 headlined a show in Los Angeles was in 2019 when they performed in the intimate and smaller venue Novo Theater. For six years fans have been anticipating their grand return to the states so it’s no surprise that they sold out two shows at the Youtube Theater with their 3RD WORLD TOUR <FOREVER YOUNG>. The quartet have risen in popularity since their comeback last year. The group was on hiatus due to their military enlistments. Their two latest EPs Fourever and Band Aid have garnered chart-topping success, especially in Melon, Korea's largest music streaming service. What sets DAY6 apart from other groups is that they are not a conventional idol group that focuses on dance choreographies, they are a live performing rock-pop band. The leader of the group Sungjin is the guitarist and main vocalist, Young K is the main rapper, lead vocalist and bassist, Wonpil is the lead vocalist, keyboardist and synthesizer and lastly, Dowoon is the drummer and percussions. All members are heavily involved in writing, composing, and producing the band's music. DAY6 doesn’t stick to one genre, they like to experiment from pop, alt-rock to melodic ballads.
Before the band went on stage for their first show in LA, a video montage appeared on screen showcasing all the artists under the JYP Entertainment label. Fans cheered as they saw popular acts like TWICE and Stray Kids, and ITZY on screen. But of course, the loudest screams rang when DAY6 came on screen at the end. Shortly after the video montage, the stage lights went down as a message from DAY6 appeared onscreen. The message was filled with optimism. They hoped that every precious moment would last forever and that their songs would be remembered as a fleeting moment of ‘eternal’ youth – a nod to the name of the tour. One by one each member walked onstage to their instruments and performed the youthful and euphoric song “Best Part.” The song talks about cherishing the best moments in life, a perfect opener for the night. Confetti burst through the venue, as the group kept the lively energy going with “Better Better,” “Healer” and “Time of Our Life.”
Afterwards, the group took some time to introduce themselves and chat with the crowd. Young K took the lead as he grew up in Canada and is the most proficient in English. He tried his best to make their time on stage more lively, interacting with his bandmates and asking them questions. All of the band members would try their best to speak with their limited English and used a translator when they spoke in Korean. Fans barked at the band with delight which caused a lot of confusion for the band members. Young K asked the fans if “that was a thing here” and everyone exclaimed yes. “Is it a positive thing here?” he asked again in fun disbelief. The band then went on a banter on the subject and took turns barking, earning laughs and cheers. The night was filled with fun interactions that showcased the group's charismatic personalities.
The group performed a huge setlist of 29 songs within 3 hours, from their debut EP The Day in 2015 to their current release. The group’s energy and enthusiasm never wavered through those 3 hours. DAY6 is a very polished group, each group member knows their strengths and compliment each other very well. Sungjin, Young K and Wonpil have expressive and versatile voices that work well in different parts of their songs. Sunjin’s vocals are raspy and strong. Wonpil’s vocals are higher and softer, which works well for their more airy and soulful songs like “I Love You.” Young K is the most comfortable out of the group. He’s not afraid to adlibs and has a lot of control over his vocals especially on “How to Love.” Wonjin holds the group together, as he easily keeps the tempo and timing of each song going with his drumming and creates big moments. Together the group brings a lot of depth and dynamic sound.
The band separated the set into different sections that set the mood and nicely balanced their transitions. Ballads are always big crowd pleasers as everyone swayed along to “You Were Beautiful” and “Letting Go.” They showed their rock & roll prowess with “How Can I Say” and “I Wait.” Everyone sang along to the chanty and fun choruses of “Love me or Leave Me,” “Shoot Me” and “Zombie.” Their set ended on a high note with the fun dance tunes “DANCE DANCE” and “Freely.”
After the group said their goodbyes, everyone stayed in their seats to wait for their encore. To pass the time, the screens on stage displayed snippets of their songs for the crowd to sing along. The group returned on stage with “My Day,” a love song dedicated to the fans and aptly the name of their fandom. Before the start of the show, banners that read “My Day will give you warmth that will never change” in Korean were distributed to everyone who entered the venue. These banners (made by their fans) were held up when the group took their photo with the audience. The band humbly expressed their gratitude to their fans as they are truly the ones who prop artists up.
For more on DAY6, visit day6.jype.com
