At the final stop on the North American leg of the Neo City — The Momentum World Tour, NCT 127 performed to a passionate crowd of fans, known as NCTzens, in the famed Crypto.com Arena. The legendary venue was packed with fans dressed in NCT’s signature neon green color, wielding their lightsticks and ready for an unforgettable show. “I want this arena to become the biggest karaoke venue in town,” member Johnny began. “LA, do you know how to party?!”
The show began at 8pm on the dot with a video that kicked off a thrilling storyline that continues to unfold with each ensuing clip. In the video, the group is building and welding items, before equipping themselves to break into a building. Shooting down opposing forces, the group appear to have won the battle. With a heavy bout of smoke from the fog machine, their six silhouettes slowly appeared on stage.
Almost as if watching an action film on the screen while at the concert, the video storyline was full of unexpected twists and turns and highlighted the group’s acting abilities, which kept fans engaged between sets. While these videos ultimately did not integrate into their real-life performances, they added another entertaining layer to the show.
Diving into the setlist, NCT 127 performed a variety of songs, going from smooth ballads such as “Can’t Help Myself” and “Gold Dust” that highlighted their melodic harmonies and Doyoung’s well-supported high notes to fast-paced, choreography-heavy tracks like “2 Baddies” and “Faster” without missing a beat. According to the members, the setlist also featured songs that were a lot sexier as well. “The next song is a little sexy. Haechan is a little sexy. Yuta is very sexy. Mark and I are sexy, too, and we’re all taking our jackets off,” Johnny humorously stated while introducing “Whiplash.”
While much of the group’s discography reflects a cool appeal, they dedicated a section of the concert to showcase their youthful charm. They kicked this off with “Designer,” with staff bringing out mannequins as props to hold the group’s dressy jackets. This was followed by “Orange Seoul,” a bright song that came to an end with a surprise gift from NCT 127 to fans – members tossing rainbow streamers into the crowd. The group rounded this section off with “TOUCH,” a 2018 release that remains a fan favorite today.
Although the group made sure to showcase all aspects of their talent with various different genres, the best-received by the audience was undeniably the energetic, choreography-focused tracks such as “Regular (English Version),” “Sticker,” “Kick It,” and “Fact Check.” To the group’s surprise, “Sticker” was particularly well received, earning the loudest cheers, screams, and sing-alongs from the crowd. During their talking segment following the song’s performance, the audience even sang the song acapella back to the group, stunning the group. “This was the hypest crowd we’ve had,” they began. “We’ve never had “Sticker” sung to us before!”
NCT 127 also made excellent use of the full stage setup and large screens. Rather than filling the space with live dancers, they utilized the screens, displaying engaging visuals or digital backup dancers. In particular, their performance of “No Clue” was a great example of this. The screen displayed various colored rectangles, and each member was inside one of them. Each person then got the spotlight to themselves during their parts, and it created an interesting visual effect that drew the audience’s eyes to the person on the microphone. In “Far,” black silhouettes holding flags could be seen dancing on the screens, in synchronization with the members. This effect created the appearance of a huge dance ensemble, and it added an extra layer of depth to the visuals. As for the stage setup, NCT 127 performed an equal number of songs on the extended stage and the main stage, allowing fans a clear view regardless of their spot. Not only that, but they also utilized the runway between the stages for many performances, spreading themselves out to see as many NCTzens as possible.
While great performances were aplenty, there are many performers who can provide that experience for fans. What set NCT 127’s show apart was the members themselves, and their genuine love for their craft, their fans, and each other. Despite missing members Taeyong and Jaehyun, as they are currently fulfilling their mandatory enlistments, NCT 127 made sure to fill the entire stage and all their parts. If someone attending wasn’t familiar with the full group, they would not have been able to tell anyone was missing at all. Splitting the pair’s parts up, the songs still progressed smoothly, and the substitute members made each part their own, adding their own flair. Although Taeyong and Jaehun’s absences were filled, the members on stage still didn’t forget to include them within their performances, which was especially meaningful for the countless fans holding Taeyong and Jaehyun signs and pickets. The “Intro: Wall to Wall” video that played prior to the encore showed both members in the very beginning, prompting thunderous screams from NCTzens, and “Meaning of Love” was uniquely performed with Jaehyun via a video recording of him sweetly singing his parts displayed on the screens.
Additionally, the group’s humble approach to the show, and their immense gratitude for everyone, fans and staff, involved was on clear display. While performing “Time Capsule” and “Dreams Come True,” each of the NCT 127 members pulled out a basket of signed balls to throw into the crowd, offering a small token of appreciation for their fans. During the last song, “Promise You,” they interacted with the crowd, receiving gifts and grabbing phones to record with. At one point, Haechan could even be seen struggling to reach the crowd, to which he requested staff help to pass phones to him instead. Also during “Promise You,” in between singing lyrics, members mentioned their staff and team, thanking them for making the tour possible as well.
Full of warmth, the show came to an end with countless memories made for both NCT 127 and NCTzens. Each of the members wanted to give one last message to the fans, taking turns to speak before officially exiting the stage. “Happiness is something you have to find, so I hope Czennies can come to us when they look for theirs,” Johnny said, starting off the group’s final thoughts. “Today was the perfect finale to our North American Tour. I don’t have anything cool to say, but your smiles today looked so genuine, and it made me feel really good,” Mark continued. “This tour went by so quickly because it was so fun, and we are so grateful to you all,” Haechan said next. “Thank you for filling this arena tonight,” Yuta chimed in. “We hope our music continues to make you happy and smile,” Jungwoo added with a smile. Doyoung wrapped things up as the unofficial temporary leader: “To be honest, this tour gave me a chance to love myself and to love my team. This tour wasn’t work for me, it was a journey. Thank you for being together with us.”
