Kicking off their first official stateside tour, ONE OR EIGHT returned to Los Angeles to perform at The Roxy. Despite the show taking place on a Wednesday night, the group filled the theater with fans, known as 1DERZ, to its very limits, reaching capacity with a sold out show. The show ended up starting 45 minutes late to allow VIPs and VVIPs extra time to complete their fan events and GA ticket holders to enter the venue.
Once the show actually began, it was high energy from start to finish. The group stepped on stage in darkness, and as the lights began to flash, the iconic first notes of “TOKYO DRIFT” began to blast over the speakers. This immediately riled up the crowd, and though fans were packed in like sardines, everyone began to jump, dance, and shout along to the energetic song. ONE OR EIGHT continued with the same vibe, heading straight into “Young & Reckless” and “POWER,” before taking a pause to make some introductions. Perhaps due to time restraints or simply because they wanted fans to enjoy as many performances as possible, the introductions were short and simple, and the group continued on with the show.
Throughout the concert, the group showed off various sides of themselves. Sweet songs such as “DAY ONES” and “Wanna be with you” prompted fans to raise their phone flashlights as everyone waved their hands left and right. Rappers Mizuki, Ryota, Souma, and Neo brought the lights down and the energy up with their powerful rap performance, as Mizuki performed a remix of Hanumankind and Kalmi’s viral track “Big Dawgs,” Ryota recreated Travis Scott and Ice Spice’s “Oh Shhh…,” Souma turned Pharrell Williams’ “Cash In Cash Out” into his own unique rendition, and Neo wrapped up the set with his own performance of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems,” switching out the iconic line to praise his members.
The vocalists had their own time to shine as well. Yuga opened with “Honesty” by Pink Sweat$, gently serenading the crowd as the lights dimmed, drawing all focus to the music. Reia came next with a beautiful rendition of Lauv’s “Never Not,” followed by Takeru with Justin Bieber’s “As I Am.” Not only did Takeru blow the crowd away with his soft vocals, he also incorporated a short dance break to show off his versatility. Tsubasa rounded out the vocal solos with 5SOS’ “Youngblood,” and the quartet joined together to fully close out with their unit song, “180 One Eighty.”
The show wouldn’t be complete without the group’s biggest hits either, as the final stretch of the show approached. The eight members performed a captivating dance break, showing off their acrobatics, their synchronized powerful choreography, and their stage presence, before ending the main setlist with a slew of songs: “Spellbound,” “KAWASAKI,” “My Lil’ Heart Attack,” and “DSTM.” The encore followed with a choreography version of “365,” their new unreleased song “Live Laugh Loud,” and an extra performance of “TOKYO DRIFT” that was decided on through an Instagram story poll earlier on in the day.
However, even with these big, high energy moments, the best moment of the show came in the middle, when they took performed “365” and “Don’t Tell Nobody” with mic stands spread across the stage. “365” came first, showing off the group’s tender vocals through a sweet fan song dedicated to 1DERZ. In a surprising shift from the choreography version, the group’s stationary performance delighted fans, and gave the group the opportunity to look into the crowd, engage with fans, and soak in the audience’s reception. The members looked around in disbelief as everyone sang along, with some fans mimicking the main hand movements of the choreography, and it felt like this was an “I made it” moment for the group.
During “Don’t Tell Nobody,” the group began with the mic stands, but slowly began to break off and execute softer, more subtle choreography. The group freestyled as they performed the song, but coordinated specific moments to pose or hit moves together. This array of flowy freestyle into synchronized movement was very aesthetically pleasing, and it was the perfect representation of ONE OR EIGHT. While each of the eight members have their own individuality and styles, they come together seamlessly when it comes to performing as a group.
As the concert and encore came to a close, ONE OR EIGHT shared some final sweet words for 1DERZ before exiting the stage. “We’re so happy to see you today. Thank you for having us,” they began. “We missed you so much, 1DERZ. It’s been such a happy moment for us to see you again, and we will see you again soon. We love you, and we thank you for the amazing energy. This was the best night ever, and we hope you guys are as happy as we are.”
Despite the slight hiccups in start time and the overcrowding of the room, ONE OR EIGHT put on a memorable performance for their fans. As the GATHER album represents the group’s journey thus far, the concert also summed up their story in the same manner. The setlist showed off each aspect of the group’s talent, and the prowess with which they commanded the stage certainly left fans eager for their return.
