Photo Credit: Ashley Osborn / Kia Forum Photos
Concluding the U.S. and Canadian portion of their Dawn to Dusk tour, The Rose performed at the Kia Forum on April 12th. Having visited the City of Angels consistently since their debut, this most recent show was even more special, as it was the biggest venue the band has performed for in LA to date. Moving up from The Fonda Theatre, to Hollywood Palladium, and now to the iconic Kia Forum, the four members of the band have grown with their fans, known as Black Roses, which could clearly be seen by the amount of dedicated fans that sold out the show.
Kicking off the evening was a special opening performance by Bobo.Xx, who has previously worked with Woosung as Epik High‘s tour photographer. The soloist performed four songs total, including “PAIN,” featuring Tablo. With a special connection with the band, the opening act was welcomed with open arms by Black Roses, and set the tone perfectly for an evening that would be nostalgic, meaningful, and purposeful.
Photo Credit: Ashley Osborn / Kia Forum Photos
Soon after Bobo.Xx’s set, The Rose took the stage, much to the fans’ delight. The lights dimmed and a slow instrumental beat began playing through the speakers as the lights flashed, and four silhouettes could be seen on stage, lit up by a beautiful lightning effect on the screen. The concert kicked off with “Eclipse,” “Dawn,” “You’re Beautiful,” “Shift,” and “Lifeline,” a combination of songs from their previous Heal album and their most recent DUAL album. Each stage was artfully paired with visuals on the large screen behind the band, creating a unique experience that added to the lyrics of each song. Visuals ranged from a burning effect that was emphasized with lighting and smoke flooding the floor of the stage, to serene woods scenes during golden hour. Each song was also matched with a different color on the fans’ synchronized light sticks, creating a beautiful rose garden to reflect back to the band. The four members of The Rose then paused the music for a brief moment to introduce themselves to the crowd, looking on in awe at the arena filled with fans.
While the first set of songs was softer and more mellow, the next segment brought the atmosphere higher with upbeat songs like “RED,” “Nauseous,” their most recent title song “Back To Me,” and “Yes,” which showcased bassist Jaehyeong and drummer Hajoon’s vocals and Woosung and Dojoon’s dancing skills. Also boosting up the energy, “Back To Me” was unsurprisingly popular, as the audience screamed the lyrics right back to The Rose. Mellowing things down again, a special performance just for their Black Roses was prepared, as Jaehyeong and Hajoon performed a duo version of their song “I.L.Y.,” a fan song expressing the love that The Rose carries for their fans. The meaningful performance was followed by “Time” and “Beauty and the Beast,” two equally meaningful songs for the band. The latter, in particular, was the first song released by the group as an independent band following their departure from their previous management company.
Photo Credit: Ashley Osborn / Kia Forum Photos
Giving fans a glimpse beyond what they see on stage, the band prepared a VCR flashing back to each stop on the tour. The video showed them preparing to take the stage with pre-show rituals and backstage antics, and wrapped up with a shot of The Rose walking down the hallway of the Kia Forum. Continuing on with the music, the next section of the concert included songs such as “Definition of Ugly is” and “Take Me Down,” intermixing older and newer songs again for a setlist that encompasses every aspect of their career thus far. As the concert hit its climax, the group performed debut song “Sorry,” “Cure,” and “She’s in the Rain” back to back to back. These three songs evoked raw emotion from the crowd of Black Roses, taking fans on a journey from the beginning of The Rose to the present with some of their most lyrically meaningful songs. The show officially ended with “Sour,” a song meant to send a message of love to Black Roses, “Cosmo,” an EDM track to show the audience that they are the universe, and “Wonder,” which emphasizes the sweet moments in time that are wonderful because of the music and the connection between The Rose and Black Roses.
Not wanting the evening to end just yet, the band also included an encore, which was led by an instrumental version of their last performed song, “Wonder.” The Rose tossed roses into the audience while holding a flag with their band logo on it, and the tour came to a close with a loud shout of “We Rose You.”
The Rose performed throughout the evening with unwavering energy, singing with their emotions on their sleeves, and putting on a performance that fans will reminisce about from dawn to dusk.
Thank you to The Rose’s team for allowing Officially Kmusic to attend!
Written & Edited By Ephney Tsai
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