MDLer's Review KCON 2013 (Part 2)

The Artist Sessions

    
Laugarza: I was really excited to get the chance to see the EXO panel and so were a lot of other people. The line to get in had already formed by 12pm even thought the session didn’t start until 2pm. This was a great panel though. Danny Im started off the session with a couple of jokes and added to the excitement as we all waited for the 12 singing gods to come on stage. As soon as they were announced cameras went up everywhere making it a little hard to see if you were in back. No matter we could hear them perfectly as they introduced themselves. They were each asked what they liked to eat when they came to LA, where they would like to visit, what their favorite pop song was and who they would choose as a roommate if they had a choice. Answers varied but everyone now knows how much Do Kyungsoo (D.O.) likes steak and that a lot of the group wanted to go to Disneyland. Tao made everyone laugh when he replied that for a roommate he would like to be alone. The highlight of the session was when each member sang a part of their favorite pop song. Their clear voices thrilled the audience as they sang everything from Sunday Morning by Maroon 5 to a little bit of rap by Kris.

 
SakuraDanielle: Oh my god! I touched 2AM. After waiting in line for more than an hour we were let into the underbelly of an entrance to the stadium marked off by portable metal railings. Signings were in front followed by the Hi-Touch and lastly the Audience pass group. PK entertained the crowd until 2AM joined us on stage. They did a quick introduction and jumped right into the signing. JoKwon giving winks and heart signs to the crowd caused roars of screaming. Once fan signing was done they lined us up and took our tickets for the Hi-Touch and motioned us to the stage. I almost tripped going up the stairs from the nervousness. I finally looked up and they smiled brightly as they made eye contact and positioned their raised hands. I walked by and made contact with each member and rushed off the stage. My best friend and I stood there overwhelmed from what just happen and cried really bad in public. It wasn’t pretty. All I could think in that moment is how I was never going to wash my hand again. We went back to our position and listened to the 3 min Q&A and watched our idols return to the building. It really left an amazing feeling to be able to make physical contact with art you admire so much.











Nana87: I was super excited to see Henry at Danny From L.A., I mean how cool was it for us to participate as audience for their first episode of season 2 being shot right in front of us. Henry waved and smiled at the audience. He talked a little about his new movie 'Final Recipe'. Expressed how he liked both acting and singing, and will be looking for more acting roles in the future. 

Henry also talked about the meaning of his song 143. Explained how 143 means ‘I love you’ in English and 486 means ‘saranghaeyo’ I love you in Korean. A song of cultural difference; not being able to communicate with one another because of the language barrier. Interesting right! 

Laugarza: This was a great interview of Henry. Danny and Henry got to relate to how nice it was to speak in English. Henry is really funny and charming during interviews and he really made me appreciate his song 143 a lot more after he explained he could relate to the fact it is hard to express yourself when you have to overcome cultural differences and language barriers as times. Drama fans will be excited to hear that Henry is going to be coming out in a drama soon! The interview wrapped up after Henry gave the crowd an eyeful by spelling his name out with his behind. 1-4-3 Henry!

M COUNTDOWN WHAT'S UP LA

 

Most memorable performances?


Nana87: I would have to say EXO’s amazing intro followed by their song Wolf was just out of this world. The way they all used the entire stage was crazy. Henry performing his song Trap in English was such a surprise as well, so glad we were the first to hear it. Last but not least G-Dragon and Missy Elliot performing together on stage. Who knew Hip hop legend Missy Elliot would be performing with GD it was just an incredible performance. There were definitely many memorable moments. 

Laugarza: I would have to say I definitely agree with Nana87 on EXO’s performance. It was amazing. The intro had each of members introduce themselves through their special powers since they are from EXOplanet. From teleportation to controlling the fire, these boys can do it all. I really enjoyed 3-6-5 since they came out to the outer stage and really had fun singing it. It was a song that didn’t focus on the dance sequence. Henry gave another inspiring performance of Trap but in ENGLISH while Teen Top thrilled the audience by starting with their new song Rocking. 2am also brought some fans to tears as they opened up their set with a song by Bruno Mars. This concert was definitely a mix of languages and a thrilling night for the audience!!! G-Dragon was the perfect way to end the concert.

SakuraDanielle: So many but my personal favorite is a tie between G-Dragon’s MichiGo and Teen Top’s Rocking. I love GD's charisma. He really knows how to get a crowd going while Teen Top's Rocking made a huge splash landing at number 1 in my playlist for the week after watching them perform the intense choreography for their new hit. In a close second though, I loved Yoo Seung Woo's performance though with the giant beach balls being passed around the crowd and 2AM singing a Bruno Mars song, Just The Way You Are. All my emotions took over during Never Let You Go though and I ended up crying as I sang along with 2AM.

SeRose: This was my first concert, so I cried just when the first group came out on stage: f(x), by the way. Dynamic Duo were also kind of awesome, and brought out a whole new level of stage presence I am not used. Of course the reason I went was because of Teen Top (daebak!) and G-Dragon (wow!) but the whole experience was great. It should be noted, however laid back G-Dragon seems in the videos, the first thing he did when he ran down the stage was to find the spot on the stage closest to the fans, and then crouch down to sing them. Ahhh even if it wasn't me he was singing to, it made me feel awesome. 


Anyways: Bonus moment was watching cute Tao hit himself in the head during his martial arts intro. (Don't kill me! I love Tao!)


What do you expect to see in KCON 2014? 

Nana87: Next year I really hope there is more girl groups. The lineup was amazing this year, but I would have liked to see more girl groups like 2NE1 or Miss A. It would also be great if they have more drama related things for us drama addicts, Lee Min Ho anyone? 

Laugarza: I really hope I can make it back next year. It would be great if they bring more things related to drama and movies. As for the music I hope to see anything from Miss A, Infinite, B.A.P, EXO (again!), or hey why not Jang Geun Suk!

SakuraDanielle: I really want larger panels so more people can enjoy them. My biggest complaint this year is the same as last year! Actors! When KCON was first announced they promised it to be an amazing convention with all sorts of entertainment acts not just a Kpop convention but Korean Entertainment convention. I hope next year they can improve in the same way they had from the year before and hopefully we will see more actors and actress at the events. Overall though no other complaints it was a once in a lifetime event.

SeRose: More MDLers! Seriously! All in the States (or further) need to make this pilgrimage! 

Bye for now, see you next year at KCON 2014!





Hope you liked our amazing weekend at KCON. Have any questions? Let us know in the comments.