Following the successful concert tours of fellow YG artists G-Dragon and CL, Taeyang followed suit with his 2017 World Tour called WHITE NIGHT to support his latest album release. On September 10, 2017, Taeyang met a sold-out audience at City National Civic Center in San Jose, CA. This was Taeyang first visit to San Jose, but his overall second visit to the San Francisco Bay Area. His first visit was back in 2013 for the MTV Iggy Music Experiment, where fans entered contests to win tickets for a private show (check out Tessa V’s Fan Report here). This time around, Taeyang returned with a larger venue, so more of his Bay Area fans can get an opportunity to watch him perform. With a live band and troop of energetic dancers, Taeyang slayed his diehard VIPs with his signature soulful vocals and dance movements, so fluid that Michael Jackson would be inspired.
The WHITE NIGHT theme took many forms and interpretations. From images of the popstar engulfed in various elemental environments to the more risque and sensual images of moonlight reflecting off a female body, the WHITE NIGHT concept projected an eclectic yet mature perception of Taeyang that compliments his artistry and well-known image as an R&B crooner. This allowed him to cater to an audience that has matured and diversified as his music progresses in both sound and subject matter.
Despite a few hiccups at the beginning of the night such as a late start time due to technical difficulties and butter fingers with his mic, these flubs did little to deter the seasoned professional from delivering a stellar performance. His vocal runs were as intricate and layered as his perfectly choreographed routines. The electric setlist kicked off with fan favorite “Ringa Linga”, followed by classics such as “Superstar,” “Only Look At Me”, “Wedding Dress”, and “I Need A Girl”. Taeyang also tapped into his Rise album with “1 AM” and “Love You to Death” and performed his entire WHITE NIGHT album. The show had an extended encore with “Body”, his songs that featured G-Dragon such as “Good Boy” and “Stay With Me”, and BIGBANG’s smash singles “Bang Bang Bang” and “Fantastic Baby”. The show ended with his iconic ballad “Eyes, Nose, Lips”
Highlights from the show included his fanservice (which was entirely in English), which was followed immediately by an epic chorus of applause and cheers. His questions to the crowd consisted of various topics such as our satisfaction with his latest studio release, the ever popular, “Are ya’ll having a good time tonight?”, and whether or not we miss BIGBANG, which received a resounding “YES!”. Gifts were presented to him including a flower crown and giant, daisy fidget spinner that he excitedly spun. Lastly, he made Bay Area residents proud by donning a Golden State Warriors jersey. All gifts were, however, thrown back to the crowd. The singer himself mentioned his amazement at the level of support received from fans for so long, from so far.
What’s to be taken from the night’s experience? The most obvious would be the fact that American audiences CLEARLY maintain a high demand for their favorite K-Pop acts. In a music industry dominated by soundalikes, KPOP favorites like Taeyang continue to be miles ahead of what most Top 40 American artists have yet to even discover in both sound and live performance. Artists like Taeyang, G-Dragon, and CL stick to their winning formula of catchy bangers, heartache inducing ballads, and next level visuals. Carefully tweaking and developing the formula as their tastes and experiences permit, but never abandoning the core of what earned them millions of fans’ hearts in the first place. As the famous saying goes, “ The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same.”
Special thank you to YG Entertainment and KpopMe! Entertainment for bringing Taeyang to North America!
For photos, check out Taeyang’s Facebook page!
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Follow us as we KPOPThisWay~ every first Friday of the month at 9 AM PST. Our next show will be on October 6, 2017 and we will providing a more detailed concert recap, so stay tuned!
Until Next Time,
Ronnieboi & Tessa V