SHOOK: Seeing NCT 127 at HLSR was a BLESSING

When I originally bought my ticket for this concert in early January, I brainstormed a title for this piece. I bought the tickets just to jot down and write about my experience seeing a band I’m not too familiar with live. The multicultural group, composed of nine members (now) was not new to me at all. I wanted to see them last year, but snagged Monsta X tickets (which I don’t regret!) instead. I had heard and bopped to Cherry Bomb, Simon Says, and The 7th Sense (I know that’s not 127 but it was still a bop and I just wanted to mention it.) When the opportunity arrived this year, as I watched the Rodeo’s Livestream on Facebook, I dusted off the cobwebs that was my username and password and logged in. Immediately like, 80+ notifications, since I totally hate Facebook.

Seeing NCT 127 under that star kind of disappointed me, but not for long. I expected BTS, and any Houstonian who heard Bangtan would be at the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, rumored, of course, did too. This was why I watched the Livestream in the first place. But, I was heavily grateful. I wanted to see them last year in May, but I had an awesome chance to snag tickets for half off! (They were $50 for level 3 seats, way at the top last year.) I quickly purchased a cheap seat, began brainstorming out my outfit, rushed to my Blogger app, opened up a new draft, and typed in these letters:

‘NCT 127: TAE DID ME WRONGGGGGG.’

I also included a generic, NCT 127 logo. Something simple, something neat. I expected Taeyong, the group’s leader, to be absolutely killing me. He is the one I know the most, and he’s also kinda my bias. So I expected to snap many pictures of him totally shredding it in the front, where he always is. But instead, I only got like, two blurry pictures of him, and several of Yuta. Girl, don’t ask me what happened because I don’t know.

I am convinced I have Bad Picture Taking Syndrome when it comes to going to concerts. I got so shook between preserving evidence for the blog, being hit in the face by their fineness and being took by their impeccable choreography and the crazy fireworks that my pictures didn’t match up to the good time I had. But that’s alright; because I strangely managed to survive. Somehow.

In this saga of shookness, almost-tears and yelling, I will introduce you to nine walking/dancing/singing/rapping bops (Taeyong, Mark, Yuta, Haechan, Taeil, Jaehyun, Doyoung, Jungwoo and Mark) who totally owned Houston on March 10th, 2020 at 8:50ish pm.

I arrived at around 7:40 something at night. I got off the train and immediately followed the crowd going to the NRG stadium/Rodeo. I felt comfort knowing that I wasn’t the only person going to the concert as I spotted some girls with NCT 127 attire and light-sticks. I always assume the things I like are peculiar, but the older I get, the more I find that is far from the truth.

I slide through security. I am asked to take off my bag and they look inside of it. There’s a notebook for my notes to jot down before the concert (I envisioned myself doing this, being antisocial and not talking to anyone but writing everything and my surroundings, which did not happen one bit), my keys, a pen, some money for “paraphernalia” (as my aunt called it.) I walked through sweet and stomach-growling-inducing aromas, styish young and old people in cowboy hats and boots. Girls in short shorts (they were cute, though) and men clean and shaven, like they were going on dates.

I ate minutes before arriving, so I wasn’t actively hungry. I walked straight to the NRG Stadium which was about a good 8 minutes. Searching for the merch, I beelined toward it and was surprised the line was terribly short. I bought a HLSR shirt with the concert line-up on the back and their album, Neo Zone released that Friday. “I have no idea what I’ll use this for” I thought in my head. But I had the money to, and I knew sooner or later I’d have a good use to it anyway.

Entering the venue was chaotic. Unlike Smart Financial Theater, where Monsta X’s concert took place, there were six different seating levels. While walking to the stadium, my K-pop friend and I were texting our arrivals. She was already there with three other people, and let me know that she “finessed a seat” for me on the first floor. I didn’t fully understand what she meant until I got inside the venue. No one was checking for you if you had the right seat. Heck, even the Rodeo itself didn’t care. They were like, “We’re giving away free seats. If you want ’em, come get ’em.” They didn’t say it like this; it was more so disguised nicely in a “Random Acts of Kindness” segment displayed in the stadium overhead. I saw so many NCTzens. The light-sticks were everywhere. I felt guilty a bit for not having one; but it was soon replaced with remembering the price of such item.

After walking what seemed like two hundred minutes to the first floor, and then not being able to find my friend for another two hundred minutes, I finally found her and sat down. There was bull riding (men getting thrown off), a horse family coming out (the great grandma had 14 babies, her daughter had a baby who had a baby and the whole family are Rodeo royalty!), teenagers chasing and attempting to catch baby cows (them cows had skills!) carriage racing (featuring Chevron, Shell, Kroger, and one other one who lost first), kids riding on sheep(?), most falling off and two making it all the way to the end (which was so cute!) and random increments of the performance stage moving to the middle of the stadium for the nightly performers (followed by screams).

At last, at 8:50 something pm, the announcer spoke those beautiful words: “The lights are now turning off!”, which meant we were about to be shook big time.

What occurred next was, for me, a mixture of excitement and anticipation. The stage finished moving to the middle, more screams, a black Ford truck pulled up and nine of them came out. I was hype, so of course I was screaming.

All nine of them (one was missing, Winwin, who I am not too familiar with anyway.) They started with Cherry Bomb, and their dancing was off the chain. I’ve never seen such synchronization and precision, especially with dancing, with another band. Their outfits were on point and I found myself getting ideas from them. (I just love the way guys dress, it’s just so simple but cute at the same time.) Cherry Bomb seemed like it went on forever. I forgot they were speaking Korean at some times. I kept trying to snap pics then look at them with my own eyes. Taeyong was so beautiful.

I was utterly surprised by their English. I remember calling one of them, I think Taeyong, “king of English” after some girl who went to a BTS concert and was having an emotional breakdown over Yoongi speaking English. I felt her so hard. I really did. Somewhere during the concert, I caught a glimpse of Johnny. Now, I had seen pictures of him before. Even videos. And he always came off cute. Just that. But that night… He just hit different. Throughout the whole thing I remember closing my eyes and shaking my head like I was being proposed to or something. I could not believe they were so fine.

I remember telling my friend sometime while we were waiting in the long like to get to the exit; “I did not know Johnny would be so fine like that.” The concert was just an hour, but it didn’t feel like it was. It felt like it was too short and too long all at the same time. Before I knew it, they were out of the stadium in the same Ford pick up truck they came in. “Let’s go see if we can catch them leaving in the tour bus!” My friend grabbed me and he rushed toward the exit. There was a long line, which was moving slowly. I was still pumping from the magic I had just witnessed. I wanted to go straight home and get on my computer and write about Johnny. Needless to say, our quest was without prize. We could not find the tour bus, as it was impossible to find and totally blocked off. So we settled for a fruity pebble funnel cake and two roller coasters that made me feel like I was experiencing an epileptic seizure.

So, a big question I have to answer myself since the show is this: do I stan?

And my answer is simple: why not?I went to this concert in the first place to discover new music, get out of my box, and do some new things. And not only did my investment get an awesome return, but I also got to support a band by buying their album, which I plan on reviewing soon! This is something I am glad I did not look over in January. Going to this concert has helped me adopt a new way of life: don’t knock it until you try it. Would I go see them in concert gain? Sure! The hour they performed at the Rodeo seemed like just a little tease. And if I do, I’ll make sure I bring my notebook along to write about how shook I was, while I’m recovering the next day.

I will definitely be reviewing NEOZONE. Part 2 will be on my instagram, @shanedrajsmith. Be on the look-out!

All photos were taken by the author. Please do not repost.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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