On Oct. 17, thousands of Carats filled the BMO Stadium for Day two of Seventeen’s “New_ ” tour stop in Los Angeles. The K-Pop boy band hit the stage performing their fifth album, “Happy Burstday”, which celebrates the group’s 10th anniversary earlier this year on May 26.
Though four members — Wonwoo, Hoshi, Woozi and Jeonghan — were absent due to serving their military service in South Korea, fans still showed their endless support and dedication. Many were excited for the group’s return to Los Angeles, but felt the bittersweetness of the missing members.
“I’m a little sad because they’re not all here together, even though it’s like their 10th anniversary, but I’m glad they’re able to celebrate their own solos in their own way and be able to show that kind of stage,” said Arissa Torres, a Seventeen stan since 2017. “For them to be together for that long shows how strong their bond is and how much they’re dedicated to not only their craft but to each other. So it’s really kind of inspiring.”
Ahead of the performance, fans connected their official lightsticks, which immediately illuminated the entire venue, before a VCR played on the screens and the crowd all stood up with anticipation.
The LED screens lit up with a grid design displaying “New_ Seventeen World Tour”. Seventeen’s backup dancers emerged on stage first, as black-and-white visuals of the present nine members – S.Coups, Joshua, Jun, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon and Dino – appeared across the screens.
In the first act of the show, Seventeen performed four group songs. “Happy Burstday” and “THUNDER” set the mood to be powerful and thrilling. Especially with the pyrotechnics, confetti canons and color-changing lightsticks in the “Happy Burstday” stage. The opening set sent an infectious wave of energy to the crowd before it continued with “Domino” and “Network Love.”
The show’s second and third acts unfolded with a set of songs, opening with three solos featured in “Happy Burstday”: Dino’s “Trigger,” Jun’s “Gemini” and Vernon’s “Shining Star.” Dino’s solo was set against a red backdrop as he and the backup dancers wore black sparkly outfits. Jun steps onto the stage to take over, but not before facing Dino — creating a stark contrast between them. After their performances, the red backdrop changes to close-ups of Vernon singing his solo and playing the guitar.
The rest of the members continued the momentum with their own solo stages and unique visuals and outfits, seamlessly transitioning into each other’s melodic and warm songs with Joshua’s “Fortunate Change,” DK’s “Happy Virus,” Seungkwan’s “Raindrops” and The8’s “Skyfall.” This was quickly followed by a burst of energy with Mingyu’s “Shake it Off” as he struts up with shades and a popped collar. When Mingyu turned around at the end of his solo, S.Coups was sitting on the elevated steps to perform “Jungle.”
Toward the end of the concert, the group performed one more small set together in coordinating racing-themed stage outfits, starting with one of their hit songs, “HOT” from “Face the Sun,” Ending with a short drum solo by DK at the beginning of “Rock with You” from “Attacca.”
In between performances, Seventeen sat down to talk to the crowd. The group expressed their love for the city of Los Angeles and pride in their fans for showing up to support them.
“Every time I come to LA, it really feels like home because you guys are here … Thank you so much for that,” Joshua said. “Sadly, not all of my members are here today, but hopefully the next time we come to LA, we’ll have all 13 members. So look forward to that.”
Joshua mentioned the last time he visited LA, he received an award from the LA City Council on behalf of Seventeen, alongside many fans who were watching. In 2024, the band received a Certificate of Appreciation for their contributions of music and youth empowerment to the city.
“And a lot of you guys were there to watch me get the award for Seventeen, so thank you so much for that too. All of our accomplishments, everything that we have achieved, we couldn’t have done it without you guys,” Joshua said.
The other eight members expressed similar gratitude towards the Carats. S.Coups, the leader of Seventeen, acknowledged their time together and the strength they have as a group, hoping to continue years down the line.
“If this is the case and we meet like this, let’s continue 10 years, 20 years and let’s make a lot of memories together … Thank you for coming into my life,” S.Coups said.
Seventeen finished with an encore, performing some fan-favorites, such as “A-Teen,” “9-Teen,” “Left & Right” and “Very Nice.” Scattered throughout the stage, the band danced and interacted with fans who occupied the floor seats and sang nostalgic songs from previous albums and eras, ending on a moment of unity.