IVE Light Up Austin’s Moody Center On Their ‘Show What I Am’ World Tour
A bright glow surrounded Moody Center as fans held up their lightsticks in anticipation, waiting for IVE to take the stage. The six member kpop super group brought their ‘Show What I Am’ world tour to Austin. The show marked the second stop on the US leg of their second world tour. While their last tour stopped in Dallas, this show was IVE’s first time in Austin and it was worth the wait for thousands of excited fans who sang their hearts out from start to finish.
From the moment IVE stepped on stage to perform their opening track, “GOTCHA (Baddest Eros),” Austin DIVE, the official name for IVE’s loyal fans, knew they were in for an incredible experience. Unlike other arena shows, IVE chose to keep the stage setup to a minimum, with the focus being on the girls’ immense talent and undeniable stage presence. If there was any empty space on the stage, it was impossible for anyone in the crowd to notice as their eyes were most certainly instantly drawn to at least one of the six girls.
Photo by STARSHIP Entertainment
During their first performance break, the girls took the opportunity to introduce themselves and talk about how happy they were to be in Austin. Some of the members spoke to fans in English while others had help from a translator, but both got their love across to their fans with unbridled ease.
An early highlight of the show was “My Satisfaction,” a darker song that shines a spotlight on each member. The verses are divided up in a way that highlights the girls’ unique voices and individual charms before the chorus brings them together. It was the perfect song to play before the solo stages as it shows fans that while the members shine bright on their own, they are better together.
Wonyoung was the first member to take the stage for her solo in a striking red outfit. “8” showed fans a flirtatious side of wonyoung with an upbeat track with cheeky lyrics. Rei’s solo, “In Your Heart” was an adorable tribute to her Japanese heritage that put a smile on everyone’s faces. Liz’s solo, “Unreal” was a pop-rock anthem reminiscent of mid 2000s Avril Lavigne. Fans were immediately left breathless when she came out in a gorgeous, white dress and stunned them with her incredible vocals. Gaeul’s solo, “Odd” was ethereal with a dreamlike tone that fit the bedroom set she performed on. Leeseo’s solo, “Super ICY” turned the spacious area into an intimate nightclub where she was able to show off her maknae (youngest member) charms even in a more mature track. The final solo belonged to IVE’s all-rounder, Yujin who showed off her powerful dancing and unbelievable vocals in the hip-hop inspired track, “Force.”
After the solo stages, the IVE members returned to the stage dressed as angels for their next stage, “삐빅 (♡beats).” The cute, fresh song, partially choreographed by Gaeul, was the first in a string of more mellow tracks where the members could focus on interacting with fans in the audience. Each member took control of their small corner of the stage where they sang directly in fans faces and completed multiple half hearts.
Throughout the night, the members continued to shout out their Austin DIVEs, complimenting them for their consistent energy and high volume. They even went as far as to say that the girls had such energetic performances because the fans’ energy was charging them. Yujin asked that they save that momentum for the next round of songs that included four back to back singles: “ATTITUDE,” “LOVE DIVE,” “REBEL HEART,” and “I AM.”
Saving the best for “last,” Wonyoung tragically announced that their latest single, “BANG BANG” would be their final song of the night. With its bombastic lyrics and addictively repetitive chorus, the song had fans dancing in their seats and scream-singing every word. Even when the members left the stage, the energy still refused to die down.
In order to get IVE to come back to the stage for their encore, fans were tested on their knowledge of the groups’ dances. The big screens on the stage would show a clip from IVE’s dance practices before pointing the camera at different fans in the audience who were then asked to dance along to each song. In one particularly cute moment, the camera turned to a little girl who instantly locked in the minute she saw herself on the big screen and danced along to “LOVE DIVE” as if she were the seventh member of IVE.
The girls came back on stage in personalized versions of the tour merch for four more songs, ending with one of their most popular title tracks, “AFTER LIKE.”
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