​[Concert Review] A Needed Night of EDM Escape: Woosung Charms Brooklyn

E. Diana

Credit: Leo S.

A line snaked around the entrance to the Avant Gardner’s Great Hall on the evening of November 6th. Fans of the k-indie singer Woosung, best known as the main vocalist for the band The Rose, were looking forward to the performance after what was arguably a very stressful night for most people in his target audience. It had been two years since Woosung toured solo, and his return was heavily anticipated amongst his fanbase.

    Fans with VIP tickets were treated to an intimate Q&A session with the singer, who appeared onstage in good spirits to answer as many questions that were allowed. Several highlight answers included singing happy birthday to a fan’s relative for her Sweet 16, explaining his collaboration with Suga of BTS, and describing his album for deaf fans; “It’s… like floating in the sky… you’re up in the sky, but it is a little scary when you look down. But you’re just trusting that you’re not gonna fall, type of vibe.”

    There were two openers following the Q&A: South Korean producer and DJ IÖN, and Woosung’s fellow The Rose bandmate Park Dojoon, under his DJ moniker Parclassic. IÖN got the crowd pumped up with a medley of EDM sounds and songs, awash under strobe lights and blue lighting, while Parclassic hyped up the audience with mixes of popular EDM songs. Fans waved their The Rose lightsticks, while others wore glow stick freebies around their wrists, creating a colorful aurora across the standing room.

      Parclassic seamlessly transitioned into Woosung's arrival. The singer opened with "Paper Cuts", a song off of his new album 4444. The vibes changed as the singer’s soulful,  heart-wrenching vocals filled the room, sonically transporting the audience to the skies. Despite the album only having been out for a little over a month, the fans sang along word for word as Woosung moved across the stage. 

    While performing frontman with The Rose, Woosung maintained a very sturdy, captivating image that cemented his place as a rockstar. On his own, he gave off the essence of a friend you hadn’t seen in some type; a familiarity that was most comforting and carried through the night.

Credit: Leo S.

​Woosung went through a solid weaving of his solo music, going back as far to perform “Face” from his solo debut Wolf.  The audience remained captivated and singing along in unison. Near the end of the setlist, he performed three remixes of The Rose songs. He kept true to the EDM genre he had dabbled in with his current release, and had the remixes in light of a club scene.

    During the middle of the set, he went on to explain the title of his album; how despite 4 being known as a number of death in Asian culture, he had always felt a calling to the number and would see it everywhere. Woosung also explained how he doesn’t fear death, but rather sees it as a new beginning and next step in the cycle of life. Immediately after that insight, he performed the ballad “The Day I Died”, a true tearjerker that set the tone of the message he set to convey.
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    Perhaps it was the overhanging somber mood that everyone was feeling, but there was a unity of catharsis when it came time to scream “F*ck this modern life!” during “Modern Life.” Woosung seemed to pick up on this, and while not explicitly addressing the elephant in the room, he went on to say “Let there be light on all the innocent lives that need it the most right now” before singing “Let There Be Light.” The audience cheered, knowing what he meant and appreciating it.
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    Woosung led the audience through a journey of life. There was dancing, there was crying, there was reminiscing on loss and love, and there was yearning and sadness. Whether he was freestyling his own choreography, donning a guitar, or joining forces with Parclassic to DJ for the crowd, his energy kept everyone enjoying the moment. Such is what art is all about; giving audiences a time to be in tune with their emotions when they need it most.