Colton: You guys saw Dreamcatcher in concert last week in Toronto,
how was that?
Umu: I am kinda curious, do you want to go first?
I have seen – this is my third time – fourth time!
Kevin: Oh yeah, this is my first time seeing Dreamcatcher.
Umu: Well, I mean you saw them at KCON, yeah?
Kevin: Yeah, but...
Umu: Does that count?
Kevin: I felt like an outsider.
You know, there is very much like...
outsider, seeing K-pop, going to KCON, seeing whatever gets handed to you at the concert,
but then there is also knowing the members,
Kevin: knowing the songs. Umu: Oh yeah!
Umu: This is your first time knowing members, knowing the songs...
Kevin: Yes, looking forward to hearing a lot of them live,
sort of having that anticipation,
but I really liked it!
I like the music, I thought that the energy was quite high,
um, I...
Umu: Fly high~
Kevin: Yes, that was definitely one of the songs.
I have caught, like, online concerts before
and I know the rhythm of like
doing a few songs and then stopping and interacting with the audience and
with my previous online experiences I thought that was a little gimmicky
but I was surprised, when it happened live I was very much into it,
every time they like started talking with the mics, I was,
it was very welcoming, I'm like, oh this is really cool, they're doing it again,
when is the next set gonna start and all that.
Umu: You're right. That's interesting that you point that out
because my past concert experiences,
when artists finally stopped to start talking,
a lot of the time it's just reading script
and when it comes to those kind of concerts
it looses energy, it looses my attention,
and I typically complain about those kind of concerts
but you're right, whenever Dreamcatcher stopped to interact with the audience
it was different every time, it was very much not so much script reading, you could,
you could tell by their eye sight that sometimes they did have something that prompted them to say something
and since I had a press pass I was able to see the monitor and actually like see that going down
but you are right, whenever they did have a break, I wasn't like:
"Ugh, here's like another break"
I was like:
"Oh, what are they gonna do this time?"
Because last year's 2022 concert they each prepared their solo song off of the 'Save Us' album, I think it was,
and so they each did a solo thing there,
this time during that break they did a dance cover of songs that they have covered before
so that was really really fun.
Kevin: Their translator was really good, it was very efficient.
And I thought not much energy was lost in between the Korean and then the English translation
and I just, yeah, I was very impressed by that.
Umu: Yeah.
For me, so I've seen –
My first time ever seeing Dreamcatcher was with Kevin at KCON 2018, I believe it was,
and there they performed a few songs, I remember being absolutely blown away by 'You And I',
then I went to their first ever fan meet in LA in the US
and I got to see them perform songs like 'Full Moon'.
Oh my god, and they were just like three steps away from me and that was amazing.
So I had already experienced Dreamcatcher's high quality performance
where they don't just perform, they interact with the audience while they perform, they,
like, even during a serious song when you know you are supposed to have that really like... facial expression,
they are like smiling at the audience, flipping out at them,
that's what I do enjoy about them, you can see them enjoying their performance.
So then for the first time ever I saw them on tour last year
and that was, I got to see them back to back twice,
the first night I got a press pass from My Music Taste along with JRE,
and we got to stand behind the VIP section for the first three songs
and I was able to experience, I think it was 'Piri', nice and close,
I believe it was also...
*Hemene hene Meneme-*
'Maison', 'Maison', "Please someone fight for us"
up close, and then they did,
they did a third song, so it's interesting
experiencing up close versus then we had to go to the way back of the hall
and experience the rest of the concert there.
Umu: So having a media pass is very very very fun
because we are allowed to be closer to the front of the stage.
I believe when I went last year, in 2022, with JRE, we were still behind the VIP section,
and this time I was also behind the VIP section,
but when it's a standing hall it's much different than a sitting hall.
So, standing hall, you have to stand behind the VIP section
and so you are like on your tippy-toes in the middle,
like maybe running back and forth, trying to get shots,
whereas this time I was stuck under exit signs in the middle
and it was weird.
But then like, the security stood at a certain place in front of the stage and told us that we could like...
...inch forward.
So like, I inched forward until like I was pretty much in row, in line with the VIP section
and that's when I realized
how small Dreamcatcher are!
They are so small!
They're the smallest human beings!
It's the same exact feeling that I had when I met Loona in person for the first time
because when you see these pictures and you see them next to each other
and they like look like they have super lanky, lanky everything,
like, I could have sworn Blackpink were like 6 foot [≈1.83m] tall, they look so lanky,
right, and like...
But they are like –
No really! Like, don't they look like –
because they have like really long torsos and really long legs,
you are like, you are tall!
But they're NOT!
Kevin: I get that with Loona.
Umu: Exactly, they are so small!
They are so small!
Like, I feel like Dami would...
like, come under my shoulders or something,
cuz when I was filming them and they would like walk by, I'd be like:
"How am I like almost the same height as you when you're on the stage?"
Kevin: Oh wow.
Umu: And so that was like a really fun experience.
I guess whether you're in VIP or have a press passes
you get to experience things that you don't get to when you don't have money.
But otherwise, basically for a press pass you get first three songs access closer to the stage
and then you either go to the back of the hall if you're standing
or you sit down if you have a seat
and so that was my experience with press pass
and I hope that I was able to show you guys some cool footage of the concert.
Kevin: It was so cool.
Umu: It was so cool~
Kevin: Yes.
Umu: And JiU even once came over to me at one time and did like a heart thing
and I tried...
I wanted to express my gratitude so I was like:
I'm trying!
I was trying to smile at her above the camera
but then I wonder if I maybe, I haven't looked at the footage yet, if I like cut her head off.
I'm like "JiU~"
That's the struggle of being a fan girl with a camera.
Colton: Anyway...
And the reason why I am talking about this is because I had a very specific experience that first concert
and it was definitely, they lived up to expectations of live performance,
sounded like they swallowed their CDs,
like, the intonation was fantastic,
all high notes were hit,
their, when they perform you do really feel that power,
but I remember after experiencing those two concerts
that I wish that they did more choreography.
I feel like when it comes to K-pop concerts it's very much them performing that I wish that they did more choreography.
I feel like when it comes to K-pop concerts it's very much them performing
and then like one song at the end where they are trying to interact with the fans in that way,
whereas the majority of the songs Dreamcatcher do that.
And so leading up to this concert I knew that there were going to be fantastic performances
but I was looking forward to more choreo, which they didn't do.
Kevin: They, during the songs that they don't have choreo,
you kind of said that they don't really move much.
I know what you meant,
but just to clarify if you haven't been to a Dreamcatcher concert,
they do try to do their best to take over the stage
and just maybe run around, joke with each other, flirt with each other a little bit,
but yeah, it is not the same as...
Umu: ...level as like energy, yes, (Kevin: ...as with choreo, exactly.)
like being really engrossed in their performance, you're just like:
"Who do I pay attention to, what is going on?"
Kevin: Yeah, exactly, it's fun to see that happen, you know, if it's like,
if most of the setlist were choreographed and then we got a few of them
and then it's like, "Oh, it's fun to see them interacting with each other and doing that sort of chill thing"
but yeah, there was a lot of that, especially towards the bottom half of the program.
Umu: I feel like Dreamcatcher treat the stage similarly to how Mamamoo treats the stage
where it's like their playground.
You go to a Dreamcatcher concert and you see them playing and having and doing
VERY raunchy things that several times I had to like shade my eyes, I was blushing too much,
I don't know if you saw any of the clips... (Colton: I saw it on twitter.)
HhHhHHaha!
Kevin: A few key members would like up the raunchiness
and then – yes, (Umu: SuA!)
some members would follow suit, others would not,
JiU was always holding her ground, she's like "I'm not gonna follow what they're doing."
Umu: Right, she is the headbanger girl, she is the hair hair,
whereas like, yeah, I think SuA is the main culprit
and then Siyeon and Yoohyeon and Gahyeon and Handong follow
and then Dami kind of just does her f#%king badass like...
you know, cause that's exactly when they did the 'Vision' thing,
they were like, "We can't decide between 'Maison' and 'Vision'"
and then they did a lineup session in which they each did their own take on JiU's last chorus,
it just got more (and more)x4 raunchy.
Kevin: I think Siyeon though is one of the...
like, SuA is the one that tempts everyone else to follow her
but Siyeon HAS that, Siyeon already IS that,
I think Siyeon embodies it
but both of them, I think, start the raunchiness.
Umu: Exactly.
Kevin: Yeah.
Umu: And do you have a favorite live performance?
Kevin: The opening 1-2 punch was incredible,
I think 'Scream' and 'Odd Eye' were great,
and then 'Boca' just coming on was fantastic.
Yeah, I think those were my favorites.
Yeah, it was fun to see 'Good Night', but I think...
Umu: It was so fun.
Kevin: But I think, yeah, the first few tracks,
just starting the show off with so much energy was definitely what I loved.
Umu: Okay.
Kevin: Yeah.
Umu: I loved 'Propose' live,
I loved, um... the fan chant song?
Kevin: The choreo for 'Propose' was really good.
Umu: 'Reason', I loved 'Reason' live because
when you're listening to the studio you don't really hear how high it is
and then live, you don't, still you don't –
you hear a little bit of strain but that adds to how impressive the melody sounds.
*Sings 'Reason' melody*
Like it's way up there and I can't even belt that up, I don't want to try,
but just like hearing Siyeon sing 'Bon Voyage', 'Reason', and 'Propose',
I think I fell in love.
I think I am in love with Siyeon.
Umu: Like, this concert, hoo~ Kevin: And her stage presence in the concert was really great.
Umu: And so what's crazy is like,
it's kind of cool to see how they develop as dancers and performers
cuz I definitely remember JiU being the standout person in 2022,
when I saw them perform live,
and now, Siyeon, I was like, I couldn't take my eyes off of her
and her singing was just like...
Phhhvvvhhffhfhhhfhhh! (Kevin: Yeah, absolutely)
Like, it's always like that but I got –
Maybe it was because we were sitting so close to the stage
that it was extra...
like, OOoOOhhhh! (Kevin: Yeah, exactly)
Like, I get the same like heart racing feeling like I do when I hear my favorite vocalist YoungK perform live,
where it's just like ~wow~
Like you kind of get your breath knocked out of you when you hear them perform.
But yeah, and then, yeah, the 'Bon Voyage' chorus just hits.
Kevin: The final one or...
Umu: ALL OF THEM!
Kevin: Yeah, I don't remember 'Reason' (Umu: Oh my god)
It's because the previous track fried my brain.
Umu: Oh, 'Silent Night?!'
Kevin: They did the, they did the *Bwo-di-do–bwo-di-do*
Kevin: Like 50,000 times! Umu: They aju-niced 'Silent Night'!
Umu: Yeah, so they did it all the way through and then they like,
did they have a tiny bit of a break and then they did it again?
Kevin: Yeah, they tried to change the way they do their breaks as well,
they're "Mm, we're not gonna do it again."
"ALRIGHT LET'S DO IT AGAIN!"
Kevin: Something like that. Umu: That's exactly–
Umu: That's like exactly how 'Stray Kids' and Seventeen do it as well, and I love it.
I love it.
Another thing that I enjoy about Dreamcatcher's concerts is
they don't always encourage the straightforward lightstick thing,
SuA was having the time of her life controlling the crowd,
she'd be like, "Do this! And then do this!"
Kevin: The crazy waving, yeah.
Umu: "And then do this!"
Like, she would, and she's like "Do this!"
Kevin: She also took a lightstick at one point
Umu: Yeah, exactly, exactly. Kevin: A fan's lightstick, and went crazy.
Umu: So that's something that I haven't fully experienced yet,
it's just like someone like completely taking power
to just do weird lightstick patterns,
like usually someone will, like one of the members will take control of a section and just go like this.
But she just like...
Like just kept changing things up!
Kevin: She did a wave and then the wave would,
she would like stop halfway and then go back a little bit,
and then go back a little bit, like a real wave.
And meanwhile I am like, I have a hand.
Umu: Right.
Colton: Do you guys have anything else you want to say about the concert experience
before we start talking about the album?
Kevin: Wear earplugs! Not because of the concert itself but because of the screaming fans around you.
I did not.
And it was...
I think it took a toll, I can't tell.
Colton: How would I know?
Umu: I think that a Dreamcatcher concert experience is very special,
especially if you are going with friends,
I had the unique experience of going to their 'Save Us' tour
with someone who didn't know who Dreamcatcher was.
And his first ever K-pop concert is Dreamcatcher!
Friend What's up? I'm excited. Umu: Because...
Umu: Yeah, one of my friends couldn't make it
so he has taken the ticket, let's go!
And they are a dancer and so,
going to a concert with someone with like zero K-pop or Dreamcatcher experience was very interesting
and it's one way of experiencing a concert
versus going with someone who is like more of a hardcore fan,
knows the names, is down to get like, woo!
Like, high, and I would just like, dancing and screaming next to each other
and that just like builds the energy in such a different way
and I would say whether you are going alone,
whether you're going, bringing someone who –
there is a fly that keeps –
how dare you interrupt my angle, fly?
Umu: How dare you? Kevin: Fly High-er!
Umu: Haaah.
Um...
That was great.
Colton: It's like an 8/10 Kevin.
Umu: Yeah yeah yeah.
So I have just like go alone, make friends,
go with someone who has never seen K-pop before and get their opinion, first time opinion,
it was interesting learning from him who he felt like the strongest performers were,
SuA, Siyeon, and JiU were up there for him.
And then going with friends
where you can just like let loose and not be judged when you're like jamming out to songs,
I think all of them are super unique,
I love the fact that when I went in LA for the 'Save Us'
I wanna say like half the concert was people attending their first K-pop concert ever,
like, I feel like Dreamcatcher is that first group for a lot of K-pop fans.
Kevin: I talked with someone who said it was their first concert.
Umu: Yeah, and I feel like I experience that a lot more than any other K-pop groups' concerts that I've been to,
they're like, yeah, I've never, like,
parents with their kids going for the first time and they had so many questions
and I love to see that
And now we'll get back to reviewing 'Apocalypse'
Colton: Alright so we're gonna get started.
Kevin: So a little instrumental
sort of, yeah, like an intro to...
wet our palettes.
Before sending us on a voyage of epic proportions.