K-pop’s TXT takes Oakland audience on a fantastic voyage
A stadium is hallowed ground for top-tier artists like Taylor Swift, U2 and Metallica, signifying an unimpeachable level of popularity and crossover appeal. Among the K-pop elite, two Korean groups have made the leap from indoor arenas to outdoor stadiums in America — Blackpink and BTS.
Thanks to skyrocketing interest in Korean culture — food, television shows, movies, and music especially — the list of Kpop stadium headliners is expanding. On Saturday, May 18, Tomorrow X Together (TXT) joined that list in the Bay Area, performing at the Oakland Coliseum.
Formed in 2019 by BigHit Entertainment (now HYBE), TXT was the second boy band to debut for the company after international pop superstars BTS. The five members — Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huening Kai — are in their early 20s, yet have a sophistication and maturity reveals itself in thematically rich releases that emphasize hope in the face of personal crisis and confusion.
A bigger venue means higher stakes and reduced connection between artist and fans, so the group did its their best to close the intimacy gap, presenting an eclectic collection of songs from their catalog that served as a metaphor on moving through different stages of life.
During a break in the 2 1⁄2-hour concert, TXT leader Soobin explained the show’s “Act: Promise” theme: “We look at what our dreams have become, and how we create our future with MOA,” he said, referring to the official name of their fan base, which is an acronym for Moments of Alwaysness. “We are going to show it to you, the Tomorrow X Together way.”
At 7:36 p.m. the new single “Deja Vu” introduced the show’s railroad motif, traveling through time and space, facing life’s obstacles together. That TXT prioritizes connection and empathy over pop music’s obsession with romantic or codependent love is one of their enduring traits.
Embellished with wardrobe changes, thematic detours and all the flashy trappings of stadium rock, a transition could be felt.
The quintet glided through different stylistic chapters with precision. The hard rock portion (“Puma,” “Good Boy Gone Bad” and “Growing Pain”) took inspiration from ’80s metal and ’00s emo, with fire pots and tough black leather outfits.
Their boy band lineage — stretching from Motown to Motownphilly — could be felt in the matching satin jacket/denim outfits and pinpoint choreography during K-pop serotonin boosts “Chasing That Feeling,” “Magic” and “New Rules.” That tidy set of songs, in particular, solidified their standing as one of the top Gen Z leaders of K-pop.
“Sugar Rush Ride” and “Farewell, Neverland” showed their Korean pride, with the members draped in hanbok tops and incorporating buchaechum, a traditional Korean fan dance. Add confetti bursts and a light show, and the effect was stunning, an example of how traditional and modern cultural elements mingle freely in Korean cities like Seoul.
Yeonjun, who lived in San Jose for two years as a preteen, was the group’s talismanic dancer/visual; Beomgyu simmered with mysterious charisma; Huening Kai, the youngest member, has matured a lot in five years, yet is still prone to mischievous moments, like grabbing a guitar during “Growing Pain” and channeling his inner Yngwie.
Soobin received the lion’s share of cheers whenever his face appeared on the three LED screens. Taehyun served as the group’s lethal vocal point — spotlighting his warmth, vulnerability and emotional range.
Playing the Coliseum was a giant leap in size and spectacle since the band headlined the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in 2022. And there were pinch points. Though it was an outdoor show, the stage felt smaller, even with a catwalk that jutted into center field. The words on the LED screens were barely legible.
Adding two more catwalks to reach the farther corners would have improved visibility and fan service. The group performed over a prerecorded backing track without live band accompaniment (that could be seen, at least) or backup dancers.
K-pop fans — and fans of international artists, in general — might have to get used to the situation, as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services hiked up the cost of performing artist visa applications by 250% in April.
The moments when the members took turns speaking with the crowd — in K-pop parlance, “ments” — helped to make the show feel more intimate. One of the more amusing segments found TXT creating a fan chant on the spot. The audience responded enthusiastically to the prompts (“TXT!” “Whenever!” “Wherever!” “Forever!”) punctuated by a cheeky “Ya-ya-ya.”
This playful energy returned after the thoughtful set closer (“Magic Island” and “Miracle”) when they unleashed “Cat and Dog,” from 2019. The audience erupted in recognition, chanting the closing line, “Let’s play forever, I just wanna be your dog!” and its feral dog woofs.
The moment was a reminder to MOA — many who’ve witnessed the group’s ascension from fresh-faced rookies to stadium headliners — that getting older doesn’t mean losing touch with your inner child.