Bucket-list Concert Wishes
A few years ago, I listed several concert wishes on my Bucket list. Goals manifested, thank God. Prayers answered. In the past three years, I watched Andre Rieu, Jin of BTS at his solo concert, and BTS on their comeback tour.
André Rieu is a Dutch violinist and conductor who founded the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987. “Rieu's concerts are more than just musical performances - they are experiences full of emotion, joy, and community. He brings people of all ages and cultures together to enjoy the sheer beauty of music. With his positive personality and humorous manner, he has managed to modernize the classical music scene and imbue it with a fresh, vivacious vibe.”, as written on his website. So very true.
BTS is actually the biggest musical group in the world right
now. They are a global phenomenon. They are so successful that they represent
roughly 0.3% of their country's total Gross Domestic Product.
The BTS supergroup released their new album on March 20,
2026, to huge critical and popular acclaim. They broke major streaming records
in the US with their latest album and the biggest group debut of 2026 on
Billboard. The group held free concerts in South Korea before embarking on a
global sold-out tour across North America, South America, Australia, and Asia,
including the Philippines; their last concert will be in Manila in March 2027.
Grammy What?
Seven men from South Korea whose music transcended the label of Asian pop and have recently opted out of the Grammys because they prefer their music to be "heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language". They are topping international charts, have collaborated with other global singers, have broken streaming records, and are massively famous across all social media. Surely they deserve to compete in the Main categories, not be contained or limited to just an Asian category?
BTS Arirang concert, August 2, 2026
MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Let me begin my superlatives: the most amazing, most invigorating, and, due to the adrenaline, most exhausting. The sold-out Aug. 2 BTS concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was the loudest concert I ever attended; the whole stadium was shaking, and the floors beneath me were vibrating as the ARMY jumped and sang along through the set list. The 80,000-strong crowd stood the whole time, except for the short breaks.
Thank you to Debbie and her daughter
Camille for convincing me to shell out money so I wouldn't be watching from
the very rear. At least, we wore our BTS jerseys with our biases' names on the
back, with matching clear bags.
RM, Jin, Suga,
J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook returned as a group after their military duties
in South Korea. This comeback, after 4 years, is unprecedented in how the world welcomed them with a smash album and sold-out concerts. The New York
Times declared, “BTS is possibly the biggest act in the world since Michael Jackson."
The two-and-a-half-hour show went by very fast; BTS's frenetic dances and
the dancers were matched by the crowd as we jumped and swayed, our matchsticks
turning the whole stadium purple. The
stage was spectacular, inspired by Korean architecture, with an open layout
providing 360-degree visibility, and an amazing fireworks display at the end.
The massive screens zoomed in on the smooth, poreless faces of the BTS members
to the audience's delight, especially when my Jin winked at the camera.
The setlist included most of the songs in their latest album “Arirang”, but there were also classic songs that even the newest fans would know, like “Dynamite”, Butter, and the explosive “Mic Drop”. BTS also gets to try out two surprise songs each show that their DJ would choose for them; perhaps a way to tease the fans and remind them that BTS has a massive discography of songs since they debuted in 2013.
I felt inadequate when I couldn't sing the lyrics verbatim. My friends sat two rows in front of me. The ladies on both sides of me knew the lyrics to almost every song, even the Korean lyrics to Mic Drop, Fire, and the folk song Arirang (shivers when the whole audience turned Korean for a moment). At least, I knew the fan chant and could do a few choreographies on Dynamite, Idol, and Swim. I didn't take any selfies, but I took so many videos that were unfortunately marred by my off-key singing and vigorous jumping.
I loved the massive smash-up of “Fire” and “FYA,” and the siren voice in “Like Animal.” “Body to Body” morphed into the traditional folk anthem "Arirang". Billboard asked, "How many artists could pull off having a room of thousands serenade them with a traditional folk song in the crowd’s non-native language? “Into the Sun” was a perfect ending for a perfect show.
Jin is still my ultimate bias, but those 6 other men are my bias-wreckers. Ugh, one concert is not enough. I am now going through PCD (post-concert depression).
Yeah, they do not need a Grammy. They've transcended it. It felt
good to sing "Aliens" and "Not Today."
JIN of BTS, July 30, 2025
Prudential Center, New Jersey
When someone asked me what the first thing I would do when I retire would be, I answered without hesitation that I would attend Jin's upcoming solo concert in New Jersey. This Jin concert is my retirement gift to myself.
Fresh from his discharge from the military after 18 months of service, Jin threw himself into keeping the BTS name alive while the other members were still fulfilling their commitment. Jin held a hugathon with his fans, carried the Olympic torch in the Paris Olympics, co-starred in a Netflix variety show (Kian's Bizarre B&B), launched his solo variety web series, participated in fashion events, and released two albums.
Jin’s solo world tour, the RUNSEOKJIN_EP. TOUR, was quite
unique, nothing like any other concert I’ve seen where the stars would just
perform their songs. The concert showcased his top-tier vocal talent, but also
his delightful sense of humor and personality, not afraid to be both silly and
sexy at the same time. The show was widely acclaimed by critics, and as 20,000
fans cheered loudly and energetically at the Prudential, it was quite obvious
that this show was not traditional, but infused with that charming personality.
Simply Jin.
Rolling Stone UK gave him a five-star review for the London
show and hailed him as “a one-of-a-kind entertainer who brilliantly blended
high-energy pop-rock vocals, live band instrumentation, and interactive
variety-show comedy with his fans.”
Jin was simply excellent; he didn't phone in his performance, but gave it his all, with bulging neck veins and deltoids, too. Mr. WorldWide Handsome winked, smirked sexily, and blew us his trademark kiss.
Jin skillfully engaged the fans with audience challenges
like Sing Along ARMY, Connect ARMY, then donned an Alien costume to sing the surprising
hit with the viral dance challenge, “Super Tuna”, then proceeded to tease/bully
the fans with their version of the high-pitched song “Moon”.
The songs were culled from his back-to-back mini-albums “Happy”
and "Echo” with additional songs from BTS like “Dynamite”, “Butter”, “Mikrokosmos”,
and the emotional “Spring Day” which the fans continued to sing the chorus long
after Jin stopped singing.
For someone so conservative, he teased his fans by showing his shoulders, then finally shed his coat and gifted us his Dorito-like physique. His voice was steady, even with all the running on the stage; I would have huffed and puffed. My sister swooned at his majestic image; I screamed much louder, wielding my BTS Army lightstick in tempo. The audience was energetic and sang mostly off-key (oh, that was me).
Jin carried
his solo concert with aplomb, with no choreography, except for Super Tuna. He
brought the concept of his TV series RunSeokJin with his hilarious games and
fan interactions.
My favorite tracks: Epiphany (this song got me into BTS), I
Will Come to You (Jin on the piano, flawless voice), Nothing Without Your Love
(because he took his jacket off), Rope It (who'd think he'd go Country?), and
Astronaut, which he sang lying down (just because). What the heck, I loved all his songs.
“I Will Come to You” is a poignant ballad sung by Jin with
gentle and yearning emotion. He wrote it while he was on military duty. He came
back and fulfilled his promise to the BTS Army after his military discharge.
ANDRE RIEU, Sept. 18, 2023,
UBS Arena, New York
"Volare!" Oops, I didn't even realize I was singing loudly until my other seatmate gave me the side-eye. Andre Rieu and his 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra in concert!!! Bucket list item checked.
Never
mind that instead of an open-air concert under the glittering Austrian skies
with the majestic Schonbrunn Palace in the background, the venue is the UBS
Arena in Elmont, NY, and my "sky" is the NY Islanders banners in the
rafters. But as soon as the music started last night, I just imagined that I
was in a more magical place. The vivid, spectacular backing screen and the
elaborate costumes of historical romances created an ambiance you don't see at
grungy metal rock concerts. The music was still the same joyous celebration:
classical music mixed with pop hits, waltzes, movie soundtracks, and rousing,
foot-stomping gospel.
Andre is a consummate showman, and even at 73, he cut a dashing figure as he played the violin, conducted the orchestra, and hammed it up with the audience. My favorite parts were many. I loved the 102-year-old veteran who played the saxophone; I was teary-eyed as Andre introduced the young soldiers (now veterans) who liberated Holland. The enthusiastic crowd sang along to "I Will Follow Him"; if you heard my voice in the recording, I apologize.
The three sopranos sang a beautiful rendition of "The Rose", the tender, melancholic rendition of the Amanda McBroom composition, made famous by Bette Midler in her 1979 film. The clarinetist/bagpiper Manoe provided comic relief; the camaraderie between her and Andre was a joy to watch.
As Andre himself predicted, the aisles filled out with dancing couples who waltzed as the iconic masterpiece "Blue Danube" played. How romantic.
The Modern King of Waltz delivered a grand, spectacular, and fantabulous production. Even my Gen Z niece Charlene loved the
show.
I have done my share of concerts over the years, mostly Filipino singers like Lea Salonga, Marcelito Pomoy, and the REO Brothers.
There are more items on my Bucket list: Pink, Bruno Mars, Andrea Bocelli, Morisette Amon, and SB-19.
