Can concert films serve as a proxy for an actual concert?
Seventeen is one of the most popular K-pop groups today. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry identified Seventeen as the third biggest-selling global artists of 2024, just behind Taylor Swift and Drake. The group's most recent tour began on Oct. 12, 2024 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and concluded on Feb. 16 in Bangkok. For those of us who couldn’t make it to the live shows, or if one wanted to relive the experience, Hybe released a concert film in cinemas worldwide on a few select dates in early April. I consider myself a fan — enough that I can sing along to a dozen or so of their songs, but not enough to have ever seen them live or own a Seventeen light stick. I attended one of these screenings.
The 14-screen multiplex theater I went to was in a large mall in Connecticut. The theater had a maximum capacity of 95 people. There were two showings — one on a Wednesday and the other on a Saturday.
I was the first one there, so the theater was silent when I arrived. I was looking forward not only to the concert film, but also because I thought I had a row to myself. When I bought my ticket, there were 17 other seats booked. Eventually people began trickling in, and a group of three young women sat right next to me. I checked the seat map again, and now it showed that 26 tickets had been sold, including the three next to me. They were clearly excited — almost as if they were at an actual concert.
For those who have not watched a K-pop or any other concert film in a movie theater, it is an odd experience. On one hand, it is much cheaper and easier to get to a movie theater. My ticket cost $20, a small fraction of what a concert ticket for Seventeen would cost, and parking was free. I sat in a wide recliner, which was comfortable enough for a nap and certainly cushier than my seat at any concert. On the other hand, it was much less invigorating than any concert I’ve ever attended. There wasn’t a crowd of people handing out banners as is the case at many K-pop concerts. Light sticks were nowhere to be found in the movie theater.
The concert film was shot at Goyang Stadium, which has a capacity of around 50,000 people. I suspect that other attendees had more fun than I did, but I can’t say the same for the three 20-something year old women sitting next to me.
In fact, they were as excited as some of the people at the J-Hope concert I recently attended. They took selfies — single and group ones. The theater was pitch-black, so I’m not sure how or why they took photos. They did this throughout the two-hour duration of the movie. They also took photos and videos of the performances as if we were at a concert. While they stayed seated, this did not prevent them from singing and dancing throughout the performance. They even giggled, almost hysterically at times. Under normal circumstances, these behaviors would have annoyed me. However, since we were pretending to be at a concert, I didn’t mind.
The concert itself was great. I saw a lot of Mingyu, Wonwoo, The8 and Joshua, but all of the members enjoyed some screen time. As usual, Hoshi was animated. Woozi, S. Coups, and Vernon were all fun to watch. The newest songs had a bit more autotune than I might have liked, but the group could clearly sing well live. In fact, the last song, “Very Nice,” lasted about 10 minutes and had many live parts that required the audience to participate. DK, Seungwan and Dino nailed the prechorus.
However, of the 13 members of Seventeen — I know it’s confusing — only 11 were present. Jeonghan enlisted in the military just before this concert, and due to Korean conscription laws, the other Korean members will have to join by the time they turn 28. Members can also be absent for other reasons — Jun, who is Chinese and not in the military, was also absent due to acting obligations in China. For a group 10 years past its debut date, having 11 of its 13 original members is not bad. I suspect there will be future concerts with fewer members.
I was a bit sad that they didn’t perform “Don’t Wanna Cry,” “Darl+ing,” “Rock With You,” or “Hot,” but I did enjoy “Home,” one of my favorite Seventeen songs. The highlight was the aforementioned “Very Nice,” primarily because of the fun audience participation.
Was the film a satisfying substitute for their concert? For me, it’s a definite no. However, the three women next to me might beg to differ.
Grace Kao
Grace Kao is an IBM professor of sociology and professor of ethnicity, race and migration at Yale University. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. — Ed.
