This is for ONCE
This is for TWICE’s concert
Grace Zhang–The Tech
Shelly Yang–The Tech
On April 3 and 4, K-pop girl group TWICE held two concerts at TD Garden in Boston. I had been meaning to go to a concert this academic year, but never got over the activation energy barrier of getting an affordable ticket or finding people to go with. But then one of my friends had an extra ticket for the 3rd, so I tagged along with them.
Before the concert, I had a performance for Syncopasian — the a capella group I’m in — which ironically warmed up my voice for the screaming and belting later that evening. I wore my one blue top and jeans, since TWICE’s concept poster for their THIS IS FOR World Tour was generally royal blue. Then, I headed to the venue with some of my hallmates who also happened to be going!
On the way, I bumped into another friend who I thought was going to the concert since he was wearing blue, but turns out that was a coincidence. However, at security, I also ran into our editor in chief, Grace!
TWICE began with their title track, “THIS IS FOR,” before going full swing into a recent classic, “Strategy.” They went through songs in the albums READY TO BE, Summer Nights, and Eyes Wide Open, just to name a few, before hurling into solos and concluding the night with “TT” in their encore.
Although I was initially not a huge TWICE fan, I was still blown away by their performance. My other friends were much more into the group than I was, which elevated the experience for me. There, I learned that TWICE fans are called ONCE.
I also appreciated the lighting; sometimes, the lyrics would flash on the stage, which was very helpful for me. The 360-degree view at TD Garden was also very nice, since the group moved around a lot. We were on the balcony, and while those seats were further away, we could still see everything.
I didn’t think I’d enjoy the concert, since I thought I would be overwhelmed with how loud it was, but I actually had a great time. I loved the classics (“MOONLIGHT SUNRISE,” “YES or YES,” “Feel Special”) because I actually knew the lyrics. But for the songs I wasn’t as familiar with, I enjoyed vibing in a space of hundreds of other people who loved TWICE’s music. Overall, it felt very wholesome and vibrant.
Before I started college, I never thought I’d attend a concert, let alone for a group I was unfamiliar with. But I’m so glad I went out of my comfort zone in a way I never expected.
I’m not sure when the next concert I’ll attend will be, but I’m excited to live out the experiences that are ahead.