On August 8, KCON greeted eager east coast fans for the inaugural KCON New York (KCON NY). While it was billed as a New York City event, KCON NY was held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event served as a barometer for the popularity of Korean pop and the entertainment in the Northeast, as audiences poured out to participate in convention activities including panels, workshops, and games. 

The New York City K-pop Festival, which serves as the staging ground for preliminaries of the World K-pop Festival, was also held during KCON. This provided audiences who have not previously attended the event which the opportunity to experience a nuanced delivery of various aspects of the Korean Wave or a term known as Hallyu. 

While the daytime programming was a huge draw, K-pop fans turned out in full force to see Girls' Generation, VIXX, AOA and Teen Top perform stages for M! Countdown. 

Here are some of the musical highlights from KCON NY. 

VIXX

VIXX opened the evening with the title track from their 2014 album, “Error.” They utilized a classic K-pop boy band technique by providing introductions prior to their performance.

VIXX made great use of the main stage area. The stage for KCON NY differed from KCON LA, in terms of elevation from the fans and also in terms of shape. KCON NY incorporated a horseshoe, as compared to the multilevel staging area incorporated for KCON in Los Angeles.

Ravi and Kevin were the most vocal during the segment of their set, where the group members interacted with the audience. VIXX is a K-pop act that has heavily focused on their international fans, particularly those within the U.S. This was apparent as each member used English to speak to their fans.

One of the highlights of their set was a brief acapella stint which preceded the fan favorite, “On and On.”

“On and On” marked a transitional point for VIXX, a group that debuted with bright 8-bit chiptune inspired songs before plunging into the dark realm of songs like “Eternity.”

Their performance of “Eternity” demonstrated their maturity, as an act that has tried several different musical concepts.

Audiences who fell in love with VIXX for their uptempo sound were delighted to see the group transition back to their early catalog.

The turning point of their stage was punctuated by several adorable points of fan service delivered by Hyuk. Hyuk made a squeaky noise when he was prompted to show a cuter version of VIXX. He addressed the crowd with heart-shaped arms and said, “I Love You.”

The line between the somber works of VIXX was eradicated when they delivered their final stage of “G.R.8.U” and “Love Equation.”

AOA

AOA followed VIXX to deliver a performance whose setlist was similar to their KCON LA stage, but with a different introduction and costumes.

Their "Heart Attack" entrance and concept was different than LA. While they were led in with the lacrosse team concept in LA, they took the stage with a collegiate look.

They followed the electronic dance hit with “Like a Cat.” Their pink and white costumes served as an innocent juxtaposition to the black latex and leather catsuits that were initially worn during domestic “Like a Cat” promotions. AOA introduced themselves to the crowd, after stirring up the audience with the infectious song.

“We were just part of KCON LA and now we've made the trip to the East Coast,” said Jimin.

"We feel so much closer to our fans, now,” mused Seolhyun.

While most of their latest releases were highlighted, AOA continues to please veteran fans with “Confused.” Choa kicked off the vocals on the pop ballad, which emphasizes a different musical stage of AOA.

AOA began to wind down their performance with their hit "Short Hair,” before concluding with “Minikiskirt.”

Danny Im of 1TYME and “Danny from LA,” entered the general admission crowd and introduced introduced himself.

"The beauty of KCON is not just the experience but the chance to get up-and-close personal with your favorite idols,” said Im.

Teen Top

Teen Top opened their set with “5 Seasons,” their latest song which incorporates a retro concept. During the midtempo pop ballad, they performed in blue and red suits, setting an old-school tone.

The group sat upon the steps of the set, providing the audience with a different side of their talents than what was previously shown in performances like “Rocking.” “5 Seasons” highlights the both the vocalists and the rappers within the group, proving that there is more to Teen Top than snappy choreography.

They segued to “Ah-Ah,” which incorporates the nuanced choreography that exemplifies Teen Top, placing them on par with synchronized dance-pop groups like INFINITE. “Ah-Ah” is a track from their 2015 release, “Natural Born Teen Top,” which highlights their growth as one of the most intriguing male groups in K-pop.

Teen Top individually introduced themselves to the audience and Niel asked if the crowd was feeling good.

After highlighting their new releases, Teen Top trip to the past with "To You" from their 2012 release, “aRtist” before segueing to the fan favorite “Miss Right.”

During "Miss Right,” the audience followed along with their choreography and chimed in for the infectious refrain, “La La La La.”

While they remained stationed towards the back of the stage prior to “Miss Right.” Teen Top excels at their synchronization, which was omnipresent in this stage.

Even though this was their third time participating in KCON since joining the lineup in 2013, their delivery of "Rock It" was refreshing and continues to be a crowd-pleaser.

KCON NY featured more interstitials and speaking segments when compared to KCON in Los Angeles.

N and Ravi from VIXX greeted the crowd from within the audience.

"What do you think of the performances you've been watching?," asked Ravi.
"Are you having fun?"

Hyuk then joined the duo. "Let's take selfies," said Hyuk.

“Say kimchee,” said N, prior to leading the photo session.

Special Stage

With an introduction from N of VIXX, the highlight of the night was a special stage, which was inspired by Newark’s neighboring city, New York.

Choa opened with Jay Z and Alicia Key's “Empire State of Mind,” which she has previously performed at events like FNC Kingdom in Hong Kong. She was joined by fellow AOA members Yuna and Hyejeong for the special stage, which showcased the glittering vocals of the girl group.

Teen Top’s Niel and Chunji followed with a stirring ballad, which also emphasized the splendor of the Empire State.

These special stages, which highlighted vocal music, were a juxtaposition to the hip-hop performances delivered at KCON LA.

Girls' Generation

Girls’ Generation immediately captured the attention of the audience, following the special stage.

The powerhouse group donned patriotic costumes, which glittered under the lights of the Prudential Center.

Girls’ Generation kicked off their performance with the thrilling EDM track, “Catch Me If You Can,” before introducing themselves to the crowd.

"It's been awhile since Girls' Generation has been back in New York, as a whole crew," said Tiffany.

They segued from their greetings to "Check" from their latest release, “Party.” The stage provided a nuanced balance between old standards and tracks from their latest catalog. Audience members who have yet to learn all of the lyrics to “Check” enthusiastically delivered the fan chants to “Genie” from their 2010 release, “Oh!”

The members of Girls’ Generation were expressed their enthusiasm as the audience joined them in singing, “Gee.”

During a press conference which was held prior to the concert, Girls’ Generation was asked to describe their favorite song to perform, during concerts.

“Our favorite song to perform is ‘Gee’,” said Tiffany. “We love that our fans sing along with the words.”

While they did not announce the specifics of a new release, Tiffany hinted that the group is currently working on two new songs.

“I'm sure you've heard 'Party',” said Tiffany. “We have two new tracks coming for you."

The eight-member group wrapped up their set by performing a short acoustic segment from “Run, Devil, Run” before ushering in a festival atmosphere with their latest hit, “Party.”

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About the writer: Adrienne Stanley is a contributing editor for KDramaStars. She is also a contributing writer for KpopStarz, MTV Iggy, Viki and CJ Entertainment's KCON blog. Her passions include a love of K-pop and Asian drama. When she is not writing, she is hanging out on Twitter (@retrogirladdy).