Concert Review: Block B Delivers Inspiring NYC Showcase Performance Leaving Audiences Wanting More

On Sunday, June 22 Block B delivered an inspiring performance at the Theater at Westbury.

For New York City concert-goers, who have become spoiled with attending shows at the conveniently located Best Buy Theater, it was a bit of a journey to see Block B. Audiences who made the trip to see Block B were treated to a male group who commanded the stage, while engaging an enthusiastic audience.

The Theater at Westbury is a unique theater in the round, which allows ticket holders of the furthest seats to have an opportunity to see their favorite performers up close.

The performance was billed as a showcase, which meant that it was heavier on fan service than concert performance. While this is appealing to hardcore fans, it can be frustrating to viewers like myself, whose primary objective for attending a concert is to hear the artists perform music.

This criticism is not directed towards Block B, but towards the organizers of the show. Block B performed a total of nine songs, but with the formatting of the showcase, their momentum became lost as the stage was interrupted to include fan interaction. This type of showcase was best exemplified by U-KISS earlier in the year, but the format for the U-KISS show was organized in a less clunky fashion.

With that said, Block B was phenomenal in their delivery and stage presence. It would have been wonderful to see Block B perform beyond the nine songs that were included or to have them included in a multiple stage setting such as KCON 2014.

Block B opened the show with a rousing performance of fan favorites “Very Good,” followed by a mash-up of “Freeze” and “Wanna B.”

The group then introduced themselves to the crowd, with the assistance of an emcee and interpreter. Each group member expressed their enthusiasm for being in the United States.

Prior to the concert Block B and concert organizers Jazzy U.S., shared photos the group engaging in leisure activities throughout New York City. However, the members all expressed a desire to go shopping in the city, which is easily considered to be one of the fashion capitals of the world.

Zico stated that one of his favorite moments of leisure time was the opportunity to eat food from the iconic New York burger restaurant, Shake Shack.

When asked about the process of Block B in terms of their performance and practicing, Zico went on to state, “We practice everyday. We when are on stage, we draw strength from our fans.” This response drew a positive response from the fans or BBC, which had traveled from regions as far as the West Coast and Canada.

Prior to singing again, Block B began one of the fan service portions of the night. The group selected seven fans to receive roses from the members, while they sang the apropos song “Romantically.” The fans who were onstage all expressed their shock and joy at having an opportunity to experience an unique interaction with Block B.

Following their rose ceremony, Block B performed one of their hit songs, “100% Synchronization,” which helped to get the crowd pumped up.

This was followed by another portion of fan interaction, in which the group played a unique game of charades which was interspersed with a variety show favorite, muk jji ppa or Korean rock, paper, scissors.

One fan, in particular, was so moved by having the opportunity to be on stage during this portion, she was unable to compose herself and was moved to tears.

The game portion was then followed by a continuation of songs which included “Be The Light,” “Nalina,” and “Nice Day.” One of the standout stages for the night was “Mental Breaker,” which had audiences out of their seats, singing along.

Block B completed the performance with a rousing rock rendition of “Very Good,” which also was well received by fans.

Following the showcase, I spoke with two sisters who had traveled from Colorado and California, to gauge their reaction. The sisters, Tammy Marshall and Kathy Orme, are known as the Ahjumma Seoul Sisters. They had specifically traveled to New York City for the Block B concert and have attended numerous K-Pop shows over the years.

Kathy was extremely happy to see Block B stating, “I loved them. I wish there was more to the show.” Her sister Tammy shared in her sentiment and as a California native stated, “I wish they would be at the upcoming KCON.”

The Block B showcases were unique in that the performances were only held on the East Coast, making tour stops in New York City, Washington D.C., and Miami. The Washington D.C. showcase was held on June 24, while the Miami performance will cap off the tour on Friday, June 27.

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