UP10TION Conquers '1st US Meet & Live Tour - Candyland' in New Jersey (REVIEW)

This summer, hit K-Pop boy group UP10TION held their 1st US Meet & Live Tour - Candyland, presented by Studio PAV! The ten-member group made stops in San Jose, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, San Juan, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Seattle, with every show being an unforgettable night for fans.

UP10TION had first stepped onto American soil with their performance last year at KCON NY 2017, sans Wooshin on hiatus. With the full ten members, the anticipation, eagerness, and excitement from American Honey10s was overflowing! Studio PAV met and even exceeded every K-Pop fan's dream to meet their favorite group with their amazing fan engagement opportunities. Here's our review of Studio PAV's unique VVIP experience! (Spoiler alert: it is everything you've ever wanted.)

The purchase of a VVIP ticket came with an album, a laminated pass and lanyard, a group photo session, a high touch, access to the concert's premium section, and, most importantly, a fansign with UP10TION! While fansigns are held frequently in Korea, American K-Pop fans rarely get the chance to speak intimately with their favorite idols. New Jersey fans eagerly snatched up this chance -- VVIP tickets sold out for this location much earlier than the other stops.

Although the New Jersey stop of the tour had a bit of a late start, the wait was easily made up for with how efficiently the Studio PAV staff got VVIP fans checked in and lined up. Upon checking in, we were handed our album (a Red version of UP10TION's Invitation) and got our name written on the VVIP pass in Korean by a staff member. Then, we lined up in neat rows of 10 people each in the main stage's room. These were our groups for the fansign, group photo, and high touch sessions.

Here's the moment the entire VVIP section was anticipating: the fansign! The ten members came out, performed their group greeting, and sat down at a long table arranged at the front of the room in age order.

Studio PAV staff's organization was on par throughout the entire ordeal. Despite the hustle and bustle of nerves from being so close to meeting UP10TION, staff members kept the fans calm and the lines neat and tidy. When it was our row's turn to go, we were guided through the left side of the venue up to the fansign table --- and this is where the fun part begins!

Nothing will ever measure up to the mix of happiness, excitement, and nervousness that comes from meeting one of your favorite idol groups. Will I remember to thank Jinhoo for being a great leader? Will I remember to give Wooshin a warm welcome back? Will I remember to tell Xiao that I love him? There were a million thoughts rushing through my head, but the underlying feeling of it all was joy: joy at talking with the members, seeing them sign your name, and, especially, smiling at them and receiving a dazzling smile back!

In addition to talking with each boy, getting their signature, and exchanging a cute "I love you!", most members sent me off to the next one with a high-five or a quick hand-hold. It was exhilarating to interact with the members so closely. Though it went by quickly, we weren't rushed at all. My favorite moment of my fansign was asking Xiao to decorate the photocard of him I had received in my album; he now wears cute Sharpie'd bear ears!

After the fansign, our row was directed back to our original spot through the right side of the venue, and staff rearranged UP10TION's tables and chairs in order to prepare for the high touch and group photo sessions. VIP ticket-holders were directed into the venue at this point.

Studio PAV's organization and efficiency once again shined through with their high touch and group photo session set-up. We walked through each member for the high touch, rife with happy greetings and my own mental freak-outs over how soft their hands were, and then walking around to the back of the members to take the group photo. After the photo was taken, UP10TION turned around again to greet us goodbye -- almost like a second high touch! Although the interaction was more brief than the fansign, we could still feel the immense love that UP10tion holds toward their Honey10s.

Once the fan engagement sessions were over, the venue was quickly rearranged to prepare for the actual concert. UP10TION started off the night with their bop Runner -- a great throwback to how the song was performed for the first time on the 2017 KCON NY stage! From there, the excitement, hype, and love for UP10TION only grew as they continued with fun hits like Catch Me! and Tonight.

The concert's strong fan engagement presence even continued into the concert portion of the night: they took advantage of the intimate White Eagle Hall and turned on the lights so UP10TION could see fans' faces and reactions during the fun post-it Q&A sessions and ments. They also didn't use a translator for any of their ments, relying on their great English skills for a more intimate experience with these American fans.  

Unique to Studio PAV was a city-oriented speed quiz, in which UP10TION had to guess fan-submitted key words about the New York Metro area like Atlantic City, diners, and the Jersey Shore. The concert was the perfect mix of UP10TION's strong performance skills and cute, charming personalities. Honey10s are shaking.

The last portion of the night was UP10TION's 'Pick-A-Pose' Snapshot session, where Honey10s could snap a Polaroid picture posing with a member of their choice. The love for UP10TION after this concert was especially high, with New Jersey Honey10s selling out Pick-A-Pose photo tickets. Studio PAV's staff once again pulled through with efficiency and hard work: when waiting in line to take a Polaroid, one staff member would direct the fan to choose a pose from their pre-determined guides, and another staff member would take the Polaroid, armed with many extra rolls of film on hand. Staff members also worked hard to fix any uneven lines of Polaroid-awaiting Honey10s, making sure each member of UP10TION felt loved. These Pick-A-Pose snapshots are unique to Studio PAV. They serve as a perfect reminder of such a unforgettable night of seeing your faves, and another chance to interact with them!

Overall, UP10TION's 1st US Meet & Live Tour was an amazing night full of intimate fan interactions, stunning performances, and love both from and for the fans. Studio PAV provided the best experience possible for every Honey10 in attendance and received endless, well-deserved praise and thanks after!

Tickets to the next Studio PAV-presented tour, VAV's Meet and Live Tour in US, are available now! Don't miss out on this unforgettable K-Pop fan experience.

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