Bang Yongguk, former leader of the K-Pop idol group B.A.P turned solo Korean Hip-Hop artist, returned for his second solo tour, ‘III’ The US Tour 2024. The tour showcased his recent EP, titled ‘3’, across 11 cities in April 2024. As a seasoned concert goer across several genres, it was hands down one of the most vibey concerts I’ve seen to date.
The Orlando stop at Plaza Live started off strong with DJ Babynine playing a set featuring both Hip-Hop classics and current hits to prime the audience for the star of the night. After teasing the crowd for a bit, the transition from dancey DJing to the Drill inspired track OFF that jump starts Bang Yongguk’s set was a surprisingly smooth one. He kept the pace by following it with the trilingual track Xie Xie and continued that momentum through the range of his solo discography.
From calmer tracks like HIKIKOMORI to classics like I Remember to hype tracks like BUSS IT DOWN, the set list was on fire the entire show. Bang Yongguk seemed to feel no pressure to dance or perform, but rather led with a vibey, go-with-the-flow style on stage. Him and DJ Babynine played off each other’s vibes at times, and at other times Yongguk played off the energy of the crowd—ping-ponging punching lines with DJ Babynine, getting the whole crowd singing along with BAD, swaying side-to-side with the fans for Green.
I viewed the show from in front of the barricade to grab photos, on the balcony, and the back of the floor—from all angles, it’s obvious that Bang Yongguk came to do what he loves. Between songs, he chatted with the crowd in both English and Korean about what it was like writing the album and how different he felt performing it on stage. Going from a dark place during creation, to feeling happy and energized performing those same songs. I, for one, could feel that sentiment watching him on stage. This is a man that loves the art of the music and the performance, even if the content of the music is darker and more emotional.
I highly recommend checking him out when he comes through the US again in the future. You don’t have to understand Korean to appreciate the artistry he puts into his craft. Bang Yongguk is for anyone who loves Hip-Hop, and the live experience solidifies how much the music speaks through him and his life,
