By Kwaak Je-yup
B2ST (BEAST), one of the most popular male groups in K-pop today, marked Saturday the beginning of a 21-date world tour with the first show at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena at the Olympic Park, in Bangi-dong, southeastern Seoul.
The most extensive world tour of a Korean pop act, the tour comprises 14 different nations in Asia, North and South America and Europe, according to Cube Entertainment, the group’s agency.
Confirmed dates include Berlin, London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, Singapore, five cities in Japan, Bangkok, Shanghai, Taipei, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Manila.
Titled “Beautiful Show,” the opening night attracted around 12,000 people, the organizers said, only about 2,000 short of full capacity. There was also a second concert at the same venue Sunday.
A wide array of nationalities were represented among of the members of the audience, coming from as nearby as Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia and as far as Canada, Russia and the United Kingdom.
During the show, band members thanked the adoring fans with a pun that the hall was “full” with “Beauty,” the name of the official fan club.
B2ST performed a set of 30 tracks, including their biggest hits from an already prolific two-year career, including “Breathe,” “Fiction” and “Shock.” The latest single “I Knew It,” released two weeks ago, was met with great enthusiasm from the audience.
“Beautiful Show” is their second solo concert effort, after “Welcome to Beast Airline,” their runaway successful debut last year.
The tour will unfold over 35 weeks.