On Saturday I had the wonderful, and possibly
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see my favorite South Korean star Lee Seung
Gi (이승기) in concert.
There are not really words to describe what this experience
was like for me, but I will try.
A few years ago I discovered Lee Seung Gi when he debuted
for the first time in a leading role in the television drama Brilliant Legacy
(Shining Inheritance 찬란한 유산). I’ve followed his carrier ever since and watched all of
his proceeding dramas. I love him as a variety actor although I haven’t seen
every episode of every program he’s been in (trust me it’s on my list of things
to do at one point) and I enjoy his music as well. So, it was with great excitement
that I booked my VIP tickets to his Hope Concert in Seoul.
Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium
I have to admit: until the very moment I arrived at the
venue I was certain I’d been horribly tricked and that I wasn’t actually going
to his concert. It seemed too un-real to me that I was actually given the opportunity
to see him live. Like, how did that even happen? But as I walked out of the
station at Olympic Park (the concert was held in the Gymnastics Stadium there)
and was bombarded but vendors selling Lee Seung Gi goods it was like I finally
realized it was real.
Then, after I picked up my tickets I just remember thinking ‘Holly
crap!’
In fact, I pretty much kept thinking that all night.
Holly crap.
HOLLY CRAP.
Wow!
There was a ton of people there (holly crap) and while my
seat wasn’t within touching distance it was really close (holly crap)!
The fans were also really awesome. No one does concerts like South Korea. Everyone (and I mean everyone) had a green (or turquoise) glow stick and there were fans from all over the place (mostly Japan and Taiwan).
When the moment finally arrived and Lee Seung Gi came out of
stage it was absolutely phenomenal. The lighting was stunning and beautiful…plus
the added bonus of everyone’s glow sticks just making it seem like a brilliant,
wonderful fairytale.
I was looking at Lee Seung Gi. Not on TV. Not on my phone.
But for real. In person.
It’s once of those moments were you realize for the first
time that (holy crap) this person is real.
And let me tell you…this man puts on an awesome concert.
He had a lot of things planned…including performing songs
from a number of different genres which really surprised me. We got some
electro-pop, some ballads, and even some rock.
Lee Seung Gi with Bora
Once of my favorites was his performance of SISTAR’s “Gone
Not Around Any Longer” (있다 없으니까) which featured Bora (one of the group’s
members). It was…just…wow.
He also sang my favorite song of his—also one
of my favorite Korean songs—“Losing My Mind” (정신이 나갔었나봐) so
that was a special moment for me. Actually, he sang all of the songs I love.
Which hardly ever seems to happen. Unreal.
There were other highlights -- such as his trot performance (which is apparently an annual tradition). And what continued to amaze me was that he was smiling the whole time. All the time. The adorable smile of his. Guh.
Cross Gene
There was also a intermission (half-time)
performance by two different groups. The first was the boy band Cross Gene.
I actually didn’t know at the time (although
I recognized him) but one of the members is Shin Won-Ho from the drama Big. I really enjoyed seeing them on
stage even though they only performed two songs. It was quite a different
experience seeing a boy band and I’d really like to go to a concert like that
sometime before leaving Korea.
The second group was much older guys
performing some ballads. I didn’t catch their name and nor did I recognize them
but I’m not really interested in looking them up so I guess that’s okay. I will
say they had awesome voices.
The end of the concert was the saddest part
for me. I kept wanting to cry because it was just so awesome an I know that I
will probably never get a chance to see Lee Seung Gi in concert again.
There was an encore, of course. Seung Gi came
out to a white grand piano and played “Let’s Break Up” (우리 헤어지자)
and then walked off stage. It was actually really funny because one of the
Korean girls behind me was like, “Wh-what? He just played ‘Let’s break up’ and
then that’s it? It can’t end like that! How weird!”
But then he came back and went on to crush my heart further by performing the song he sang for the Gu Family Book (구가의 서) OST with a lovely montage of footage from the series showing in the background.
And that’s how it ended.
On a Gu
Family Book song.
It broke me just a little, that.
Anyway, when I was heading back home I think
I was a bit in shock.
Holly crap.
It was one of the best nights and I’m so thankful,
so happy to have been able to go to that concert (the only thing I'm sad about is that I couldn't get better pictures).
Hopefully, someday I can go again. I love you
forever Lee Seung Gi!
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