By Honorary Reporter Tiffany Dawn Silver from U.S.

Photos= Tiffany Dawn Silver

Los Angeles is a hub for K-pop events and many artists. A lot of fans come here just to attend such events in the hope of seeing their favorite groups. Thus I present my experience and tips for attending these events. Please note that what worked for me might not necessarily work for you; even I needed a few tries to get things right. 


Jimmy Kimmel NCT 127 outdoor concert, Apple Music Concert (2018) 

NCT 127 Jimmy Kimmel Outdoor Concert 2018

I've been a fan of NCT 127 since it debuted in 2018. When I heard the group was coming to Los Angeles to showcase their English-language track "Regular," I knew I had to attend a few events. Here, I'll describe two of the three events I got into.

I'd attended Jimmy Kimmel outdoor concerts before, so I knew exactly what to do. I researched online via Twitter the day the group was performing. Then I went to my favorite free ticket site, 1iota, which gives away tickets to many events. First you need a profile, and since most of the events are taped for TV, a well-groomed photo is crucial for hopefully getting chosen. They also consider your age for certain events. So I waited for days for the tickets to drop, and when they did, I applied for two fast. A little while later, I got an email telling me to accept my tickets.

This method was also effective in getting into an exclusive party for Apple Music where NCT 127 would be performing. My friend applied for those tickets but sadly we didn't get in. So back to Kimmel, most people for this event camp out for barricade spots. So my friend got there extra early since she lived closer and camped out for both of us. During the day, we checked in, received wristbands, got filmed by Dispatch, heard sound check and hung out with other NCT 127 fans. We were also allowed to bring in light sticks, but you should check if they're permitted.

So we got inside and were about three rows back. We had a blast but right after it ended, my friend got an email saying we got tickets for the Apple Music event. The location wasn't far away so we quickly got into an Uber car and made it there in time. We were about the last ones allowed in and so happy because the event was for VIPs. We stood in the back with the staff since they remembered us from the other events and had a great time. This doesn't happen often but when we left, we received branded NCT 127 totes, shirts with the event date and stickers as gifts. So the things to remember from these two events are 1) know the schedule of the act's appearance, apply for tickets, plan a few days before, check if light sticks are allowed and bring a buddy.


MONSTA X We Are Here 2019 Concert, Tower Records Meet & Greet Valentine's Day (2020) 

MONSTA X We Are Here Concert 2019

I've been a Monbebe, or a fan of MONSTA X, since its debut and the following two events came last year and this year. Pure luck was what got me into both events.

A Twitter page I follow, FANSTA, gives away merchandise and concert tickets and helps find affordable concert tickets. A few days before the concert, I saw a tweet announcing a giveaway of tickets for pick up at the venue. Since the Staples Center is 20 minutes from my house, I entered. On the day of the concert, I was notified via Twitter that I won. I was in shock but quickly went to downtown Los Angeles. I picked up the tickets from a FANSTA staff along with three other winners, and low and behold, we had BOX SEATS! This was the first time I got box seats for a concert, so I was ecstatic. This was amazing as it was my first MONSTA X concert.

The next event was on Valentine's Day this year, and proved to be more stressful than thought. MONSTA X was coming to Los Angeles to promote its English-language album "All About Luv." I got into two events but this event is what really made the best Valentine's Day of my life. Like I usually do, I looked for the group's public schedule. I applied to attend MONSTA's other events but when I read "meet and greet" at Tower Records, I did heavy research but found nothing. I also followed their overseas manager Eshy Gazit since he sometimes tweets important information. My friends and I were eating dinner when a tweet from Eshy was posted with a link to the meet and greet. I yelled at my friends to apply, and we luckily got free tickets for the event.

So on the day of the event, I got to Tower Records extra early to wait in line since my tickets were for the first time slot. Not so many people were there so I knew I'd get in. The Monbebes around me kept asking security if they had info (they didn't). We kept waiting until official personnel came and said everyone with tickets would get in. So we got wristbands and waited in the official line. We were told it was a "hi touch," or doing a high five with the band. Once inside, we saw the guys leaving, and none of the brand ambassadors working knew where they went. We spotted Eshy walking around and told him that we wanted to wait somewhere to get the hi touch since the group apparently took a break. Being at the front of the line, Eshy took us to the side to wait. When MONSTA X came back, we were the first of the second group to hi touch. My first impression of the group was that the members were all super tall and gorgeous. I told each of them I loved them and they smiled after seeing me hold a light stick. Afterwards, I saw a video of the event showing me doing a hi touch with the member Shownu. So the things to take away from these two events are to know the act's appearance schedule, search for giveaways, apply for tickets, plan a few days before, help your friends and be kind to staff.

Capital Records SUPERM Debut Showcase 2019, Barnes and Noble Fan Sign 2019 

SUPERM Capital Records Debut Showcase 2019

SUPERM Barnes and Noble Fan Sign 2019

Both of these events featuring SUPERM were held last year and proved a little tricky to get into. I've been a fan of SUPERM since day one and follow the group on social media. When I saw an article on Capital Records, I knew it was for SUPERM since Capital is the U.S. label for the group. While carefully watching pages, I learned of the date the free tickets would go out. My fast typing landed me a ticket. I knew I'd have to get there early to wait in line so I contacted friends who got in and agreed to meet up there. A line was around the corner when I got there, but I had no choice. I heard that people without tickets were also in this line, and knew they wouldn't get in since you needed a QR code. An entire village was set up for the event, so I made friends with those in line so that I could buy merchandise. I always introduce myself to those around me so I know who is before and after me in line if I need to get food, use the bathroom and in this case, buy merchandise. They scanned the code and I went through security. Everyone admitted to the showcase got the debut SUPERM light stick. When I got to my section, I was a little further back but that was OK. I had a great view of the concert as well as a great time.

The fan sign at Barnes and Noble was an exhausting experience. My usual research found that a fan sign was imminent, a rare occurrence outside of Korea or Japan. For this event, I followed the Twitter page of Barnes and Noble at the Grove shopping mall since it gives updates and links to events. I also downloaded the Eventbrite app on my phone to purchase a fan sign ticket when it came time. They released tickets at a very inconvenient time so I was up all night, but I got them. Just one member, however, would show up at this event but this was fine since I adore all the members. A fan I befriended and I got there and saw 300-350 people in line, with over 500 people supposedly getting tickets for the event. I was again decked out in merchandise with three light sticks. If you want to get noticed, dress up or wear merchandise. So we waited, waited and waited. It took a couple hours for us to go inside and get our albums signed. We were also told not to film or take pictures, a standard rule for a fan sign. When we got to the signing site, the setup was that whichever member was done first was the one you got. So I got Taeyong. I was going crazy inside, as I got to hold his hand and talk to him. I knew it was fate that I got him since the photo card inside the album was his. This was absolutely my best fan sign in the City of Angels. So the things to take away from these two events are to know the act's appearance schedule, apply for tickets, plan a few days before, make friends with people in line, make fast decisions, follow the rules, and be kind to staff and the act.

BTS's 'Fake Love' appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" (2018), iheartRadio Live with BTS (2020) 

iHeartRado Live with BTS 2020

BTS is my favorite K-pop act so I try to attend as many events with them as I can. I had basically the same idea for the following two events but one was more successful than the other.

The first was the most annoying event I've ever attended. BTS was set to appear on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and I had no ticket. There was a standby line so after much research, I found out the day BTS was recording. The taping was at 6 a.m. and I was in the standby line dressed as the member Suga (Min Yoongi) in his DNA costume. At around 1 p.m., the show's staff gave us wristbands telling us we might or might not get in and if we do, we'd go to the riffraff (waiting) room. This was fine since the room has a screen showing what was happening on stage. In the room, we watched the show and screamed louder than the seated audience. Then to our surprise, they brought the members to the steps to wave at us. Suga and V both looked at me with wide eyes and waved at me since I had bright blue hair and being dressed as Suga. As we left, I recorded a small video of my group and me reacting to our experience. I also met two new ARMY friends whom I still hang with, waved to BTS members in their cars as they left, saw myself in a behind-the-scenes Ellen video and submitted my reaction video to Mnet for use in the BTS "Boy with Luv" comeback show.

In January this year right before this pandemic started, I knew BTS was coming for the Grammys but didn't have a ticket. It's the hardest event to get into, but I tried for weeks entering radio and online contests but failed to secure a ticket. I opted for standby since I knew that the IheartRadio Theater, where BTS was to appear, can house 500 people. So I dressed up in my Tata cosplay and headed to the theater. Sometimes they pull people from standby based on how they're dressed so I used that logic. I got there around 1 p.m. but the event didn't start until 5:30 p.m. Certain people there had camped out the night before, and surprisingly, there weren't so many people in the ticket and standby lines. I brought food and water since it was lunch time. Always remember to bring snacks, have a friend bring food or do food runs. At events, I start Twitter threads to send updates on whether people should attend. A little after I got there, a group of ARMY member came down the line and gave me a fan wristband. I was #103, so I had high hopes of getting in. They moved us to another area to prevent us from standing on the sidewalk. I had my best ARMY friend Keli meet me there. Around 4:30 p.m., they started bringing standby people over and we kept moving up. When it was our turn, they brought us over, took our names and gave us official wristbands. We luckily got black wristbands, meaning we were on the FLOOR, while most other standby people got grey, meaning the balcony. Needless to say, we had a blast. Another occurrence while we were in line was seeing Radio Disney interviewing people. A radio host interviewed us, and we said were Radio Requesters with the Twitter page BTSXCALIFORNIA. When the video came out, we saw us in it and posted about it everywhere. It was definitely my best experience so far this year. So the things to learn from these two events are to know the act's appearance schedule, get up earlier than usual, take a chance in the standby line, help others, stay positive, bring food and water, and make a statement.

chaey0726@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.