[Concert Review] IU Blooms in the Bay Area at her Oakland Concert!

Photo Cr. EDAM Entertainment

The graceful and upbeat Korean Singer Songwriter Lee Ji-eun, also known as IU, met Bay Area fans for the first time ever in Oakland, California for her HEREH World Tour! The Korean singer debuted in the year 2008 at the age of 15, and was also known as the “nation’s little sister” and has had a long and successful music career. On July 30, 2024, IU had an abundance of fans from all over the Bay Area fill up the Oakland Arena, which many legendary performers had visited before. There was even a gift from the singer’s mother who prepared something for every fan in attendance: The gift pack included a magnet, a keychain, and a photocard of IU.

IU opened the show with a song called Holssi, a song about perseverance and determination from her latest album, “The Winning” that was released in February of this year (2024). She wore a gorgeous white dress for her first few songs and had an adorned tiara on her head with her long hair cascading down, making her resemble a real life princess! As the night progressed, she broke down her setlist into five sections as announced with VCR’s during breaks between her set and wardrobe changes. 

Photo Cr. EDAM Entertainment

Part 1: Hypnotic as she explained her goal to hypnotize the crowd as she sang. Opening the night with songs such as Holssi, Jam Jam and Ah Puh, and a few more chosen, she really did capture the audience's attention with the unique melodies of each song. 

Part 2:  Energetic for louder and more upbeat fun songs such as, Celebrity, Blueming, and Eight , that really had fans pumping with energy and enthusiasm! Blueming was definitely a crowd favorite and a classic hit among IU’s immense and intricate discography. 

Part 3: Romantic theme as she has written a sweet display of love songs capturing many’s attention over the years such as, Meaning of you, Strawberry moon and Through the night. This seemed quite fitting as the mood slowed down during her romantic serenade, and many lightsticks were being swayed slowly back and forth. 

Part 4: Ecstatic for more theatrical musical numbers such as Shopper, Above the time, and You & I! 

Encore: Heroic with a dark and elusive VCR that teased fans excitedly. Songs include, Shhh, Twenty-Three and Holssi encore. 

Her stage production had a very talented live band who accompanied her the whole night and she had very talented dancers who would rotate and come out during certain songs. There was even a camera showing the top of the stage so viewers can see the intricate formation in the choreography from an above angle of the stage that was a nice detail in the performances. Whether it was a lively song or a slower song, they added a lot of artistry and energy to her performances that she even showed gratitude towards the end of her show as she thanked her team. She even introduced two of her dancers to the crowd in celebration of their birthdays and hard work, which was a very sweet gesture.

  

 The screens on both sides of the stage projected the Korean lyrics of her songs, but also the English romanization for those wanting to sing along! This little touch was something I hadn't seen in a Korean concert (in the US) before, so it was a noticeable and appreciated detail. 

Though the singer had many songs to share with the audience at her show, one thing that was very noticeable and heartfelt was her love and gratitude towards her fans as she shared her thoughts and communicated with fans she had just met for the first time in Oakland. After singing her song Coin, she said “I want to give this coin to a special fan! Who should I give it to?” and scanned the crowd looking for enthusiastic fans. Many Uaena (also known as her fandom name) cheered and screamed but eventually she chose a girl who was waving passionately from the upper level of the arena and even complimented her outfit and commented how cute she was.

During one of the talking breaks between songs, the singer even confessed a little secret to her fans about not feeling super confident with her dancing. 

“Here is a secret: I’m still a bit shy about dancing,” IU revealed.

 To which the crowd responded with disagreement and supportive cheer. The singer continued by sharing,

“In Korea, a few people call me the ‘Korean Dancing Machine.’ But between us, I’m not that confident. When you cheer for me while I dance, it really raises my confidence.” A vulnerable moment for the singer but a very strong bonding and genuine moment from the supportive Oakland crowd. 

IU also noticed how energetic the Oakland crowd was whenever they chanted “Woo Woo Woo!” to hype the singer up. She found it interesting and wanted to join in exclaiming, “Am I doing it right? Woo woo woo!! I feel like I’m part of the Bay Area now! I love your energy!” 

As the night dwindled down for the show, and IU finished her encore of “Shhh, Twenty-Three and Holssi encore”, she disappeared backstage to end the show much to fans' dismay. However, the option for fans to sing “Through the night” , a popular ballad of hers, had fans prompted from the screen to sing and summon the singer once again for another encore. 

Photo Cr. EDAM Entertainment

When she returned for her second encore, she asked fans what they wanted to hear and that it was time to make their requests known! As she scanned the crowds high and low, reading their signs of song requests, the lights brightened in the arena and the camera panned from different people passionately shouting or showing their signs requesting different songs. 

 “I see Good day!” the singer noted as she scanned the crowds. 

“Do you guys like ballads or upbeat songs?” she asked. 

“Scream if you want to hear a ballad!” She listened to the reactions and then asked, “now scream if you want to hear an Upbeat song!” Much to the singer’s surprise the popular vote was a ballad song more than once requested! Songs such as Gloomy Clock, Good day, and only I didn’t know were gifted to fans. 

“Wow! I haven’t sung Gloomy Clock in years!!” exclaimed the singer in surprise. “You guys are requesting a lot of older songs I haven’t sung in a long time.” She even saw a sign for Ganadara and said “Ganadara? That’s not even my song.” (A collaboration song between IU and Jay Park) but she sang a little snippet for the requesting fan.

IU’s  interactions and enthusiasm with fans whether she communicated in English or worked with her translator who also communicated well to match the singer’s emotions was heartfelt and genuine to Oakland fans. Finally, the Korean singer ended the night with her final encore song “Palette” , a song about growing up and entering adulthood with life’s burdens and wisdom, released in 2017! 

Overall, the show was a beautiful and theatrical experience that is definitely a once in a life moment for fans all over the world! Best of luck to IU’s next show in Seoul, South Korea for her ENCORE: THE WINNING, in Seoul World Cup Stadium on September 21 and 22nd!

Review by Megan K. @megankanphotos

Big Thanks to WonderWall Korea, and EDAM Entertainment for this opportunity and wonderful experience!