BOYNEXTDOOR Kicks Off Their North American Tour in Dallas
Updated: 1 hour ago
Written by EC Stanzel Photos Courtesy of KOZ ENTERTAINMENT (HYBE)
| Costumes, cowboy hats, and a sold-out crowd made for an exciting first night of the KNOCK ON Vol.2 Tour in North America.
Aliens, cats, cherries, and even a slice of pizza gathered at The Bomb Factory on Halloween eve. BOYNEXTDOOR kicked off the North American leg of their KNOCK ON Vol.2 Tour in Dallas on Friday, October 30, and right before showtime, a line of excited ONEDOOR (their fans) was still stretched two blocks down the street.
Sungho (성호), Riwoo (리우), Jaehyun (재현), Taesan (태산), Leehan (이한), and Woonhak (운학) are the members of the first group to debut from the HYBE label KOZ Entertainment. Their name, BOYNEXTDOOR, comes from the idea of the approachable, friendly, and relatable “boy next door,” and since debuting in May 2023, they've put out four million-selling albums in a row.
With album numbers like that, it's no surprise the Dallas show sold out. The Bomb Factory was jam-packed, with the general admission floor and balcony so full that the crowd seemed to overflow. For a lot of people, seeing the stage meant hunting for a gap between heads and phones, and even though I'm fairly tall, I ended up needing to watch most of the show through my phone screen.
Aside from that, the members put on an amazing performance - no notes. It’s obvious that they love being on stage, and that’s what makes the performance and their group’s entire concept work. Their music is just as fun live as it sounds on the albums, and it fits the members so well - whether they’re nailing a full dance break, delivering stable vocals, or just vibing with the crowd.
Dressed in black suits and ties, the members opened with “06070,” “VIRAL,” “But Sometimes” and “I Feel Good,” a high-energy opening run that had the crowd fully hyped right off the bat. When it came time for introductions, Woonhak got the floor and balcony screaming and responded with a simple “That's insane, bruh,” which got some laughs. The members admitted to being a little nervous for the first show of the North American leg, though you'd never have guessed it by watching them.
Things got cuter from there, starting with my favorite song of the night, “123-78.” When the members paired off to dance together, the crowd let out a loud cheer, and it was the first moment the classic boy next door vibe really came through. The crowd kept the joyfully upbeat energy going with a loud singalong to “IF I SAY, I LOVE YOU,” another fun and lighthearted song from the group's discography.
After a short video break, the members traded their suits for street clothes for the most laid-back stretch of the night, and it's where the show felt most like hanging out with the boys next door. They sat on airport terminal benches surrounded by luggage for “Live In Paris,” then got the whole room singing along to “So let's go see the stars.” Then “Forever You” and “Call Me” put their vocals front and center, and the crowd held their own when it came to singing along. So much so that during “Call Me,” Sungho pulled out his in-ears to hear them better.
“Hollywood Action,” “Nice Guy” and “Earth, Wind & Fire” cranked the energy right back up, with Taesan's bass solo and Jaehyun flashing his abs earning some of the biggest screams of the night. Then came “ANIMAL” and “ddok ddok ddok,” both full of intense energy and flashing lights. The crowd was ridiculously loud for the group’s most recent title track “ANIMAL,” chanting and barking the entire song.
“One and Only,” “JAM!,” “Bathroom” and “Dangerous” kept the main set going, switching between the group's sweet and cool sides. After “JAM!,” dance circles kept popping up throughout the rest of the night, and in one, each member took a turn freestyling before Leehan pulled out the airwalk challenge that went viral last year.
“Gonna Be a Rock” and “ADIOS!” were all about singing, jumping and vibing with the crowd. Before the final chorus of “ADIOS!,” Jaehyun asked everyone to “go all out and jump like there’s no tomorrow,” and the whole venue did exactly that. With fireworks bursting around the house on the screen behind them, it was a perfect cinematic end to the main set.
After the crowd enjoyed a bit of “KNOCK ON” karaoke, the group returned for the encore in “I Love Dallas” tees and jeans. By the end of “l i f e i s c o o l,” the Texas souvenirs had piled up: a Dallas Mavericks jersey for Riwoo, a Buc-ee's plush for Jaehyun, and cowboy hats for all, with Taesan stacking at least five on his head. Jaehyun kept the Texas theme going by surprising the crowd with a short cover of “Choosin' Texas,” to which many happily sang along.
BOYNEXTDOOR closed the night with “Count to Love” and “I Wonder,” saying their goodbyes to ONEDOOR along the way, before a final dance circle to a Dallas chant and a promise from Jaehyun that they'd meet again.
One thing is for sure after this concert: these boys next door know how to have fun on stage, and their energy is contagious even through a phone screen at the back of a sold out venue. Dallas was the first of ten stops on a North American tour that wraps up in Mexico City on November 24, so fans in the cities still to come have a lot to look forward to. And next time BOYNEXTDOOR comes back to Dallas, here's hoping it's in a venue big enough for everyone to see them.
BOYNEXTDOOR
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