ONEWE Rock the Palace Theatre in LA on their First-Ever World Tour ‘O! NEW E!volution IV’
- Aliyah H
- Jun 4
- 5 min read
Ten years after their formation, Korean rock band ONEWE marks milestones among their anniversary with their first-ever world tour, O! NEW E!volution IV, making its North American debut at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 3.
The five-member band consisting of Yonghoon (용훈), Kanghyun (강현), Harin (하린), Giuk (기욱), and Dongmyeong (동명) has spent the past decade creating music together. In 2024, Yonghoon and Kanghyun completed their military service, making the band whole again and ready to reunite with fans on a global stage. In a previous interview, main vocalist Yonghoon told The Korea Herald before the tour started, “We are beyond excited for our first world tour. None of us have ever been to the US before, so the fact that we are going there to perform makes it feel like we are achieving a huge dream.” True to the name of their album WE : Dream Chaser, the band is doing exactly that—chasing their dreams and bringing their music to fans around the world.
The shining lights of the Palace Theatre marquee illuminated ONEWE’s name across it, casting a glow over bustling Broadway Street, alive with cars and passersby. With a couple of minutes until the show, the front hallway was almost empty as fans were already seated inside the theater. As the stage lights dimmed, a sea of WEVE, ONEWE’s fandom, raised their lightsticks high, ready for the show to begin.
Photo Aliyah H
As purple lights bathed the stage, the members emerged, their silhouettes gradually coming into view. One of them stepped forward and spoke into the microphone, asking, “Are you ready?” The crowd erupted in a loud cheer, shouting back, “Yes!”
From the very first beat, the atmosphere was electric. ONEWE ignited the crowd, and WEVE responded with cheers, movement, and a sea of glowing lightsticks. The members looked like they had fun on stage, jumping around to songs and interacting with the crowd. At one point, Yonghoon jumped off the stage, going down the aisle singing directly to fans, boosting the energy even more. It felt less like a concert you simply watched and more like an experience both the band and fans could share together. At another point in the show, Dongmyeong came off the stage with his keytar (keyboard synthesizer), jamming out with the front row, but later laid down on stage while playing his instrument, giving a playful flair.
Dongmyeong asked the audience if they were having fun, and the audience answered right back with a “Yes!” that was mixed with screams and cheers for the band. Dongmyeong added, “Well, me too!”
Photo Aliyah H
ONEWE prepared cover performances of ”Attention” by Charlie Puth, a playful cover of “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars, where the crowd belted out every lyric, “Closer” by The Chainsmokers, and “Lucky Strike” by Maroon 5.
The band rocked out with heavy rock and smooth-tempo tracks like “In Course” and “GRAVITY,” where each member had moments to shine with impressive solos. Giuk laid down nice basslines, while Yonghoon, with his acoustic pink, paint-splattered guitar, walked over to Kanghyun, and the two faced off in an epic guitar moment. Kanghyun followed it up with a killer electric guitar solo that brought the energy to a peak.
Then, the band would shift gears to showcase their softer, emotional side with slower-paced songs like “Regulus” and “Roommate,” creating a sea of flashlights by fans for the performance. Throughout the more ballad and emotional performances, Yonghoon and Dongmyeong delivered soft yet powerful vocals, packed with emotion, while Giuk contrasted that with rap verses that added an edge and rhythmic intensity to the rock ballads.
There were several lighthearted moments throughout the show. At one point, a fan shouted, “You’re so hot!” to Yonghoon, and without missing a beat, he shot back, “Thank you, I know,” prompting Harin to play a playful drum hit, like the punchline of a joke, sparking laughter across the crowd. Another funny moment came when Dongmyeong came over to Giuk, and Giuk tickled him just as he was about to share a sweet, emotional moment on stage, catching him off guard and turning it into a funny and endearing interaction.
During the group photo with the crowd, the band shouted “LA,” and the fans responded with “galbi” instead of “cheese”—a playful nod to the band’s earlier conversation about enjoying LA galbi during their time in the city.
During the performance of “0&4,” fans enthusiastically sang along, especially repeating the numbers "공, 일, 이, 삼, 사" (0,1,2,3,4) while swaying and dancing to the beat. In between the lyrics, Yonghoon added, “I love Los Angeles,” igniting cheers in the theatre.
For the encore, Harin took center stage with a killer drum solo—his hoodie pulled over his head—firing up the crowd with both skill and style.
Each member took a moment to share their gratitude and express how eager they are to return. Kanghyun promised that ONEWE would be back—and asked WEVE to promise, in return, that they’d be there too. Holding his hand up in a promise gesture, the crowd raised their hands in unison, sealing the moment with a promise.
As Kanghyun wrapped up his speech in Korean, the translator began interpreting for the audience. Dongmyeong playfully pretended to translate while the voice of the interpreter spoke, drawing laughter from the crowd. Kanghyun played along, thanking him for the translation, to which Dongmyeong proudly replied, “You’re welcome. I am English king,” letting out a laugh afterwards.
During Yonghoon’s speech, fans suddenly started barking—a playful show of support—but little did they know, “he doesn’t like dogs,” as Dongmyeong jokingly pointed out to the crowd, prompting laughter from both Yonghoon and the audience. Yonghoon smiled and continued to thank WEVE for making them special people. He said it was WEVE who turned them from ordinary into something special. Fans collectively said “awe” mixed with “noo,” thinking he was saying that he’s not special. Dongmyeong caught on to the fans’ reactions because he exclaimed in a sincere tone, “Yonghoon, you are special.” Yonghoon denied it and emphasized how WEVE made him become someone special because of their support. The fans quickly yelled words of encouragement: “You’re special” and “yes, you are.” Some even had high-pitched screams that stopped him from finishing his sentence. This turned from a sentimental speech to a funny moment as he showed his personality, jokingly saying, “Hey! My time!” pointing to himself. Everyone broke into laughter.
Every fan in their heart can see the special characteristics in their favorite artists, and moments like this only make that bond stronger. It’s like this quote by Frida Kahlo: “If I could give you one thing in life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes. Only then would you realize how special you are.”
The last song of the night went out with a bang. ONEWE performed “Eraser”—a track wrapped in sadness, yet filled with meaning, reminding fans to cherish fleeting moments and reflect on beautiful memories. This night, too, would become a cherished memory for both the band and their fans.
As the band sang, the crowd echoed every word, their voices blending into the music. Yonghoon held his mic stand out toward the audience to hear every loud cheer. Then came the climax: he turned the mic to Harin, who shouted “LA!” into it, sending the crowd into a final wave of screams. With hearts full and energy high, the band came together for a final bow, closing out the 16th stop on their tour.
ONEWE
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