"This is For" All the Onces Who Have Dreamt of Seeing TWICE in DC
- Maggz Ardillo
- 12 hours ago
- 8 min read
The air in downtown Washington D.C. is crisp and cool, mountains of ice still lining some of the sidewalks after weeks of frigid temperatures. Despite the cold night air, the atmosphere is buzzing with electric excitement. Hundreds of people are in organized lines, handing out heart shaped trinkets as they admire fluffy plushies hanging off each others’ bags. They are dressed in red and pink, beaded crochet hats and fluffy boots accessorizing many of the outfits.
To the untrained eye, this gathering may look like a Valentine’s Day weekend party at a hot, new club or even a formal dance from a quick glance at the hair, makeup, and outfits that must have taken hours to prepare. There are couples, big groups of friends, and even young kids with their parents, all equally excited to chat with the people in line next to them.
Capital One Arena was hosting the hottest Valentine’s Day event in the city, global sensation K-Pop group TWICE’s first time performing in Washington D.C. After a two week break from their world tour, the JYP managed group was back and performing to a packed arena of excited fans.
Before the show began, fans waited in long lines for merch, wrapping around the concourse area filled with chatter. Friends reunited for selfies, to show off their new photocard holders they bought for tour, and to exchange beaded bracelets and printed film strips with photos of the members. Inside the arena, a unique stage configuration was the main focal point of the show - a 360° stage with two catwalk-like walkways and two side stages. Before the show began, the large screen above the stage showed the tour logo with a live feed of fans in the audience as a backdrop.
The lights dimmed and fans’ Candybongs (the group’s fan light) began flashing blue and white to match the tour logo displayed on the large cube screen hovering over the main stage. “FOUR” echoed through the arena, cheers erupting in anticipation.
Soon the members appeared, performing the title track “THIS IS FOR” and surprising fans with new outfits. For the opening set of the show, members were adorned in sparkly white sets, each outfit complementing their individual style. They moved around the main stage expertly in their fluffy, white knee high boots, to loud cheers of their fans.
The addicting melody of “STRATEGY” came next, which many fans recognize from the K-Pop Demon Hunters movie soundtrack, one of the songs featured in the film. During this song is when the live band really started to rock out and you could hear the difference between a studio track and hearing this talented and experienced group perform with live musicians.
“This is our first time in DC! Thank you for coming tonight despite the cold,” the members greeted fans at the top of the show. They were excited to see fans dressed in pink for Valentine’s Day and even re-creating ensembles from their “STRATEGY” music video.
Many fans could be seen wearing red crochet and knit outfits, modeled after the custom outfits created by South Korea based knitwear artist Dainty Knit in collaboration with trendy fashion design brand Alcmy for the “THIS IS FOR” music video. K-Pop fans continue to raise the bar when it comes to DIY outfits, spending months preparing for concerts. It truly pays off when they not only receive compliments from their fellow fans but also from their bias on stage.
The energy was non-stop as the members moved through fast-paced choreography and intense vocals from leader and main vocalist Jihyo during “I CAN’T STOP ME.” At the end of the song, the arena turned red - Candybongs and the members’ white outfits doused in crimson while the electric guitar solos took over to close out the song.
The members took their places on raised platforms while the screens above them displayed images of stars and galaxies. “OPTIONS” really let their vocals shine, loud cheers echoing through the arena as vocalist Jeongyeon hit her punchy high notes.
A highlight of the show was a stripped back version of “MOONLIGHT SUNRISE”, their English pre-release track from their 2023 READY TO BE album. “I don’t know how to say this, I hope this song’s on your playlist” is a lyric that is still ringing in my head, even days after the concert.
After the opening set of the show, the members got a much deserved break to leave the stage while their phenomenal dance crew took over for eerie and captivating performances to dramatic music. The segments were accompanied with intense images of galaxies on the screens.
When TWICE returned to the stage for “MARS,” “I GOT YOU,” and “THE FEELS,” they had changed into their leather and fringe accented outfits that I think many fans would love to borrow for their next visit to the Renaissance Faire. During “I GOT YOU” they spread out across the three stages, giving fans in different sections an opportunity to capture their perfect fancams of their favorite parts of the choreography. In a cute moment,
Jeongyeon and Momo hugged and walked together from the side stage back to the main, holding onto each other and grinning. Dancers joined them on stage again for “THE FEELS” to help create cute vignettes on the main stage.
Leader Jihyo led a cheer check competition in their next ment, testing the volume of the fans on each level of seating in the packed arena. Nayeon joked that Jihyo’s voice is louder than all the members’ combined and took her chance to yell out to the crowd, the members joking and laughing together in this break.
“Gone” was another memorable moment with powerful lyrics of the breakup song from their Between 1&2 album with equally intense choreography, conveying the emotions of being hurt by someone you once loved.
After spending some time on one of the side stages during “CRY FOR ME,” the song ended to raucous applause as vocalist Nayeon serenaded us with her stunning high vocals in the final chorus.
Fans had their cameras ready and trained on the main stage during “HELL IN HEAVEN” and “RIGHT HAND GIRL” for iconic choreography, as the platforms in the stage rose to bring members to different heights, each facing a different direction to perform for a different area of the arena. Jihyo yelled out “Washington, let me hear you scream!” right before beginning “RIGHT HAND GIRL” and the sound in reply was deafening.
The members each had a chance to show off their own style and charm through snippets of their solo songs. Fans were treated to new outfits for this segment of the show as well, many having spent months watching fancams of their bias and studying each stage.
Youngest member Tzuyu performed her solo “DIVE IN” in a sparkly, black body suit, dancing expertly on the side stage around a large frame set piece and delivering ethereal vocals.
Mina performed “STONE COLD” in a glittery top and long skirt, being lifted by her backup dancers at center stage. Her stage presence was captivating and drew fans in with every word.
Nayeon appeared at the main stage next, in crimson leather pants and a tartan corset, moving across the platforms throughout fan favorite “MEEEEEE,” finishing off the song with a pair dance with one of the back up dancers.
Cheers erupted as soon as the opening chords of “FIX A DRINK” started playing in the arena, Jeongyeon appeared in a gorgeous, sparkly white Western cowgirl inspired outfit, hat and all.
Chaeyoung delivered 80s realness with her song “SHOOT (Firecracker)” under flashing lights and neon designs adorning the screens above her.
Jihyo had everyone on their feet and vibing to her track “ATM,” the entire arena echoing the lyrics of the chorus.
Vocalist Sana was a vision in red during “DECAFFEINATED,” owning the main stage and delivering stunning upbeat vocals.
Fans started cheering as the lights faded and eagerly awaited Momo to close out the solo section of the show with her song “MOVE LIKE THAT.” The rapper and her back up dancers were clad in leopard print and perfectly synchronized, matching the energy of the crowd.
Rapper Dahyun was truly missed, currently taking time to heal and recover from an ankle injury. “We hope to come back to Washington as a full group” exclaimed Jihyo towards the end of the show.
The noise level in Capital One Arena reached new heights as the opening chords of “TAKEDOWN” from Kpop Demon Hunters began. Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung performed their popular song from the film at center stage, moving to each corner to give fans on each side of the arena a good view.
Before the final set of the show, a fashion themed VCR played, backed by upbeat house music. Members paired up on different sides of the stage to perform “FANCY,” Jeongyoen and Momo gracing our side of the stage for a cute moment. Fans were so excited to be able to hear Jihyo’s iconic bridge during “What is Love?” as she popped up behind the rest of the members for a perfect photo op.
“YES or YES” appeared to be a particular crowd favorite, members taking time to interact with fans on each side of the stage they were standing near, waving and completing half hearts. The dancing never stopped from this point on, continuing with “Dance The Night Away” and “ONE SPARK.”
The members thanked fans for coming to the concert, recognizing that while not every fan had brought their fan light to the show, that everyone there was undoubtedly now a Once (TWICE’s fandom name).
Before coming out for their encore, fans were featured on the screens above the main stage, dressed in outfits from Kpop Demon Hunters or music video outfit recreations. They danced to choreographies, held up signs and flags with their biases, or just jumped up and down excitedly on the screen.
The members soon returned in versions of the tour merch, t-shirts cropped into fun tank tops and jeans, or in Nayeon’s case, with a big furry hat. They came out singing “Feel Special” as one of their songs unique to the performance. They asked for fan input and many did call out to hear “TT,” a popular track from 2016.
During the encore, Sana created a memorable fan interaction by accepting a big friendship bracelet that said “TWICE” in large beads that she wore draped across her torso, dancing around stage and even complimenting it over the mic before the group photo.
As they finished up the show with their song “Alcohol-Free,” the members danced under the confetti, saying their last goodbyes to screaming fans. Jeongyeon and Sana teamed up together to carry Chaeyoung in their arms for a few feet on the walkway to the delight of fans in the standing floor section.
Night one of TWICE in Washington D.C. was a beautiful and memorable experience for all who attended and a warm way to spend a cold winter’s night. The love in the building was felt by all and as they headed home from the city center, many fans in attendance were excited to do it all again less than 24 hours later. It is no secret that TWICE is a powerhouse group filled with amazing artistry and energy, but now hopefully the members also know the energy they can expect from a crowd if they return to Washington D.C. in the future.
TWICE
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