Welcome to “The City”: N.Flying Turns Up the Heat in Their San Francisco Debut
- Aliyah H
- Sep 13
- 6 min read
The air inside the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco was thick—hot and muggy—on Sunday, August 31, just before Labor Day. And yet, it didn’t seem to faze fans. Not when N.Flying, the Korean rock band, stepped onto the stage for the first time in this city. The crowd's cheers cut through the heaviness like a breeze, as the band’s energy lit up the stifling venue with excitement.
This was Seunghyub (승협), Hun (훈), Jaehyun (재현), Hweseung (회승), and Dongsung's (동성) second tour in the United States as part of their &CON4: FULL CIRCLE world tour, but it marked their first-ever stop in San Francisco. During the show, the leader, Seunghyub, expressed his gratitude to the fans for welcoming them so warmly. Near the end, Jaehyun announced that San Francisco had set a new record—he broke four drumsticks, the most out of any city on the tour—driven by the passion and energy he felt from the crowd.
The members made the most of their visit, telling the audience they had spent time sightseeing around the city. They shared that they walked along the piers, Jaehyun mentioned visiting Ghirardelli Square, and, as seen on X, Dongsung even rode small ‘GoCars’ around town wearing a onesie, and Hun said he tagged along with him. Hun spoke to the fans in English, sharing all the places he found beautiful in San Francisco. But one comment stood out: “That’s all of San Francisco’s treasure, I thought, but you guys are San Francisco’s treasure. So we promise we will protect our beautiful treasures and keep going and keep running and keep learning so we always make perfect stages for you guys.” Dongsung also spoke to fans in English, adding to the sweet sentiment by saying he had thought the ocean view was the most beautiful. Pausing as he searched for the right words, he waved to the audience and told the fans that they were the most beautiful views here in San Francisco. “Thank you very much. And I really love you. I hope to see you again,” he said.
Hweseung said it was his first time seeing sea lions and repeated the sound they made, which caused everyone to laugh. When the translator copied the sound too, the laughter grew, and Hweseung apologized, saying he was sorry for making them imitate it out loud. Throughout the show, Seunghyub affectionately referred to San Francisco as “The City,” a nickname that quickly earned laughs every time he used it.
N.Flying, which is under FNC Entertainment, is well known among K-rock fans, following in the footsteps of senior labelmates like F.T. Island and CNBLUE—who toured the U.S. this past April. After completing their mandatory military service, the five members are back together after Jaehyun returned this year. They made their full-member comeback with their second full-length album, Everlastingly, in May. The group has been active for over a decade. Hweseung shared how much the members had missed N.Fia, their fans, and recalled their promise to return for another U.S. tour after their last one in 2023, DWUW: Do What You Want.
Some fans may have discovered N.Flying through the members’ acting roles in popular dramas—most notably the 2024 hit series Lovely Runner. The band even contributed to the show’s soundtrack with the song “Star,” sung by members Seunghyub and Hweseung. In the drama, Seunghyub portrayed Bae In-hyuk, the leader and guitarist of the fictional band Eclipse, who is also the friend and bandmate of the main character Ryu Sun Jae (played by Byeon Woo Seok). While he was acting out a fictional band dynamic, it’s always interesting to watch, knowing he lives a parallel reality as the leader and rapper of a band like N.Flying. Hweseung, meanwhile, has made a name for himself in musical theatre, with standout roles in productions such as KLIMT: Into the Time of His Soul and Secretly, Greatly: The Last.
Even though it was hot throughout the show, from the start to the end of the concert, the band kept the energy going and got the crowd to have fun jumping for their song “ANYWAY.” Both Seunghyub and Hweseung got up onto the stool platforms, interacting with fans and jumping around the stage, bobbing their heads up and down to the beat of the music. Jaehyun looked like an orchestra conductor at times when he would stop playing the drums, enjoying the music and watching the crowd sing along. As he moved his arms with drumsticks in hand, he swayed them in the air.
Seunghyub commented on the crowd’s high energy, checking in by asking if they were okay. The fans enthusiastically responded that they were doing great—and even asked if he was okay. Later, he shouted, “San Francisco, you are the best!”
Throughout the set, each member had standout moments: Hweseung beatboxed for “Dangerously” after hitting soaring high notes that showcased his strong vocals, with Seunghyub delivering a sharp rap verse during “Blue Moon.” Hun captivated the audience with a killer guitar solo during “Firefly.” And during “Oh really.,” the crowd joined in a lively call-and-response chant, throwing their fists and lightsticks in the air with every “Hey!” and “Oh really” lyric. Dongsung smiled from ear to ear, jumping up and down and joining Hun for dynamic guitar-and-bass duo moments—all while skillfully holding down the rhythm on bass.
Just before the encore, the band closed with the beautiful “Everlastingly” from their latest album—a slower, emotional track featuring Hun’s heartfelt guitar solo and Seunghyub on the keyboard. As the song was ending with only instrumentals heard, N.Fia shouted from different areas of the venue: “We love you!” and “Good job!” The stage was bathed in soft purple light, leaving only their silhouettes visible as they waved and quietly exited, a graceful farewell that lingered in the air.
Members then came out for an encore in their tour merch. Performing the upbeat “Rooftop” track that became the band's first number one hit on the music charts in South Korea and first-ever music show win on The Show in 2019. Leaving the last track of the night with, “Songbird” a song fitting for the time as the lyrics open with, “I will be there for us / 날아올라, it is time to go / Take it easy / Let me breathe deeply right now.” Telling fans they’ll be there for them while also knowing it’s time to go. Encouraging N.Fia to face the future and the unknown with courage and chase their dreams without fear.
On stage, Hweseung shared that he has a fear of flying, but because it was the band’s first time meeting fans in San Francisco, he felt extra pressure. “I really felt a bit of the pressure of ‘oh I need to do so much better, I need to have a good time,’” he said. “Because I wasn’t sure who is waiting for us.” Despite the nerves, he added that he was having a great time and that the fans made them feel “so lovely.” Seunghyub echoed the sentiment before saying it was a bold decision to go on tour in the U.S., thinking it wouldn’t be too late to meet U.S. N.Fias, but it was worth it, “I think that that reckless and bold decision was a good idea.”
Speaking on stage through the interpreter, Seunghyub shared, “Our greatest goal right now is to continue to make music until we’re 80 years old. I really want to continue making music until we’re 80 years old and spending that time enjoying with you all.”
When the show was over, the drummer came down from his kit and showed off some Michael Jackson dance moves, earning cheers from the crowd. Since drummers usually don’t get the chance to be front and center—or move around much—he made a playful joke about it. Later, as he walked off stage, he shouted “I love you” to the audience. Though his voice was faint without a microphone, the sentiment still came through loud and clear.
For the final photo, the band asked what food San Francisco is best known for—naturally, fans shouted “clam chowder!” For another picture, they called out “sourdough.” The band then turned to face the crowd, letting N.Fia take photos of them to keep as memories. As part of their closing greeting, N.Flying shouted with all their might and without microphones, “WE ARE N.FLYING, THANK YOU!” bowing to the crowd. In perfect unison, the entire venue responded with equal energy: “WE ARE N.FIA, LOVE YOU!”—followed by cheers and applause.
One night in “The City,” just like the title of their latest album, this night will stay with N.Fia ‘Everlastingly.’
N.Flying
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