TeStar's concert started with the underwater view fully realized in the concert hall.
And what unfolded… It was an unexpected performance for a gamer who came to the concert with friends.
'Huh.'
Usually, whether the subject was a singer or an idol, when she heard the word 'concert', there was a format she expected.
A performance in which the performer was in the center, presenting their own stage.
After mixing and distributing the hit songs and the latest songs, the order was adjusted so that the tension of the performance did not drop.
And in fact, TeStar had been doing such concerts up until now, so her friends gave her a similar explanation.
-There are many songs you know, so it will be fun haha
-That's right, and all the kids are really handsome and good at it. Ticket prices are unconditional! ㅠㅠ Cancellation is a waste!
But not now. Instead, this concert had a story.
[Slowly asleep
Time tonight
I don't want to escape]
Through the dry ice, the elegant choreography brought from modern dance unfolded as if floating in the sea.
Selected as the first song, it was 'Midnight, and Next' arranged with a perfect orchestra.
It was a very unique choice.
This was because it was common for idols with a lot of hit songs over the years to skip songs from the beginning of their debut that were performed a lot as a medley at best.
However, TeStar used this song while arranging it.
Because this was the starting point of the narrative that would be shown in this performance.
[Songs and dreams
Forget everything, it's midnight here.
Your Midnight]
A boy drowning in the sea lingered in the past along with his dreams.
The mainspring turns, and the members sunk into the sea and experienced the past.
At the same time as the grandfather bell rang, announcing the end of 'Midnight and Next', the members lay down in the deep sea.
[Dang-]
And the stage background naturally became a classroom.
As if in a dream, the lighting changes and became clearer.
The song that connected naturally was 'High Five'. A bright and cheerful rock sound that sang of cheerful youth!
The members who got up passed through a slightly disconnected interlude and ran around the stage with grins and a choreography of rolling their feet.
[My feet move
Faster and farther!]
The boy who went back to the past pursued his dream, fell in love, met enemies, and developed the strength to win.
In each context, TeStar's songs were woven into each one.
Of course, TeStar were idols, and the story was not as explicit as a real musical or opera.
However, the audience was able to fully understand the context through the lyrics, the atmosphere, and the VCR that appeared in between.
Especially if they didn't have a lot of background knowledge about TeStar!
'This… Is the original song made to be like this?'
The gamer was baffled.
Fans were familiar with the song, so it was a little smoother, but in fact, the members put in an expression that matched the story between each song.
And the gamer accepted all of the text in equal proportions to the song.
Perplexity, joy, tension, vigilance…
Because of their overflowing talent and expressive power, the gamer quickly immersed herself in unfamiliar songs.
The main character on stage, who had grown through the realization of love, put on an intense performance as if showing off his strength.
[Bite, bite, enjoy
Now Spring out!]
The narrative enhanced the three-dimensional effect of the stage.
Eventually, by the time the concert-type performance using guns and dancers exploded intensely, she was almost unconsciously applauding and cheering at the end of the stage!
"Oh my gosh."
It wasn't like she was cheering because it was an idol concert, but she was reacting as if it was a conditional reflex?
Asking herself what kind of musical she had come to see, she was dumbfounded, but there was no need for that.
TeStar was more sincere.
The high-pitched voice, vocal volume, and extreme choreography were harmoniously integrated into the intense 'Spring out' ending, at the end of which the lights flickered.
A tearing roar and heart-thumping epic upsurged.
But in an instant, everything stopped as if it had been washed.
"… !"
After the song ended with a splendid climax… It was time for a break.
[~Intermission~]
[Act 2 begins soon.]
They even saved the intermission format.
It was like asking the audience to think over what they just saw. As if to inflate expectations further.
[Hurray!]
The gamer opened her mouth as he watched the VCR playing, with the members running around in animal pajamas, like some kind of public service announcement.
It wasn't just her.
Like an intermission, when the lights turned on and the atmosphere loosened up, the fans started going wild with the tacit permission that seemed to be 'break time'.
"Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh"
"What is this?"
There were numerous people holding their smartphones and frantically writing something down.
And the gamer also got a message.
-Great genius, great genius, great genius
- (falling emoticon)
They were her two friends.
When she visually checked where the two were sitting, it seemed that both of them were sending KakaoTalk messages with their eyes completely fixed on the VCR.
'Huh.'
It was kind of scary.
But she got a little bit of understanding. 'It's well made so that even people like me who don't know anything can enjoy it.'
A concert like this was worth seeing at least once. Saying that she knew the reason for the force, she admitted inwardly.
It was the first time that TeStar had performed this type of performance, and thanks to this, she did not even guess that SNS was a mess. Unlike before, she waited for the second act with more excitement.
'Are they going to talk about fighting right now?'
Because they were familiar with the narrative of the main character of the royal road game! They were there and they danced and sang brilliantly, so it should be fun!
Soon, the performance resumed with lively announcements.
[Auditors, are you a little surprised by what these guys are thinking when they put on a performance like this? Are you curious?]
It was Lee Sejin.
When the audience was buzzing with laughter and reactions to that clever comment.
[However, you will soon see what happens to the TeStar. Then, Act 2 will start now.]
The lights went out.
When a light orchestra played, and the performers cut off the tempo appropriately, people's hearts were filled with anticipation.
Now the gamer was easily impressed.
'Did they do it with the feeling that the audience is participating on the stage?'
There was an aspect of this level of detail that stimulated the hearts of maniacs!
'They're completely determined!'
Yes.
TeStar delicately framed and poured their skills into this performance to give it a story context and immersion.
However, no matter how they were put together, there was an unavoidable gap between them.
TeStar's songs weren't composed for a single story, and they weren't as rich in variety as musicians' songs in musicals.
So, the cover stage filled that void.
It was a solo and unit performance.
The second act was filled with the latest popular songs to be highlighted and cover songs to support them.
So TeStar had to calculate and move very elaborately even behind the scenes.
• * *
"Heok."
"Three minutes!"
Backstage with moans, short answers, and shouts.
The noises were quite nerve-wracking.
'It's tight.'
As the connection between the stage and the feeling of the stage became more important, the time to catch my breath was reduced. Because there was no time to talk or relax between stages.
-Wow!
I clicked my tongue to avoid being swept away by the cheers I had just heard.
And I thought soberly.
'As expected, likes and dislikes will be divided.'
Now, the audience would love it because it was fresh and fun, but the moment it cooled down, the words would come out.
There would be fans who would want us to communicate more interactively at concerts.
To make up for that, it was the right decision to plan W Live communication after the performance.
'Good.'
There was no more time to be satisfied. Just in time, the guy next to me who was going up to the next stage was dying.
I asked Kim Raebin, whose face was white.
"Are you worried?"
"What? N-no. I will do my best to show a stage that will satisfy the fans… !"
Kim Raebin answered quickly, but he was opening and closing his hand.
It meant he was more nervous than usual.
'It's no wonder.'
I crossed my arms.
We lacked this experience.
Efforts to understand and implement the songs one-sidedly given by others without touching them.
There has been little experience for us since debuting to fit ourselves into a work that had already been completed as intended by the composer.
'Because we continued to participate in the song and concept.'
It was no different from omitting the training that a rookie would originally perform for 4 or 5 years and use as a basis.
We couldn't touch the music, so everything else… Especially learning how to use ourselves to the limit.
'We all will learn using this opportunity.'
That was also the part where we had to tear them apart one by one today and show them properly.
Why did Keun Sejin revise the setlist in such a way that the story stood out in the first place?
It was simple.
-You decided not to touch the song~ Shouldn't you use that time here?
Excluding the time for arranging, he added the ability to further refine himself in that void.
The factor that the performer considered and expressed on stage even included 'context'.
I hit Kim Raebin on the back.
"Practice was good, so do it comfortably."
A swallowing sound was heard.
"… Yes."
Kim Raebin nodded firmly.
Well, actually, it was okay not to do this.
"Moo-Moondae, I-I have to move with Raebin…"
The guy who had finished his transformation came sneaking up in front of Kim Raebin.
Seon Ahyeon.
He was the member who would do a unit performance with Kim Raebin on the next stage. I smiled and opened my mouth.
"Seon Ahyeon."
"Yes?"
"And Kim Raebin, I think you guys will do well on this stage."
Seon Ahyeon answered without blinking an eye.
"Yes."
Resoluteness without a single hesitation. It was a rare self-confidence for a guy.
"Thank you… !"
Thanks to that, Kim Raebin seemed to be impressed by the momentum. The two shook hands before running away.
"L-let's do well and come back!"
"Yep!"
'It's good that they're together.'
There was a basis for Seon Ahyeon's conviction. Because he was the only one of us who didn't need to lay a foundation like this.
Because he already had.
Seon Ahyeon devoted his entire childhood to the goal of presenting a perfect interpretation and expression of the intentions of his previous works.
He was a senior ballet major.
"W-we're going now… !"
"Yes."
I saw Kim Raebin and Seon Ahyeon running.
The image was fine.
• * *
Right before the stage…
[This is the sound that calls you]
The performance of 'Call', the boy's inner temptation, was over. Bae Sejin, whose throat was caught, glared at the audience.
'Ahhhh!!'
Park Moondae's homma swallowed the cry inside.
'How can he come up with such a cute and lively genius plan at a concert and not even promote it! Could it be that 'as rich as a musical' was a hint in the description of the detail page!'
And she took a deep breath. She had to calm down.
Even if Park Moondae's melancholic solo part added to the performance was so incredibly sexy that she wanted to chew on it, she had to watch the next stage closely!
[Tuk.]
But when she looked at the VCR, it seemed that the unit stage would appear next.
'Hmm.'
Just by looking at the two hands shaking hands, she guessed that it was not Park Moondae. So she relaxed a bit.
'Let's enjoy it as a stage.'
Taking care of her reason, she fixed her gaze again.
At that moment, even under the stage, the members of TeStar, who had changed their outfits, were waiting and watching the monitors.
"Start!"
Park Moondae tried to touch his chin, but he lowered his hand, conscious of the makeup.
And he focused on the screen.
The stage scene was being broadcasted on a large monitor installed by the dedicated team.
For the unit stage inserted in the final build-up stage of the climax, the VCR was turned off and the music started playing.
Rrrrrrrrrrr!
It was the intense sound of a progressive rock band that was responsible for the end-of-the-century experimentation of the 90s.
'Implementation may be good.'
A boy who was defeated at the decisive moment in a confrontation with the enemy.
The performance following 'Call', which was a temptation for greater power, was ultimately an inner conflict.
The thunderous electrification that raged like an intense temptation soon subsided, and the elegant and nimble sound that was active in the first act filled its place.
Orchestral violin solo, and low vocals.
[A place to stay dizzyingly]
So, it was Seon Ahyeon who went up on stage first.
Symbols that symbolized reason, intellect, and character were all expressed through directing, and the characters gently crossed the stage.
A white spotlight fell along with the motion applied to modern dance.
[Standing on tiptoes]
It was an experimental song, but it did not harm the performance performed with Seon Ahyeon on stage.
Because the delivery power was unbelievably good.
"Wow."
"Cooool."
Seon Ahyeon, wearing a white outfit and moving in straight lines, perfectly portrayed the whole scene of the song.
The unshakable vocals even melted into one of the accompaniments, and the performance stood out.
[Even if the lights change, I have to keep my voice]
[One step, one step]
The fabric fluttered as he reached out, did a backflip, and landed softly.
The power of that proficiency level, which seemed to use up to one inch of remaining capacity, was extraordinary.
'Really…'
There was a static climax that the audience fell in love with.
But the dissonance came into play there.
Thud.
The violin broke.
Rrrrrrrrrrr!
Electricity rushed in.
Then, with a flashing spotlight, another person appears from the other side of the stage.
[Red light]
It was Kim Raebin wearing tight clothes with countless black buckles.
He didn't dance or anything.
Instead, he just moved forward slowly with head microphones.
Slowly, overbearingly.
[If you walk, you will fall
Stop there and go back]
And the rap shot out.
The mixed rap in English and Korean started slow and then got faster.
And there was an electronic crackle from the microphone.
It was a song performed in collaboration with a Korean rapper at a band concert in the 2000s.
At that time, the focus of the performance of this song remained in the interview.
- A song that requires you to become the owner by intruding like an uninvited guest in the middle of the stage
And Kim Raebin did just that. He pushed the orchestra away and forced himself onto the stage to the tempo of the electricity.
[Tick-tock, Tick-tock]
[When the lines change, you are not you
Your heart is where your feet are.]
Rap entered, gestures grew, and choreography spread.
He took away the stage.
Accompanied by the sound of the orchestra, Seon Ahyeon faced a short and intense performance like a final resistance, but it was already eaten away by all the directing.
Thus, the orchestra disappeared, and Seon Ahyeon fell impressively from one side along with the stage equipment and disappeared.
Rrrrrrrrrrr!
The stage completely changed the tone. And only then, Kim Raebin's short and intense choreography with dancers filled the stage as much as the time occupied by Seon Ahyeon at the beginning.
-Wak. Wak. Wak. Wak!
In the midst of the dancers' choreography mixed with dominant and intense krump, Kim Raebin matched his feet and fluttered the hem of his coat.
It was dominated by impulses.
In this way, the song was reproduced in the 2020s with the meaning of the original songwriter's intention.
Except for one thing, the ending.
- Um-um-um.
The sincerity was gone.
The only thing that stood until the end was compulsion.
-Get off
At the end of the song, Kim Raebin turned around and disappeared under the stage.
• * *
Aaaaaaaaaa!!!
"Wow, look!"
The screams of the concert hall resonated as if they would shatter even the framework of the narrow hallway in the backstage.
Originally, they were generous with cheers, so this was an honest appreciation.
'It means that unit's cover song was as good as the original stages.'
It was a success. I willingly opened my mouth.
"It was good."
"Th-thank you… !"
Seon Ahyeon, who returned first, smiled while covering himself with a towel. And the one remaining had now appeared in the hallway. The members cheered generously.
"Kim Raebin!!"
"You did really well! It was so cool!"
"Thank you… !"
Kim Raebin, who took off his coat, nodded his head with a flushed face.
'He must have done quite well even in his own opinion.'
It was rare to find someone so honest.
I chuckled.
"Good job."
"Yes… !"
Without saying anything further, I tapped Kim Raebin on the shoulder a few times.
There wouldn't be any more time to do it anyway.
"Change your outfit."
"Ah!!"
Kim Raebin opened his mouth as if to say something, but immediately entrusted himself to the staff to carry out the mission of 'returning in 20 seconds'.
"Come on, there are 150 seconds left~ Shall we sing 'Parade'?"
"Let's go!"
Yes, the concert was still not over.
And that wasn't all we had prepared.