The skies cleared after a surprise downpour and the fans descended on State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta for the return of Seventeen. Dressed to impress and armed with a sea of lightsticks, the crowd brought a special energy to this stop of the tour and gave their all to the group after two members missed the stop due to illness.
Even down two members (and Joshua and Hoshi’s presence was sorely and noticeably missed), the 11 remaining members made Tuesday night unforgettable. The group filled the arena with huge screens so Carats didn’t miss a moment of the action and with so many people onstage, it was hard to decide where to focus attention.
Opening with “Hot” and “Hit”, fans got the one-two punch of Seventeen’s vocal and dance prowess and the show only got more intense from there. “2 Minus 1” lived up to its name with Vernon taking the solo stage as his songwriting partner was one of the members absent from this stop. The members also took several opportunities to pause the music and talk directly to the audience, who couldn’t contain their screams at seeing their favorites onscreen.
Each unit had a spotlight moment and we were mesmerized by “Moonwalker” and hit the dancefloor hard to “Back It Up”. The group is goofy and personable to a man and they move with a synchronization that comes with true love and camaraderie for one another.
One thing about Seventeen is they want their fans to move their feet and we all got off the ground for “Left & Right” and “Very Nice” (but more on that later). They also made sure that every Carat knew that we’re their “_WORLD” and their “Darl+ing” before we hit the final few songs.
A Seventeen tradition is singling out fans to dance to “Snap Shoot” and Atlanta Carats came prepared with moves that had the group falling all over themselves. Another tradition is closing the show with a neverending “Very Nice” and we Aju Nice’d at least seven times before the group took their leave.
Every KPOP group brings their own special flavor to American shows and Seventeen has proven themselves as leaders in the genre. Sweaty, bedraggled fans exited into the humid Georgia air with the promise of another visit on the group’s next tour- we’re excited to be among them in the years to come.
Check out all the photos from the show!
Story by Olivia Khiel
Photo credit: PLEDIS Entertainment
