Fans breathed a sigh of relief when notable Korean indie band The Rose announced their reunion and new album this year. Now, the band is back on the road and visited Phoenix’s Orpheum Theatre this week for a stunning sold out show.
The stage was set with giant wilting black roses and bathed in warm colors as the dapper quartet emerged to the sounds of “Definition of Ugly Is”. Each member contributed to the stellar harmonies and everyone got their moment in the spotlight both vocally and instrumentally as the show went on.
For their part, the audience raised both voices and black rose lightsticks in various blinding colors to celebrate the band’s return. Their love did not go unnoticed, as each member took several minutes to express gratitude to everyone for waiting on their comeback. No language barrier could ever get in the way of the mutual respect and appreciation felt in that packed room on Sunday.
The Rose’s new album- in the words of the band- was a journey towards healing as both individuals and as a group. Now, Heal is in the hands of the fans to be a tool of comfort and strength for them as much as the four men who created it.
We had plenty of sentimental moments with the guys throughout the evening, but they reminded us they’re still here for a good time on “California” and the sticky sweet “Candy (So Good)”. The band shamelessly flirted with the entire crowd and they were more than happy to say “Yes” and “I.L.Y.” back to them.
As we approached the end of the show, the band stepped back to show snippets of the album’s accompanying documentary and their longing was palpably felt by everyone in attendance. At the risk of getting too sappy, they picked things right back up for an ending sing-a-long to “Sour” and an encore of “Black Rose”.
We’ve been enormously lucky to enter the world of Korean music in the last year and The Rose is another entry on a growing list of hyper-talented musicians with real connections to their fans. The screams when asked if anyone would be back to see them on their next tour were deafening- we’ll be joining the commotion the next time The Rose comes back to Arizona.
Check out all the photos from the show!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
