Phoenix turned into Kard’s Playground on Monday as their world tour made a stop at Arizona Financial Theatre. The co-ed KPOP group entertained their Arizona Hidden Kards for over two hours with a setlist that showed off each member’s unique talents and charms.
After a video intro for the group, J.Seph, Jiwoo, Somin and BM opened their first stage with the raunchy and wildly fun “ICKY”, bathing the crowd in green light and showing off their tight choreography. The quartet really did come to play, keeping the energy lighthearted, sexy and amusing with their banter between songs.
Each member spoke directly to the rapt audience as many attendees waved signs and lightsticks in the direction of the stage in the hopes of getting the attention of their bias. California native BM (that’s Big Matthew to those unfamiliar with the gentle giant) riled up the room with his cheeky mid-show ments and eye-catching moves, while Jiwoo and Somin had hearts on fire with their duet performance of “Fxxk You”. BM also had a solo moment before being joined by J.Seph for “Been That Boy”.
Before the start of act two, the group left the stage and played a video depicting the recording process for their latest album and their extensive preparations for this current tour. The foursome are clearly bonded together through these last six years of shared experiences, triumphs and pitfalls but ended the video with a message of excitement for what’s to come. That was enough for the fans- they cheered even louder when the group came back with new outfits and renewed energy for “Gunshot” and “Bomb Bomb”.
The second act ended with yet another suggestive single, “Cake”, as BM shouted to the audience that he hoped they showed up hungry. After “Dumb Litty”, Kard returned yet again for a bouncing encore that included a mystery wheel that chose “Red Moon” as the surprise song of the night. They bookended the set with another performance of “ICKY”, this time teaching the choreography to the fans so they could be part of the show as well.
Kard is a severely underrated group in the world of KPOP, but their more mature concepts and openness with their fans are starting to turn them into a household name. A packed house in Phoenix is just the beginning for Kard’s international touring, with their hard work already taking them to the next level.
Check out all the photos!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
