Rounding out their 2024 Premonition World Tour, Japanese band ONE OK ROCK performed at the iconic Kia Forum on Wednesday. Despite taking place on a weekday, the venue was filled to the brim with fans excited to see the band play their first arena show in Los Angeles.
As the lights dimmed and began to flash, that was the signal that attendees were moments away from seeing the band in person. Sure enough, the four band members – vocalist Taka, guitarist Toru, bassist Ryota, and drummer Tomoya – appeared on stage one by one as a video montage played on the big screen. With a shout of introduction, the band launched straight into the music, starting with “Delusion:All”, “Deeper Deeper” and “Taking Off”. Pausing only for a brief moment to give a proper introduction and express their utmost gratitude for bringing them from small venues all the way to arenas, the band continued on with “Save Yourself”, “Vandalize” and “Renegades”- the latter of which was one of the most highly anticipated songs of the night. Though fans were cheering and singing along to each song prior, the crowd erupted in raucous cheers and screams as the beginning notes of “Renegades” began.
Known for their breathtaking performances, the four members continued on, playing some of their biggest hits paired with lyrical graphics on the screens and plenty of flashing lights. At certain points, the vocalist would even take a pause from singing, pointing his microphone at the crowd to fill in the gaps. For “Wherever You Are” and the first half of “Take What You Want”, Ryota and Tomoya briefly took off from the stage as Taka and Toru performed acoustic renditions of the songs that were welcomed with a roomful of cellphone lights. Taka showed off his impressive vocal range, and each band member also had their chance to shine with instrumental solos throughout the show. After a brief introduction from the group’s virtual world avatars, Toru, Ryota, and Tomoya had an instrumental set, truly showing off each of their skills.
As the evening crawled closer to the show’s finale, the group bid their final farewell to the audience with two more unforgettable performances before the encore. Though “Renegades” was one of the clear favorites of the night, the final two songs on the pre-encore setlist overtook that moment. Finishing their set with “We Are” and “Stand Out Fit In”, the crowd was moved to tears listening to the meaningful lyrics and Taka’s emotional voice as he gazed out into the sea of people singing along in both English and Japanese.
The band returned to the stage for a final encore, performing “We All Matter” and “Wasted Nights” before officially ending the show. Aside from their great music, the evening was also filled with emotion as ONE OK ROCK endlessly thanked their fans for the support they’ve given them throughout the years. Wanting to give something special aside from thanks, Taka even shared snippets of information about the album they’re working on- previewing that with their encore- and sharing that this album may be more political than previous ones because of the times we are facing. Concluding the show, Taka, Ryota, Tomoya, and Toru gave one final big bow to their fans and shared their thoughts: “You guys bought tickets, and you guys even made it all the way here tonight. For that, we are so thankful. ONE OK ROCK is so lucky to have fans like you guys.”
Story and photos by Ephney Tsai
