A sea of neon green washed over Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena as thousands of NCTzens turned out for NCT 127’s final stop of the Neo City- The Momentum World Tour. Fans wielding the group’s signature lightstick and dressed in futuristic outfits to match the tour’s theme eagerly waited for the show to begin, filling the arena with their shrieks.
Johnny, Yuta, Haechan, Jungwoo, Doyoung and Mark were the only members of the group’s extensive lineup that were able to perform on this North American tour but the fans greeted them with every ounce of enthusiasm they could muster. The six members emerged from the haze of lights and fog to “Bring the Noize” to the screaming crowd.
“LA, do you know how to party?” Johnny shouted after the first few songs of a high octane setlist. The members moved in perfect synchronization and balanced Mark’s rapid fire rhymes with Doyoung’s sweet, soaring vocals. Johnny took center stage on more than one occasion as each member filled the gaps left by those who were unable to join this particular trip to the States.
All six guys took a breath to greet the crowd and express their opening thoughts for the last night of the tour before introducing “Designer” and “Orange Seoul”. This also brought about the first outfit change of the night with the group going from their battle suits to formal suits as they serenaded and romanced the audience. The night continued with the bouncy “Pricey” and the surprisingly popular “Sticker”- a very hype moment that shocked the band onstage.
In rare interludes, the band left the stage and the storyline of the show played out on the screens to get the audience ready for each new segment of the show. Los Angeles’ energy never wavered and the arena was bathed in the synchronized beams of hundreds of lightsticks that changed to fit the particular mood of each song.
NCT 127 barely paused between songs and kept the sprint of a set going until “Kick It” as the members danced with abandon for the final night of this tour. “Fact Check”- the last song in the regular setlist- also found the group throwing everything they had left into their energetic dance moves. They gave the audience a momentary pause before returning to an encore of “Walk” in their matching tour merch fits.
Last performances are always that much more special as the group realizes that their nights of screaming crowds are coming to an end. Los Angeles made this a night to remember for the group and they all gave their heartfelt thanks to the audience at the conclusion of the show. For Johnny and Mark, this tour was particularly memorable, as they both returned to their hometowns for performances and closing things out after such happy memories had them all emotional at their last goodbyes. With a promise to return soon and a shower of confetti, the curtain came down on “Dreams Come True” and “Promise You”.
With so many K-pop tours visiting North America in recent years, watching a group like NCT 127 get up onstage and exhibit pure joy at performing is a moment that is not to be missed. The energy they brought to this last arena propelled their NCTzens into the chilly spring night already missing this fun and unique group.
