It’s been four long years since K-pop group Monsta X has visited Arizona so The X: Nexus World Tour brought all the Phoenix Monbebes to Arizona Financial Theatre on October 17. With youngest member I.M currently completing his military service, the remaining six- Joohoney, Shownu, Hyungwon, Minhyuk and Kihyun- delivered over two hours of nonstop energy while also making their missing member very much a part of the show.
Monsta X emerged from the smokescreen into a wash of deafening cheers and a sea of flickering lightsticks to kick off the night with “Dramarama” and “Love Killa”. The group’s seamless choreography and powerful vocals impressed the crowd immediately as they also delivered outfit changes and onscreen visuals to dazzle the room.
A quick change into Western-inspired jackets was the perfect segue into “Lone Ranger” and “Middle of the Night” as the energy in the room only continued to escalate. Monsta X fed off of the audience’s spirited response to their performance, giving their all to every new stage and bantering with the fans between songs. Everyone was all smiles, hyping each other up while each member got their turn in the spotlight.
After an absolute speedrun of incredible songs (from “this!” to “Who Do U Love?”), the guys had a chance for solo stages to showcase their unique contributions to the group as a whole. Shownu and Hyungwon showed off their sensual side, Kihyun got the crowd “Howling”, Minhyuk broke out the electric guitar and Joohoney dropped into hip hop inspired tracks for a blend of passionate performances. All of these elements lent themselves perfectly to the group as they came back together for the heart-pounding “Autobahn” and “Beautiful Liar”.
Even 25 songs in, the crowd still wanted more and Monsta X was more than willing to give it to them. The guys re-emerged in their tour shirts for a lighthearted encore that brought them even closer to the fans as they waved cheeky signs and tossed gifts at the stage during “Zone” and the final closer of “Growing Pains”. Arizona Monbebes had waited since 2022 for the opportunity to see Monsta X slay their hometown stage again and the group made sure their return was worth the wait. They brought the packed house down with one final bow and the hopeful promise to return as seven on their next visit to Phoenix.
