K-pop supergroup Seventeen touched down in Oakland for a pair of sold out shows beginning on November 5th at the Oakland Arena. The 13-member group may be down to 11 for their Right Here World Tour but their energy never wavered throughout a nearly three hour setlist.
Thousands of enthusiastic Carats piled into the arena, escaping the early winter chill for a cozy night with their favorite group. Music videos served as the intro to the night, getting the crowd hyped up before the lights went down and the stage transformed into a constantly changing backdrop that set the tone for every single song. The members emerged in decadent lace trimmed suits to kick off the evening with “Fear”, “Maestro” and “Ash”- a precursor to a setlist full of deep cuts from their extensive discography.
The group also took a breather to introduce themselves- huge cheers went up for S.Coups, Mingyu, Hoshi, Vernon, The8, Woozi, DK, Joshua, Dino, Seungkwan and Wonwoo as they each appeared on the screen- while also expressing their appreciation for fans that have waited two years for another North American tour. After a jaunt down to the B-stage for “Crush”, the group splintered into units for the second act.
The hip-hop unit, performance unit and vocal unit got the spotlight for two songs a piece, showcasing their unique talents on “Monster”, “Lilili Yabbay” and “Candy” as the venue lit up with their Carats’ ocean of lightsticks. Barely pausing for breaks, the group’s seemingly boundless energy carried them into an outfit change and even a dance battle with gorillas and frogs through the third act of the show. Everyone was on their feet and dancing to “Snap Shoot” as DK led the group in his hilariously chosen choreography of the day, with the members laughingly following the dance leader down the stage’s catwalk.
The fans were also part of the show, waving handmade signs and flags to catch the eye of their favorite member- and maybe even challenge them to a dance-off later on. Seventeen taught the whole room the sweet steps to “Home”, turning the night in a sentimental direction before picking right back up with their latest title track, “Love, Money, Fame”.
Unbelievably, we weren’t done yet and the fan-favorite “Super” had Carats screaming the words like the night had just begun. Each member also took a moment to thank their fans once again and the group exited smiling to prepare for the final stage of the night.
An encore stage with Seventeen is about one thing- how many renditions of “Very Nice” will we demand? For Oakland, the members extended the segue from “Adore U” and “Campfire” to handpicked dance battles with fans and the metal version of “Very Nice” from one lucky Carat on the barricade. The boys leaned into the goofy, lighthearted mood of the show-ending requirement and fans lost count of how many choruses we jumped through before they finally said their last goodbyes.
With so many unique talents and personalities onstage, the Right Here World Tour was another amazing experience with Seventeen. Now that this run has ended, fans are already eagerly awaiting their next visit- and of course, we promised to return for as many “Very Nice” choruses as they see fit.
Photos by Olivia Khiel on a point and shoot from the crowd
