wave to earth kicked off their first-ever tour in Berkeley’s UC Theatre on August 18. An added stop at the venue alongside the original date of August 20, the show lit up the small space of the pit in a thrilling start to the band’s North America tour.
After standing in a long line that wrapped around the street where many passing UC Berkeley students and other people asked what we were waiting for, I entered the theater. The audience was primarily high school and college students– the girl next to me was a sophomore attending her first concert. She excitedly chatted with other high school underclassmen, and despite having not known each other before, the group enthusiastically bounded over topics such as their K-pop group biases. Such interactions reflected how wave to earth’s young audience, primarily coming from social media, are just beginning to experience seeing their favorite artists live.
After an hour or so of waiting, opener slchld started the show with a short set, playing newer releases such as “lone summer” and “bayou” while throwing it back to his older songs including the popular “she likes spring, i prefer winter” and “maybe we need a break.” Bathed in changing lights, slchld serenaded the audience with his expressive vocals and chill R&B tracks, finishing his set with an unreleased track, “dancing shoes.”
The crowd began chanting “wave to earth” before the band entered the stage. “I LOVE YOU” yelled a fan, to which vocalist-guitarist Daniel Kim responded with a Shaka sign. The trio launched into a swelling intro for “bad,” building up the audience’s anticipation. Despite the relaxing nature of many of their choruses, wave to earth stood out the most during their instrumental intros, bridges, and outros. Often elongated from the recorded versions of the songs and lasting over a minute, such interludes varied from calm lo-fi to a particularly electrifying 2-minute outro for “so real.” The sections highlighted the bond between the band members as Kim on guitar and bassist John Cha, who were standing on opposite sides of the stage, stepped closer towards the center where drummer Dongyku Shin was positioned, layering their instrumental work to create a mesmerizing, atmospheric sound. Infusing indie pop, lo-fi, and R&B with jazz and rock textures, wave to earth balanced smooth sonics with clean transitions and catchy lyricism.
After nearly every song, Kim or Cha would say “Thank you,” showcasing an endearing appreciation for their fans. Cha expressed his gratitude about the band having started out by making music in their bedrooms and now performing in the United States. The most interactive member, he also taught the crowd some Korean slang. Additionally, Cha translated for Shin, who doesn’t speak English fluently, and the drummer thanked the audience for the unforgettable memories they were already making during the first show.
“It was really hard to not cry so thank you guys for making [our] dreams come true. The long flight was really worth it,” Cha said.
Before the encore break, the band closed with “pueblo,” with Cha leading the audience to sing along in the intro and outro. After the band returned to the stage as the crowd cheered “encore,” they performed three more songs– one being their most popular track “seasons.” They ended the show with a reprise of “bad,” and Cha took out his phone at one point to record the fans for the band’s Instagram, as they sang along and waved their arms in the air. Afterward, the members bowed and turned around to take a photo with the audience. Kim threw his guitar picks into the crowd, while Shin also handed a fan his drumstick after the show. Some attendees lined up to buy merchandise as concertgoers filed out of the venue, and outside, event workers handed out free show posters.
wave to earth and slchld created a comfortable, pleasant atmosphere with the flow of their music, creating a snug, sweet memory as summer ends.
