SF9 (thank your lucky stars)

A few weeks ago, a video came up on my Tiktok for you page mentioning that SF9 was heavily discounting their tickets.

I had a vague awareness that they were touring, but I didn't give the tour a second thought. By November, I'd hit the point of kpop tour fatigue, and I'm not the only one. Tons of posts were coming across my page of people talking about how we're tired, how our wallets are drained, budgets are strained, and the way that tour organizers are moving turns ticket-purchasing into a stressful frenzy.

I've always liked SF9's music, but I never really stanned. I acknowledge them as a group with solid title tracks that has been around the block. I've always respected them but, after my hectic summer season, I really had 0 intention of seeing them.

Then this TikTok came up, and they dropped the bomb:

80% off concert tickets.

Eighty. Percent. Eight. Zero.

A legitimate, meaningful discount - not those fake "buy one get one 25% off", not some pitiful 20% off (which will basically cover taxes and maybe some fees). I knew that SF9 would be a small tour, so I indulged my curiosity and checked the website. It took me a while (honestly it shouldn't have been so hard to track down the info), but when I finally rang up a prospective cart.

Tickets for both myself and my sister came out to about $24. For a k-pop concert?

It was a done deal.

I figured, hell, I spend $12 on dumber things than that! And even if I don't end up going, I felt that my ticket sale would send a message to tour organizers to KEEP DOING THIS. I commend Studio Pav for seeing the writing on the wall and doing what was needed to get those venues filled. 

Fast forward to about 4:45 PM on Sunday, November 30th, and - weeks after my purchase - I finally remembered that, oh shit, I bought those. I live a couple hours' drive away, so we had to be out the door ASAP. My sister took everything in stride, and we set off quickly.

Our drive was pretty smooth, we parked, and in we went.

The venue is tiny, so tiny that their website barely has any information. It's definitely more of a club, and judging by the place, they probably see very different acts. I have 0 complaints, though! Staff was nice, there was plenty of space toward the back. No notes.

(Also, shout out to the security guy who princess carried a passed out girl to EMS. Honestly the security was some of the best I've seen at a venue.)

I can't speak to any of the extra perks like the pics and stuff - we bought the cheapest GA tickets available and rolled up 15 minutes before show time.

The show was. Awesome.

They're down a few members due to enlistments, but that didn't stop them. The only time I've seen them live was KCON NYC in 2019 (or maybe it was 2018) which is a very different stage. I don't keep up with live performances or anything, I'm as casual as they come.

So, seeing this k-pop group perform live, sounding like the record, was an absolute delight! They also had just, like, incredible energy. It's hard to describe, but they had such good... Banter. They knew how to work the crowd, and they were really cheeky and self-aware with the quirks of the k-pop concert formula. We were treated to a setlist full of hits which even casuals like me recognized PLUS solos and covers.

They did such a good job covering for the missing members, and the energy was so fun.

Overall, it was well worth my $12.

O Sole Mio alone was worth it, tbh. O Sole Mio was def a favorite for me. I just love that song so dearly. But even for a casual like me we got Tear Drop, RPM and Now or Never. Chani did a GREAT job on LIVE vocals, and Hwiyoung was ughhh. So ethereal and gorgeous. 

As I left, it really got me thinking: this group is 9 years old. Yeah. SF9 debuted in 2016. They've been persistently grinding, putting out solid music for years - yet, even 9 years later, in the US they have to sell tickets for $12. In their 9 year career they have 6 show wins under their belt.

I know there are other factors that contributed to the price point and concert fatigue, but it's crazy to think that there are juniors of theirs selling out stadiums. Obviously there's a lot that goes into a group's popularity, but in my frank opinion, there are younger groups who have more recognition for doing less.

SF9 were fun, energetic, talented, and polished. They have everything you'd want in a k-pop group, and their sound is pretty appealing? Obviously the latter part is subjective, but they skew toward a sensual, mature sound with a distinct "k-pop" flavor - you'd think more people would be into this stuff. (Especially with all the complaints I see about "k-pop doesn't sound like k-pop anymore".)

It kind of drives home how important promotion, investment (ie, money), and luck really is for a k-pop group. They have the talent, a solid body of work, looks, height - and yet they're basically giving out tickets to their tour.

I wish more new k-pop fans understood this. Your favorite group can have everything and, for the general public, that may never be enough to capture their attention. A lot of newer fans treat growth as an inevitability or something that their group (and by proxy, them, the fan) is owed. The thing is, a group can be relatively small - domestically, in the west, in Japan, wherever - forever. You may never see them walk onto the MAMA stage or get more than a handful of show wins. However...

If your group can weather this and still be around 3, 5, or 9 (NINE!?) years later, count your lucky stars. Popularity really isn't everything. At some point you need to accept that a group with amazing work may struggle to get streams, may get passed over for festivals, may never get that Buzzfeed puppy interview. And that's okay.

Great, even. Once you learn to accept that your fandom will stay small, it can be a beautiful thing. Even if other people don't get it, you get it - and that's enough.

As for SF9:

I hope that the low price tag brought in some new fans for SF9 and and that their stateside fanbase grows. I hope more people give these less popular, smaller groups and concerts a chance. And, also, I hope organizers start lowering ticket prices so these groups have opportunity to reach new fans.

This doesn't really have a super concrete thesis or a real ending. I just feel grateful that I was able to see them live, owning that tiny stage in the single-floor standing-only club venue. I hope I can see them in the years to come. Maybe in a bigger venue, even.