🔹 Dongguk University Station
Funny and interesting thing happened to us here: because it was tiring to go out of the subway, I suggested we go on the elevator. From there we just followed the signs to Jangchung Gym, and what have you, we got to this door where there was a guard and we hear Mino's voice rehearsing Tang! 😳
Screenshots from a video I hurriedly started, where we met eyes with a guard, and he immediately escorted us out while we were squealing. It was such a happy coincidence, and I hope he didn't think we were sasaengs / stalker fans tho! 😂
When we were outside, there was the car and there was this little area with barrier with fans there. I was nosy and thought they MIGHT be waiting for Mino, but I wasn't nosy enough to ask, because to be honest, they weren't really friendly-looking 😅 This was noon, we were hungry and cold, but I told Hanna we should wait, especially when I saw one or two bring out their DSLR cameras. Right then, I just knew they were fansite masters. Mino was rehearsing... I connected the dots!
And after 30 cold minutes, Mino did come out of that same door we came out of! OMGGGG
Like, imagine, if we arrived 30 minutes later and exited the same way!? We would've bumped into THE Song Mino!? Sadly, we can only imagine but dang, the possibility was HUGE there~
Moving on... We met with another IC who bought our tickets. The thing with Korean ticketing sites like Interpark, you can't register for an account unless you have Korean phone number. Their verification is srsly strict. While there is global Interpark— I even booked my ticket for Mino's exhibition there— but this particular festival is not on there. Of course, we booked with a mutual / trusted global IC that was living in SK, don't worry.
We met a nearby Starbucks, as well as another IC I transacted the night before to buy photocards from 😄 I searched on Twitter and asked them if they were gonna watch the festival too so we can just directly meet. It was uneventful; literally just exchange money and PCs 🤭
See my different Mino photocard from the earlier one? 😉 I said here I wanted Mino pearl PC and yay. I got it! About the ticket, they put the buyer's name on it, so I'm really sad about that. I'm still keeping it for memories, but it would've been soooo much better to have my name 🥺
For late lunch, we just chose whichever was near~ We ate at 돈돈돈까스 or Dondon Tonkatsu, and this was my first time to have rice. And their servings were huge. I, again and again, don't have a huge appetite, and uniquely, even less when I travel 🫠 But this was filling and we needed the energy!
We get strapped, take photos here and go in. This was already past 3 PM, and gates open at 3 so barricade? Don't even think about it, girl. I still wonder why we didn't like, plan, to line and enter early. Concerts in PH, I'd be there at 8 AM and the concert's at 7-8 PM 🤡
Now, welcome to Ride The Beat Festival~
This was a hiphop concert so I get it, but there were a LOT of fanboys. What an experience to be in a male-dominated audience. But what was annoying was most of them were tall and they were blocking the stage 🥲
It got hard to move but thankfully, I got to remove my jacket before it did. The arena had a heating system, of course, so it eventually became hot. Another trivia: bouncers gave out free cups of water to anyone who needed to replenish. It's nothing big, but I've never been on a concert that had that happening. So cool 👏 We did ask but not a lot because we couldn't afford a bathroom break. Duh.
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| Leellamarz and Ash Island |
No, but Ash Island is not how I remember him, tho I don't know him much to begin with. But I thought he was a bigger guy or something. He was rather slim and cute too 😊
And here's the one I'm most happy to see, aside from Mino! Be'O-ya~ And I've FINALLY heard and jammed to his legendary Counting Stars 🥹😍
Justhis! He was kinda hot 🥵 (this is me downplaying the attraction) I tried listening to his songs beforehand tho, and then live, and I have to say his music is not my style, or hmm, I haven't found a song of his that I really like. I enjoyed his set tho!
Sik-K then it's Mino time! I literally know 2 of his songs: iffy and Ring Ring, and I'm super glad he performed the 2nd one 🫶 I didn't expect him to. And idk, but I equate Sik-K to abs, and I did see him flaunt them in front of me. Dang, I didn't get to film that! I was saving memory for Mino 🤪
Some fans leave in between sets, so we gradually found ourselves by the barricade! And after 5 hours of standing, Mino's set starts 🤩
Mino opened with my ever favorite banger, Trigger, and I failed to mention before, but he performed with full band 😭 It was literally a mini-Maniac (his solo concert) and I'm so happy to have witnessed it.
My favorite Song even performed one of my fave songs of his, LOVE IN DA CAR 😭 Excuse my scream in the video— I usually don't make sounds for my recordings but I COULDN'T HELP IT. So, so, soooo happy.
And since Be'O and Mino are at the same event, we were wishing they'd perform their song Limousine together because they never did and YES, THEY ACTUALLY DID 😭
His setlist: Trigger, Rocket, Body, Love and a boy, LOVE IN DA CAR, Tang!♡, Alchemy, Okey Dokey, Turtle Ship, Limousine, Fear, Fiance and Run Away. Thirteen songs! Srsly felt so blessed especially with most of them I haven't heard live at all. Thank you for the gift of music and the gift of you, Mino-ya 🥹
I have a tad bit regret on my ticket area tho~ It's okay when Mino's at the main stage but when he moves to the front, I only get to see his back 🥲 One more trivia: ticket prices in SK are the same wherever you are. Standing or seating, front or back... You pay the same amount. It's really just a matter of buying first and fast, and they even tell you your queueing number before you even check out. Oh how I wish I can keep going back and watch concerts there!
We were the last folks to leave, OMG 😅 But staff there would hastily tell you to leave like, pack up! Even when we were by the door itself just wearing our coats again, they kept making us go already. Well, I understand. I know the feeling of wanting to leave work fast 😂
And I didn't think about it at all, but we could still see Mino leave the venue~ The crowd was forming too so even when it was super cold again, we looked out for him and here he was:
He walked towards fans and waved, unlike in the morning 🤣 Waaaah, such a Mino-filled day, as it should! Who would've thought I'd end my 2022 like this!?? And to have watched this before Mino has to go away for 2 years...
It was super late and of course, we were hungry. We got samgyup, we just entered the first place we save and it was the expensive one, but honest to goodness, it was the most delicious I've ever eaten. I don't know if it was the good feels that night or because of the price 😂
The serving looks so small, but it was actually enough. And with my health condition, I can't eat a lot of meat and fat anyway 🤷♀️
I am salivating, HELP......
Okay, let's end this with this TikTok trend I've waited so long to do 🫢
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