On October 29th at the Buckhead Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, The Rose performed to an excited audience who had maxed out the venue for the sold-out show!
The popular Korean band marked their return to Atlanta for their second tour here, coming to the city first for their 2019 WE ROSE YOU LIVE tour. This time, however, they returned triumphantly after beginning their own label and releasing a studio album after a hiatus. As such, The Rose: HEAL TOGETHER World Tour means a lot to both the band and fans, so the excitement before the show was almost palpable.
Speaking with a fan before the concert, she explained her love for the group, “This is my second time seeing The Rose!” Shannon Feeney of Chicago continued, “I was immediately drawn to Woosung after hearing his solo song on the K-drama ‘Itaewon Class’ and dove deep into all things concerning his music and the band The Rose. Their music is so meaningful and powerful!” She then finished with a smile, “I also bought tickets to even go see them in London… THEY ARE THAT GOOD!”
Like Shannon, many fans were waiting just as equally excitedly for the show to get started. The hum of anticipation soon grew so loud that you could barely hear yourself think. Then, the music began and green lights drenched the stage as the members came out. The band then started playing the slow, dramatic verse of the vulnerable song “Definition of Ugly is” from their new album “HEAL.” The song grabbed everyone’s attention immediately and after people’s cheers for the band coming onstage died down, they were soon hanging on to every note lead vocalist Woosung sang of the song.
The group then transitioned directly into the track “Insomnia.” This rock song also features a slower verse with a medium-tempo chorus that perfectly set off the vocals of keyboardist and main vocalist, Dojoon. Despite the first two songs being slower tracks, the crowd’s energy had not diminished at all! They were all still very excited, and each song was met with deafening cheers and yells.
Without stopping, The Rose followed this song up with the fan-favorite track “She’s In The Rain.” To the great delight of the crowd, the members of the band really played this song to perfection and with great vocals and skill before transitioning into Woosung’s solo track “Modern Life.” This upbeat track had a steady drum beat that made fans dance along before yelling and cheering passionately when the song was finished. In fact, they were so loud that when it was done, Woosung made mention of the crowd by thanking them for coming and apologizing for the wait as the show had started late. Dojoon also thanked them for their patience and then mentioned the reaction of the audience by saying Atlanta was “crazy!” He then told them to listen to the next song to have even more fun because the band would also be having even more fun themselves as they played “California.” Colorful lighting then started flashing around the stage as the upbeat pop-rock song got fans jumping and singing along to the chorus.
Afterward, the members took the chance to have a small talk with fans. Jaehyeong, the bass guitarist and maknae, along with Hajoon, the drummer and rapper of the group, were able to introduce themselves to the crowd and interact with fans a bit. After the talk, the band performed “I Don’t Know You,” an emotional-sounding track that builds up on the chorus. It thrilled the crowd who swayed and sang along, resulting in a beautiful number that truly touched the hearts of the listeners!
The band went on that night to perform other amazing tracks like “RED,” “Candy,” and “Like We Used To.” With every track, the audience seemed to grow even more enthusiastic over The Rose’s performances! The band’s energy also grew even more with each song, and the crowd reciprocated by cheering wholeheartedly throughout the night. The Rose was truly giving it their all onstage as they looked out over the packed house.
It’s worth stating that the venue was truly full to overflowing. I saw some people literally standing in the waiting room outside the actual concert hall during the event. This was because it was a standing-room only concert, and the concert hall was so full that if you were in the very back, there was essentially no way to see The Rose at all. Despite the late start for the show and any other issues, the band really gave 100% for the show. As such, you could tell fans genuinely appreciated it! Even when I had to make my way to the restroom and saw how uncomfortably crowded some sections of fans were, I noticed how happy their glowing faces were as they were all tuned in to the stage!
During another talk break, Dojoon stated that it seemed like everyone was having fun, but that it was hot in there! He then repeated his sentence to make sure everyone knew he wasn’t just talking about the weather being hot either, making the fans laugh!
Woosung then spoke up about the current state of the band and thanked fans again for coming to the show. He stated, “Thank you so much for waiting for our new album and for supporting it. It has been such a long time coming, and the road was daunting.” He then continued to explain how they have all grown as individuals and matured on their own and together as well. He revealed that they have talked all about those feelings of pain and growth and have put them into the album because they wanted to share it with their fans who might also struggle or even struggle in the future. He further stated, “We hope that this album and the tour can help fans get through their bad times together with The Rose.” A beautiful video then began to play where the members shared about their emotions and their relationships with one another, revealing how they are there for each other and even how they can talk with each other freely and heal through music.
A particularly beautiful moment of the night was when the band performed the track “See-Saw,” a song also off the band’s new album “HEAL.” The track started off with Jaehyeong’s vocals as the background video showed peaceful scenes of trees and blue skies. Other members joined in on the vocals one at a time, including Hajoon and Dojoon, before Woosung comes in strongly to carry the song with further emotion until the end.
Next, The Rose decided to have more of a laidback session with songs like “Childhood” as Hajoon moved from the drums to the keyboard and vocalists Woosung and Dojoon sat on the stage as they sang. Meanwhile, Jaehyeong moved from the bass guitar to the acoustic guitar for a more relaxed, unplugged sound all around. It was very popular with fans as the sounds of beautiful music and great vocals and instruments left them sighing and swooning while they recorded the moment with their phones!
The talented band also sang other fan-favorite tracks such as “I.L.Y.,” “Sour,” “Yes,” and “Beauty and the Beast.” During “Yes,” Woosung and Dojoon put down their instruments and went all around the stage to interact with fans and have a more casual time of fan service with the audience. Even Jaehyeong was able to go to the other side of the stage with his guitar to greet the audience on the opposite side, making fans even more hyped up and excited than they had been!
Drawing close to the end of the show, The Rose played one of fans’ all-time favorite songs, “Sorry.” Released in 2017 as the group’s official debut track, “Sorry” was written by member Hajoon and still sounds as great today as it did several years ago. When the music first began to play for the song, the crowd immediately began to whoop and yell excitedly!
The event soon drew to a close but not without a bang-up finale and encore which included “Cure,” “Black Rose,” and a repeat of “Sour.” During their final time onstage, the band members threw black roses to the audience and interacted with fans during the last song, thrilling everyone who was lucky enough to be close by or catch a rose.
Before they exited the stage, The Rose promised the crowd that they would be back next year! Indeed, they are a band that has shown that no matter what their difficulties may be, they are artists who can be trusted to keep their word. We have seen that to be true as the past couple of years have shown that they are a band that perseveres and follows through in order to keep making music together and to keep standing in front of their fans.
The entire setlist of the evening was one planned with purpose. It told a story as the night progressed, the lyrics of each song seeming to piece together something much deeper behind the scenes. For fans who were struggling with problems or areas in their own lives, it was also a chance to relax and listen to the words and lyrics of the music. From the first song of the evening— which expressed vulnerability and a sense of not fitting in, to the middle of the evening— which was about finding healing in the midst of pain, to the finale of the night— which was about finding mutual reassurance in each other as the lyrics of “Black Rose” sing, “Tell me it’s okay, Don’t be afraid, Nobody can take away, take away, Love is the way,” The Rose was committed to fully delivering the theme of both their album and their tour: healing.
Stacey Petterson from Atlanta, another fan I spoke with before the show ever started, described the band this way, “This is my second time seeing The Rose…they play their own instruments, and their music is more of a chill factor. I love how unique they are from other K-pop groups.”
The Rose is indeed unique, but what makes them so unique isn’t only their instrumental skills or even their genre of music. What makes The Rose so unique in my opinion is their dedication to be fully true to themselves, as well as their commitment to each other. When I first saw The Rose live back in 2019, it was a great show! I would describe it as an upbeat, energetic show more typical of a soft-rock band. Last night, however, I saw a new sense of maturity and growth from a group of artists who had a sense of purpose and a story they wanted to tell. I’ve never been to a concert before (especially one from a Korean artist) where they opened with a slow, almost acappella sound, but that’s exactly what The Rose did last night. And it captured my attention immediately and made me realize I was in for something different! I was in for a night of purposeful storytelling through music.
Kudos to The Rose for another great show, despite a couple of challenges due to the overflowing venue, late start time, and a few loud crowd members who seemed to have indulged a bit too much in their pre-concert Halloween celebrations in the city. I know the night was very special for all of The Rose fans who were in attendance!
If you would like to attend one of the stops on this talented band’s The Rose: HEAL TOGETHER World Tour, please click HERE for information. At the time of this publication, their next stop on the tour will be in Houston, Texas, and some tickets are still available. After the U.S. leg of their tour ends, they will then head to South America before going to Europe.
For more information on The Rose and to keep up with their activities, you can follow them on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Discord, and YouTube. You can also stream their new album “HEAL” on various platforms by clicking HERE.
In the meantime, check out a few more of our photos from the concert below! You can click on a photo to enlarge it, then scroll through the gallery for enlarged, HD viewing.
Thank you to The Rose and Platform PR for allowing us to attend this event.
Media: What The Kpop
(Photography by Angel Escobar and Article by Amy Leigh)
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