2PM's strength in unity shines at 'House Party' concert

Boy band 2PM celebrated eight years together with their fans at two “House Party” concerts at the Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena on Saturday and Sunday in Seoul.

Kicking off the performance with a rendition of “Go Crazy” packed with special effects, 2PM sped forward with their past hit “I Hate You,” two songs from their new album, “Jump” and “Magic,” and their party song “Hands Up.”

The stage was set to sprawl across the arena‘s floor, with clumps of fans between the walkways, so that the members could interact with the audience throughout the performance. 2PM walked around as they sang during the concert, making eye contact and waving to the crowd. 

“We called this concert ‘House Party’ not only because our title track is ‘My House,’ but because house parties are for those you are close to. And to us, you’re like our friends, and our family,” said Jun.K.

“I’m sure we have some people here who have never seen us perform before,” said Wooyoung. “I bet by the end of our show today, you’ll become our fans, too.”

As if to take that promise as a challenge to themselves, the band launched into the next part of the concert, which included smooth and romantic songs such as “Come Back When You Hear This Song” and “Only You.” A short introduction video led the way into a sexy third section, which opened with a performance of 2PM’s title track “My House.”

For the third set of songs, the stage was transformed into a lavish set similar to the one seen in the “My House” music video, complete with winding staircases. The 2PM members paired up with female dancers for steamy performances of “A.D.T.O.Y.,” “Not the Only One” and “Good Man.”

The tension in the air was palpable after “Good Man,” which had the members cozying up to the female dancers against walls, on chairs and on beds, to pained shrieks and screams from the fans.

“I warned you guys, remember? Our concert would be a bit racy,” said Nichkhun after “Good Man.” Chansung, who wrote the song, was given a chance to defend himself, and he said, “I didn’t intend for the performance to be that sexy. The song was just supposed to be about a guy who wants to take the lead, and wants the girl to follow.”

“Of course, we wouldn’t make you jealous, then just leave you hanging,” said Wooyoung. “Now, it’s time for us to melt your heart.”

2PM launched into renditions of “Sexy Lady” and “I’m Your Man.” A disc jockey performance led into a high-energy set of “Heartbeat,” “I’ll Be Back” and “Hot,” wrapping up with 2PM’s debut track “10 out of 10.” The encore song was “Hotter than Summer,” from their new album “No. 5.”

Unlike other K-pop concerts, the members did not perform any solo songs.

“There are six of us in 2PM,” said Jun.K. “2PM as a group comes before any one of us.”

“We decided not to have solo performances (tonight) so we could show you more of the true 2PM as a group,” said Junho.

“I feel like this is home now,” said Nichkhun, who is originally from Thailand. “This is where it all began. We’re so much better now than at our first concert, right? We’ll continue to grow and improve.”

“We know that we take longer to release new songs than other artists these days,” said Chansung. “We’re always grateful that you wait for us. We’ll always work harder to show you only our very best. Just trust us, and follow us.”

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)