Hyperfocus: TXT Amaze VR Concert: Review

Originally shared on my Substack in November of 2024.

I have been a fan of K-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together, aka TXT, for approximately 5 years. The exact date I cannot recall tbh…

I remember being really excited to go to their ACT: Promise concert in New York. Unfortunately, I couldn’t because I was working on those days they were performing…

Because of work, school, and/or expensive ticket prices, I’ve ended up missing out on so many concerts. I’m still salty that I didn’t get to see MONSTA X back in 2019 when they were performing in New York 3 days before my birthday…

So, when I stumbled upon a YouTube short from a K-tuber discussing a virtual TXT concert tour, I was beyond excited about it. Her show took place in LA, so I was desperately waiting for news about the New York dates.

Thankfully, thanks to the algorithm, I was able to find out where the concert would be taking place. Part of me does wish I had found out earlier since it started around late October. But regardless I was really excited to go.

So, here’s my thoughts about the Hyperfocus VR Concert. I attended the concert on November 5th.

Traveling

The concert took place at the LOOK Dine-In Cinema, which was all the way in Manhattan. I live in Brooklyn, so obviously, travel was going to be expensive. I had a morning class before the concert, so I decided to head home first before leaving.

I’m infamous for my terrible time management. So, by the time I was ready, I had missed the bus I was supposed to catch. (The website advised getting there at least 10 minutes before the starting time). In the end, I took an Uber.

I personally would’ve liked to go to a theatre within my area. But, the theatre I used to frequent before closed, which was disappointing.

Thankfully, the drive went smoothly and I was able to get there in time for the show.

Arriving at the Venue

The cinema-which I later learned opened last year-was very clean. When I stepped inside, there were cutouts of the members against a backdrop alongside a red carpet. ✨

Cutouts of the TXT members wearing their Hyperfocus outfits

I noticed some MOAs taking pictures of their photocards with the cutouts. I also noticed those giant papers teachers used to use in elementary school covered in sweet little messages for the members. I wrote a few down before heading to the auditorium, which was also very clean.

After scanning my ticket, I selected a photocard pack. I’m honestly really happy that these were included with the ticket and that I didn’t have to pay extra for them. (Off topic, but the staff lady pronounced my name correctly which made me really happy. 🥰)

Here are the photocards I got. I got Taehyun and Yeonjun! 💖

The Hyperfocus Official Ticket and two photocards of members Yeonjun and Taehyun

I was honestly expecting a larger crowd. But, the smaller crowd was fine; there was lesser noise so I could properly hear the music.

When I stepped into the auditorium, music videos were playing on the screen. Such MVs included Blue Hour, Sugar Rush Ride, Do It Like That, Back For More ft. Anitta, and Magic.

A few minutes passed and it was time for the concert to begin. The staff was very helpful with getting my headset on and the instructions were informative. One of them also got us hyped for the concert. I did need to remove my glasses because I had trouble fitting the headset. I’ll admit that this was my first time using a VR headset.

Finally, it was show time!! 🎶

The Concert

The way the concert worked was that we watched TXT through the headset while the audio was sounded through the speakers. It definitely made it feel more immersive.

To begin, we had to get our hands calibrated; it was cool seeing my virtual hands match the movements of my own. Afterwards, we were given a virtual wristband. (I do wish it were real though.)

Next, we had to select a member to be our “guide” throughout the concert. Each member’s face was on a different colored crystal.

I, of course, selected my bias HueningKai! 💛

After selecting my guide, HueningKai gifted me a virtual MOA Bong (the group’s lightstick). Then, it was onto the first song, Sugar Rush Ride. It was fun and energetic and I could hear the other MOAs get excited. The graphics were incredible and I just loved the fantastical vibes of the magical forest they were in. Quite reminiscent of the forest seen in the music video.

The teasers I saw on YouTube do not do the concert justice at all. It just pales in comparison to the actual viewing. The boys were making eye contact with me and getting very into my personal space. I screamed a lot whenever they were getting so close to me. I even reached out to them which probably made me look crazy…

After SRR, they were was a talking moment where they introduced themselves. Next was Magic Island where all the members sat down. I loved seeing all of the butterflies. That song brought me back to 2019; it’s been so long since I last heard it. The camera panned from member to member as each of them sang their lines. Soobin was locked in with the eye contact (😳) and I even saw Beomgyu mouthing the song which was really cute.

Once Magic Island was over, there was a transition with a magic circle and a portal. There was a scene switch and now we were in an dark alleyway. There were many neon signs with references to their previously released songs.

Their next song was Good Boy Gone Bad. The beginning scene where Beomgyu lit the rose on fire and threw it was so iconic. Again, it had a lot of searing eye contact- especially from Yeonjun. (Damn you, biaswrecker! /lh) With all of the closeups, I could see their contact lenses in so much detail, the highlighter on their face…it was just insane. My heart was racing so much. (And I’ll admit that during the concert, I got a little teary-eyed. I had a better understanding as to why some MOAs were crying from the videos I’ve seen.)

During the performance, there was a helicopter flying above the members that flashed red and blue lights. Then red laser lights appeared during the 2nd chorus. Very fitting for the “bad boy” image.

I believe there was another transition where the other members ran off and HueningKai was holding his ear in pain because of the sound of a buzzing speaker. (?) That was a hint for the next song Tinnitus, which took place in a dark parking lot. The song is very addicting with the repetitive lyrics and Afro beats used. The audience-including me-gagged when Taehyun lifted his shirt… >///<

There was another commentary moment where the members discussed the two songs previously performed. A little into it, they mentioned that they would perform one last song. I was surprised by how fast everything went.

After one final transition, TXT sang their final song, which was Deja Vu and the setting of choice was a desert. I’ve been listening to that song on repeat so I couldn’t help but sing along to it. The scene where Yeonjun roundhouse kicked at the camera was crazy; they even added sand and dust effects.

Once Deja Vu concluded, there was a behind-the-scenes section which went into all of the magic of filming the VR concert. There were moments when Yeonjun and Beomgyu got extremely close to the camera and I started freaking out along with the other MOAs.

Next, the members sat down and thanked all of the MOAs for their support and for watching their first VR concert. The members also discussed what was their favorite song to perform.

I should note that during the talking segments, they also addressed the audience in English and Japanese, which I thought was nice as they do have a global fanbase.

Finally, they performed an “encore song” in more casual attire which was MOA Diary. It started with the members in a white room before it opened up like a box, revealing a colorful field behind them with lots of virtual balloons. A super cute finale to the concert.

I can’t recall if this moment took place afterward, but towards the end, HueningKai reached out to me and appeared to be cupping my face with his hand. I malfunctioned ngl… 😳😳😳💓💓💓

The concert came to a close and it was time for everyone to leave. We were given posters after the concert which I appreciated.

I took some more pictures and wrote a few more messages before heading on the long trip back home.

The Hyperfocus Concert Official Poster

A promotional sign for the concert

The photocards I received with the cutouts of the members as the background

Final Thoughts

Overall, I had such an incredible time at the Hyperfocus Concert. I do wish I could’ve gone on multiple days. But as I mentioned before, the theater is very far from where I live and I’d also have to find time within my personal schedule.

But, it’s still a good time even if you only go once.

I will say that was my one downside about the whole ordeal. Hopefully, in the future, other locations in New York will be added to any future VR Concert tours.

All of the attention to detail was just a wonder to see. Getting to see the members up close made the overall experience feel so intimate and personal. Basically, your own private concert- I feel like that is every fan’s dream. XD

If I had my own VR headset, I would definitely watch it again once it’s added to the Amaze VR app so I can have my own private concert in the comfort of my own home.

I do hope other Kpop groups get VR concerts, such as MONSTA X, IVE and/or ZeroBaseOne. Or maybe even other western artists like Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Joshua Levi…I could go on.

I’ll be honest about something. The main reason I went was because I’ve had terrible days at work the previous week and I’ve been feeling so burnt out from school work. I’m currently a senior in college and I’ve just been feeling so down about myself. So I figured, why not cheer myself up?

I’m really glad that I went. Can I count this as my first ever concert? I’d say yes why not? But hopefully one day, I’ll truly go see TXT live.

Sources

Hyperfocus Concert Website

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Originally published at https://enchantingmirage.substack.com.