Fans Say “Yes” to Six Years With The Rose
Photo Courtesy of Kenna Miller
Six years after their debut, The Rose finds itself performing to thousands of fans in Chicago, Illinois at the renowned music festival Lollapalooza. They followed up their anniversary performance with a more intimate aftershow the following night at The Vic Theater. Fans of the band, referred to as ‘Black Rose,’ left Lollapalooza immediately after The Rose finished their show on the 3rd, to get in line and secure their spots for the late-night concert the following evening, August 4.
The Rose kicked off their aftershow with an energetic performance of their four songs “Cure,” “Candy (So Good),” “I Don’t Know You,” and “Red.” The previous night’s concert saw the members Kim Woosung (김우성), Park Dojoon (박도준), Lee Hajoon (이하준), and Lee Jaehyeong (이재형), dressed in sparkling suits with slicked back hair. Tonight, they showed off a more personal side as they were dressed casually, swapping the suits for t-shirts, creating a comfortable atmosphere. They continued with this ‘laid back’ vibe by taking requests from the audience instead of following a rigid setlist. The fans were more than prepared, holding up song requests on phone screens and giant paper signs. Woosung only asked that they not request their two newest songs, as they would be played later in the show. Aside from that, any of their songs were fair game.
Photo Courtesy of Kenna Miller
Fans took this opportunity to request older or lesser played songs from the group. The members performed most requests even if it meant they had to relearn the chords on the spot or create unique renditions of the songs. For example, they had Hajoon, their drummer, and Jaehyeong, their bassist, sing the majority of their popular song “She’s In The Rain.” After which, Woosung claimed “I think in all the world we have the best singing bassist and drummer.”
Woosung and Dojoon, the main vocalists, joined the fans in singing an acoustic version of the chorus one last time before moving onto the next request. They played “Beautiful Girl,” which is originally Woosung’s song featuring Peniel from K-Pop group BTOB. This time, however, Woosung sang while Jaehyeong played acoustic guitar and Dojoon rapped a short verse. The crowd went wild for this performance and the group talked about how much fun they were having. They asked the staff to let them know when there were 15 minutes left of the show so they could play their previously prepared songs before they resumed taking requests from the crowd.
Photo Courtesy of Kenna Miller
The band performed “Yes” while throwing roses into the crowd and taking photos with fans' cameras. The members sincerely thanked their Black Roses for coming by saying that they would remember this night forever. They ended their intimate set with their popular tracks “Back to Me” and “Sour” as the audience passionately sang along.
Photo Courtesy of Kenna Miller