Did TWICE Tear the Roof off in Dallas? YES or YES!
Review by: Christian Hernandez, Asst. Writer: Jasmine Nguyen
The strong cold couldn’t deter ONCE coming out for Night 1 of the THIS IS FOR tour in Dallas. Fans packed into the American Airlines Center, everyone dressed to impress, even in what felt like freezing temps. I could feel the anticipation in the air as I made my way down to my seats. I don’t think I have ever felt more FOMO than seeing the entire stadium filled with lightsticks, the lightsticks themselves omitting an idle red, which further drove the anticipation, like being stuck at a red light, itching for it to turn green. I got my bearings together as the lights went down and the announcement was made that the show was about to begin. The giant LED panel made its way down as FOUR began filling the stadium, somehow just barely overpowering the sounds of ONCE’s cheers. As the screen raised and THIS IS FOUR began, we got our first look at the stars of the night. They were dressed in what seemed to be Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders inspired attire. The 360-degree stage allowed everyone to get a great view of the show, with the LED panel allowing for smooth and quick transitions on who was currently singing.
You wouldn’t be able to tell that two members, Jihyo and Dahyun, were sitting out for the night, with Jihyo sitting out with a cold, and Dahyun with an ankle injury. Still, the show went on and they still sang their hearts out for ONCE in their chairs. I was not anticipating a live band being a part of the show as well! The production was already off the charts, from the stage (which included raising platforms!), to the lighting system, but that live band truly adds an extra layer of pizzazz.
The backup dancers were also a surprise to me, specifically because of how much thought you could see went into their implementation. During ACT 1, the backup donned all black clothing, contrasting with TWICE’s white gear, allowing each group to pop. As we got towards the middle of I CAN’T STOP ME, confetti shot out over the crowd and we made our segue into introductions. Another surprise for me was the use of live translation, with a translator speaking over the intercoms. It made it feel much more intimate, as I’m sure there can be a disconnect with the language barrier, but that shows the extra step TWICE takes for ONCE. I found it hilarious when ONCE started barking whenever their bias was on screen, “Oh yea by the way, ONCE barks,” said my assistant writer Jasmine. In my defense, I was already barking, so it worked out well.
As the show continued, we got OPTIONS, which had amazing moving stars on floating panels, and the lightsticks dazzling the stadium like a starry night. This transitioned into MOONLIGHT SUNRISE (a personal favorite), and marked the end of ACT 1. We got to witness what I think was an interpretive dance during the intermission? Regardless, it was performed so well and it was nice that the backup dancers were given time to shine.
ACT 2 began shortly after, with the girls now donning western and prairie inspired outfits, with gorgeous layered pieces and brown accents. ACT 2 began with MARS, which left me stunned after hearing Jihyo’s insane vocal runs. Again, you could not tell she was fighting a cold, she did not let that hold her back completely. The Feels was a standout, as the live band was really given a chance to shine here, especially the drummer. I had a pretty good view of the live band and I could see the drummer absolutely crushing it during this one, moving like Andrew in the film Whiplash. ACT 2 felt much more like a party, with ONCE jumping up and down and singing their hearts out, the lights donning lighter shades of pink and orange. Going from The Feels to GONE was also such a treat, as it began with red lights taking over the stage, and a spotlight on Momo as she strutted the walkway to the other side of the stage, the camera following her while she took her place among the rest of the girls. Personally, GONE felt like the perfect culmination of the tour’s production. The sound was incredible, the live band was pounding out the music, the choreo was nothing short of stellar, the lights added so much depth to the performance, with a great utilization of lasers. By the end of that song I had nothing to say, as my jaw was on the floor. ACT 2 closed out to RIGHT HAND GIRL, a ONCE favorite.
We got another intermission, this time with the live band! I wasn’t sure if it was an original song, a cover, or maybe just a couple of dudes jamming, but my goodness they were shredding! You could hear the fans become more and more captivated as their spotlight moment continued, as I don’t think anyone anticipated to hear a performance like that during the show. Their jam session was met with immense applause as ACT 3 was on the way.
ACT 3 was something I was looking forward to, because this is where each member performs their solo! Each one felt so unique to them and was a smart way to showcase their talents and what they bring to TWICE. Which was made all the much better when they came together at the end to perform their megahit TAKEDOWN, which practically blew the roof off, my goodness! They must have found out the speakers went up to 11 during the solos because my earplugs weren’t enough to protect how loud it was. Was it the music, the roar of the fans? Even fans all the way up in the nosebleeds, and I am talking hugging the back wall nosebleeds, were throwing so much energy, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
As ACT 4 began with songs including FANCY and What is Love?, I realized just how close we were to the end and quickly the concert flew by. The girls ended with ONE SPARK, making their way off stage. The lights came on, but the night wasn’t over. We got a hilarious, yet adorable experience with TWICE’s DANCE CAM, which had fans test their choreo skills for their favorite songs. I realized I have to lock in and learn one of these for the next show. TWICE came back on stage shortly after, performing Feel Special and then asking Dallas what song they wanted to hear. Suddenly, practically the whole stadium threw their hands up forming a circle, signifying that they wanted Doughnut, as their final song. I must have missed the memo but I made sure to throw my arms up to, who am I to disagree with the people? They performed Dougnut, (a tour debut!), and said their goodbyes. The girls were joined by the backup dancers to bow out, which I thought was a lovely sentiment. They also shouted out their live band and crew. With that, TWICE said goodbye to ONCE, after an incredible performance that I am sure no one’s going to forget.
EightBallMag 