it all comes back, it all comes back

[kerpingtack]

SHINEE WORLD V IN L.A. 

GO!!!!

I'm doing this entry in my old school lj style, i.e., typing whatever in giant run-on sentences, in an attempt to actually finish this and post it before I forget any more. 

Condensed summary: I SCREAMED MY HEAD OFF.  I LOVE SHINEE. THEY WERE AMAZING. I LOVE THEM. I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VCR 01: "The Colors of SHINee"
Okay, the whole series of VCRs was EXTREMELY PUZZLING to me. This one starts with a fairytale book opening, "five sleeping princes", etc. and a witch (a white girl who looked slightly like Katherine Isabelle) who wake each of them up by inserting a key/stick into their ears (which feels like a reference to something?) and some groovy colors ensue. The members are then transported, via doors/windows/walls/trapdoors, into a Wonderland-type world/Dream Girl MV Escher house. Oh thank god a condensed compilation of the VCRs are uploaded online so I don't have to keep describing it lol. (edit: And a full LQ version here.) Keep in mind that the audience is screaming the entire time anything happens, myself included lol, so when the witch shows up in the mirror in front of SHINee and screams... too... I was like "??? is she supposed to be representing/reflecting the audience? or is it like a banshee thing?" This was also when I knew that I would be thinking too much about everything even though it is all nonsense. She/the house chase the members around. Then SHINee are together in a kitchen/lab with a miniature version of the witch (or the witch herself is suddenly tiny?), and they trap her in a beaker or a cup or something. Then SHINee walk through a door in a garden to face off with the regular-sized witch with nerf guns full of paint/ectoplasm/idk and they shoot her while she poses like a Grecian statue and splatter her with color. WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS PART, not in the least because it reminded me of an article I read about the purity cult of the Jonas Brothers that described a part of their movie where they spray water at their audience in a ummmm symbolically phallic manner. The book then closes with SHINee defeating the witch. 
 
This VCR introduces a couple of themes that run throughout most of the other ones: 

1. fantasy vs. reality, being woken up (fairytale book framing)
2. colors ("Colors of SHINee", colors spreading from their heart after the witch wakes them, the nerf guns at the end, the colorful Dream Girl-type glitch motif)
3. audience proxy (well, sort of. wtf was the witch...? two out of the remaining four VCRs have all these dating sim-type parts where the members interact with the camera, the camera being the audience POV)
4. food/kitchens??
5. time-lapse-y multiple copies of themselves. idk what the terms are for stuff and things, hopefully you get it lol

Okay, I know the VCRs are just there for fun so the audience has something to look at while the members take a breather and change clothes between songs, but I live to overthink, so I was just trying... so... hard... to piece this shit together lmao. Also I really went overboard on the screaming during the beginning because I thought SHINee were going to appear on stage at every scene transition lol. 

1. Hitchhiking
AMAZINNNG. I wouldn't have thought of this as an opener, but it works osmly. God I forgot how good SO many of their songs are. I really liked the background video for this, very psychadelic. Time ma-chine ride!!!

2. Why So Serious?
This song is so stupid and bad lol, but, as always, they looked like they were having fun performing it. Actually I really, really enjoyed the whole set list. There wasn't any song that I minded and it was a very good mix of all their albums. 

3. Juliette (with Key's dance break)
I don't really remember anything about this, except that Key had a dance break at the end lol. 

ment - intro
Minho and Key spoke the most overall and they both spoke entirely in English. Jonghyun, Taemin, and Onew spoke in Korean with a translator, and spoke most to least in that order. The first ~ment~ was a very quick break. They each said hi and said their name in English, and said hello L.A. Jonghyun and Taemin looked visibly tired and sweaty. Jonghyun patted/wiped his face with a towel a lot. Key said that they were happy to be in L.A., not for a kpop concert, but for a SHINee concert. He also said something like, "You are not watching us on Youtube... this is real life!" to loud cheers. There was also this little gem: 

Key [in Eng]: Onew will introduce our next song.
Onew [in Kor]: Uh..... wait, what?

4. Prism
I don't remember anything about this one either. I was still in overly-excitable scream mode lol ;;; Note to self: Jonghyun's first outfit was a dark blue/red suit, which looks fine up close, but read kind of muddy from the stage? At least where I was sitting. The other members were wearing lighter and brighter colors. I kept losing track of where he was. 

5. Replay
Chill version of the song. They sang most of it standing still and went into the choreo for maybe the last iteration of the chorus? No one will ever, ever stop being sentimental about Replay. ; __ ;

VCR 02: 아름다워 (Beautiful) aka "Beautiful day"
What is confusing about this one, and even more so for the Shift VCR, is that the ~interacting with camera-as-audience~ parts, and the, um... fantastical land/surreal distortion of space/time...y... parts are so disparate - like they almost happen independently from one another? Yet they keep occurring back to back. WHAT'S THE IMPLICATION HERE?? Especially with the witch appearing in the very first VCR? If they're not meant to be linked, then why is there so much thematic overlap? Why anything happen? LQ version here for your perusal. 

Anyway. It starts with all of them asleep again, and waking up in the same room. Colors ensue. Then they're in a kitchen, packing lunch and being playful with each other. They run outside to the garden (which looks like the same one from the first VCR) and frolic RIDICULOUSLY cutely. Lots of bubbles, floaties, and flopping on top of one another, with jjong at the bottom of the puppy pile ;~~~; GOD I LOVE SHINEE. Notable image of them toasting champagne/frothy fruit drinks together. Then begins the dating sim lol noooooo. Everyone looks directly at the camera and offers presents and flowers to "you." But then it's night time, they're wearing suits, and they all eat at the picnic table together, talking and smiling amongst themselves. Another toast. PILING INTO A HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE TOGETHER LOL and just riding vaguely off somewhere/nowhere. 

THEN it's daytime in "reality" (I'm guessing. who knows!). They're in the outside seating of a cafe: Onew and jjong at one table, Minho and Key at another, Taemin alone in the middle, sleeping. The other members converge on him and wake him up. (Note: in the LQ version, they're looking at a map titled SHINee World Map - Version 5 with Korea circled; I don't think that part's there in the U.S./Canadian shows?) As they exit the cafe, you see that the ~presents SHINee gave you~ are all stacked together on a table. ??? 

6. Hello
My frand and I turned to each other and said "OF COURSE they'd play Hello after that fucking VCR" lol. Outfit change here, but I don't remember to what. I think something more casual than their first set of clothes. (edit: It was like plaid lounge wear lol. Looked comfy.)
 
7. Odd Eye
So, so good. Jonghyun mouthed/sang along to Minho's first rap! As I'm typing this, I'm realizing that I don't remember how most of the performances sounded. I think that's partly because a. SHINee sounded perfect, on par or better than the studio versions, really strong and consistent and nothing particularly stood out? besides "THEY ARE SO GOOD"; b. I think there was still A LOT of random screaming at this point. I remember that it didn't seem like the audience fully chilled out until after the ballads; and c. my ears were already shot lol. They were all warbly from the noise everywhere. Like, when Jonghyun spoke in the first talk break, I thought that his voice sounded deeper in person than I thought, but by the second break, it sounded higher because I was basically hearing everything at a slightly fucked up pitch lol.

8. Feel Good
God, what a fucking jam. At the end, Minho(?) yelled for us to sing along, and of course I did, even though a small part of me was like "We need to talk about this later, self, you've got some ~unpacking~ to do here" as I was shouting "I CAN MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD" in SHINee's direction with the rest of this 6000+ capacity theater lol. Let it be known that words mean nothing here ; ~~~ ; it's just social affiliation!! I wanted to be part of the moment and participate!! 

VCR 03: "Color of Dance"
I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. Silhouettes of the members morphing into one another as they do the choreo from Lucifer, Sherlock, View, Replay, 1 of 1, and Everybody edited in a very cool 90s way. It was legitimately awesome, super super super well done and extremely cool. Throw another adjective on the grill, pa. God I love their choreo. And I love them. God!! I LOVE THEM ;;;; LQ version here.

9. Sherlock 
Another outfit change, I think? Don't remember to what. They didn't do the Gayo Daejun extended version with Jonghyun's scatting; it was the regular one. Started to feel how limited the stage was when SHINee were bounding from one end to the other, since the Shrine Auditorium is a traditional theater stage without any platforms extending from either side. At the same time, I really ~felt~ SHINee's experience in how they navigated the space. They were so smooth. ;;;;; Goddamnit, everything I say about them at the concert sounds really dry, but they were so amazing! I don't know how to convey how amazing they were!!! Are!! Always!!!! FOREVER!!!!!  

10. Goodbye/Sayonara (Taemin's solo)
I never saw any videos for this song - I only listened to it - so I was just.... BLOWN AWAY by how incredibly fucking dramatic this was, l m a o. Taemin wears a dark peasant blouse with long tattered sleeves. There's fog all over the stage. The background starts as a dark field or something with a castle in the distance and a full moon. He's only a couple of steps away from "Heathcliff, it's me, Cathy!!" The dance IS gorgeous, ~interpretative~ and artistic and he moves super beautifully. But LMAO I just was not prepared for the drama. The spectacle of it was amazing. During the chorus, the background changes to like this ROCK CYCLONE, ON FIRE, and Taemin is swirling around in it, before being dropped back in the moor to fight the moon or whatever. AMAZING TO WATCH.  

11. Ring Ding Dong
The other members changed clothes during Taemin's performance (red/black theme). I appreciated that Minho and Jonghyun were both wearing leather jackets becaused it looked close to their actual RDD-era outfits. Taemin was busy recovering from his agonized dance for love in the fiery rock hurricane so he wasn't there for the beginning of this song. I didn't catch exactly when he came in - I think maybe the second chorus? I laughed when I saw him, he just threw on a giant red zip-up hoodie without anything on underneath lol. I loved this whole thing soooo much, in case you can't tell, because I fucking love RDD. Their dance for this looked SUPER crisp to me. The only disappointment is that they didn't do the whole song! It cuts off right before the bridge, which is my favorite part. 

12. Lucifer
Instead, it went straight into Lucifer. I love Lucifer too. I love everything. I love SHINee. Stab as many screwdrivers into stereos as you want, damnit. Their dance to this also looked very good. They didn't do the rickroll version of this, just the normal version. It ended with a dance break by their four back up dancers without any members on stage. This was fine and good, but I spent too much of it wondering if we were supposed to know the dancers. If SHINee come back to North America, I am definitely going to spring for closer seats. It's worth it. Wow words make sentences, huh. 

ment 2 - onjongtae/minkey
THIS TALK BREAK WAS AMAZING. I missed a lot of it because people were screaming at everything, which drowned out both what the members were saying and what the translator was saying. Still, people calmed down as the break went on and what I did catch was all just so cute and funny and sweet and lkjasdfkjlwer;klqrljsdf SHINee SHINee SHINee SHINEEEEE. 

They complimented the audience on singing along to the songs. I'm guessing that Key started off by explaining that they would split up to change clothes? I didn't really hear any of it, except him saying, "Then Minho will go first." But then he left with Minho!! And I was like "noooo don't leave those three alone!!", lulz. 

Quick notes: Jonghyun and Taemin again looked very tired and sweaty. jjong tends to turn toward his whole body the person he's talking to, and I'm guessing the translator was off at the side of the stage, since he kept angling that way while speaking. Also, they all really smoothly balanced the talking/translating/screaming juggle. Like, during the first talk break, the translator would start speaking before Jonghyun naturally broke his phrases, or they would both have to pause to leave room for the inevitable screaming from the audience. By this break, the rhythm was set (though people did keep screaming). 

I'm going to get a lot of the sequence wrong here, but: I'm pretty sure that Jonghyun spoke first about how how he could feel our passion and was grateful for it. Taemin spoke next and repeated the English translation of whatever he said (I don't remember what it was) and it was really cute. Onew spoke next I think? Saying thank you, etc. Taemin spoke again and said that there was something that Key-hyung did that he always wanted to try. He started to do it, then got shy and turned away lol, saying that it was too embarrassing to do while facing us: "L.A. ARE YOU HAVING FUN??" Then pointed and sank down, covering his entire face with his hoodie lmao IT WAS REALLY ADORABLE. 

Then Key and Minho came back. Key was like "what were you guys talking about?" AND TAEMIN SPOKE IN ENGLISH, LIKE, "PLEASE COME... YOU... HURRY.... PLEASE... WHY... FRIEND... SOON, HERE" AND I FUCKING DIED. IT WAS SO CUTE. SO CUTE. S O C U T E. And I am not even someone who easily goes into paroxyms over tarmin's cuteness. It was just really... really... cute. THEN JJONG HUGGED HIM LOL, like FULL BODY GLOMP and it looked extra cute because of Taemin's giant hoodie and jjong's tiny tininess. 

Onjongtae exeunt. Minho and Key!! When did they become such a good double act? I feel like this development was the biggest thing I missed when I drifted away from (read: shot myself from a rocket out of) kpop. Their banter was so good and funny. Quick notes: Minho and Key looked fucking amazing together. Just the visual of how tall and lanky and long-legged they both were. I was DYING at how adorable Minho looked every time he spoke. His face is so so so open and sweet. Key's smile/laugh is beautiful. alskdfj;lwe SHINEEEEEEEEE

Minho spoke first about basketball lol. Key sold him out about some t-shirt/jersey Minho bought for like $300 lol. Minho loves the Lakers, but there was no Lakers game today. (I was like, that's good though? lol. you have a concert today! THIS concert! Do basketball games happen in the afternoon? idk.) His favorite basketball player is Kobe Bryant. The Clippers played but they lost. Key interrupted at this point to voice my exact thoughts: "Well, I don't know anything about basketball, so what did you eat today?" L O LLLLL. His delivery was impeccable. btw Minho ate a hot dog and In n Out. SHINee love In n Out! 

omg I am suddenly overcome with fatigue. Key said he really liked L.A. and was in Santa Monica yesterday. I think Minho brought up La La Land, saying that Key really liked it. Key mentioned his favorite song from it, audience started chanting at him to sing it! sing it! Key got kind of flustered lol, saying he didn't know any of the words aside from like the opening line. He struggled for a long time to remember it, was concentrating hard with his head down humming to himself. Minho, watching in concern/judgment: "Are you okay? Seriously." L M A OOOOO. The line he finally remembered ended with "MASTER KEY," which is either an amazing coincidence OR a genius long-game improv banter thing between him and Minho. Either way: SO ENTERTAINING. The other members rejoined them somewhere around here. Some jumbled weirdness that I didn't understand, references to the Power Rangers movie?

The new set of outfits that everyone had changed into by now were like, silk shirts. JONGHYUN LOOKED BEAUTIFUL. Listen. I have been really trying to keep a lid on my insane jjong stanning throughout this fanaccount, in the name of not being so disgurstingly gushy and CAPSLOCKY, but. I LOVE HIMMMM AND I LOVED SEEING HIM, AND I LOVED THIS BLUE SILK SHIRT ESPECIALMUCH, and I think this was ment was where he started to gain/show some more energy - not that he was lethargic or dull before, just like... sweaty lol and focused, and taking a backseat to the others in comparison. I LOVE HIM. BEAUTIFUL JJONG. MY FAVORITE PERSON. I SCREAMED SO MUCH. JONGHYUN-AH!!!!11 

Jonghyun was the last one to speak and he intro'd the next song by saying "If you know the words, please sing along." A G O N Y: Someone (who?????????) said something (what???????????) to him right before the lights dimmed for the song and it startled him into a laugh. IT WAS. SO. BEAUTIFUL. ;;;;; _______ ;;;;; It was so quick and genuine, lit up his whole face, just a fucking sunburst beamed straight into my fucking heart. I'M AGONIZED THAT I COULDN'T CATCH THE CONTEXT. It was SO cute and he looked SO cute and he is so beautiful and I love him. 

edit: a couple of people in the orchestra pit got amazing close and clear fancams of the ment here and here. lol omg I missed/forgot so much. I really really do need to get closer seats for the next concert ;;;;;;;;;;;;

• jjong recognized and smiled at a fanboy, who, judging from the comments, might very well have been the amazing jjong fan that my frond and I overheard at the kpop music store we went to right before the concert lmao
• translations are sliiiiiightly off - not bad or inaccurate at all, just not that exact
• jjong speaks so fast ahhh!
• Taemin repeats "You guys very passionate today" from the translator aww
• jjong threw something (balled up tissue?) at Taemin after his "Come... soon... your friend..." English attempt to Key and it accidentally hit him in the face LOL, that's why he rushed over to hug him! (another video here). I thought it was because he was overcome with love from how fucking cute that was lmao, or to reassure him of his attempt. also LOL at Minho braying like a bullhorn over it
• jjong looking all around the theater while speaking ;~~; and his little hand gestures
• Minho gets the mic from Onew when the teams switch off
• Minho's shirt looks like a red henley from the fancams and that is amazing. it's just amazing * ^ *
• omg when Key is trying to remember the La La Land lyrics he says "it was about me, it was about me" LOOL
• bonus LOOOOL for Key swatting Minho away immediately and impatiently and his "omgomgomgomgomgomg" after Minho's amazing "Are you okay? Seriously, are you okay?"
• "Talk something, talk something"
• Key's SMUG PLEASED LITTLE SMILE when he remembers and realizes he's going to drop a gr8 joke looooool - the lyric was "A bit of madness is key~"
• one more lol, for those in the back! his full-body cackle and lurching while NO ONE ELSE laughs loooool. #DADJOKE
• omfg I forgot about tarmin's shirt here. OMG I JUST REMEMBERED THE REACTION TO HIS SWEATER IN THAT FIRST SWC CONCERT
• lol fuck @ Minho dabbing and asking Jonghyun, in English, "Do you know this pose?" "What pose?" "*dabs* Deb."
• sobbbbing, Taemin: "Oh! Power Rangers member is five?" Key: "Yeah." Taemin: "... We are five."/Key, almost overlapping: "Don't say we're five." Taemin was SO CUTE jfcccc ;alsdjfklwe;r
• Key sets up the next set of songs as slow-tempo songs and Minho says (in Korean) that Jonghyun will introduce the next song, jjong says "ah, yes" <-- this is only interesting to me lol
• the second video has jjong's radiant smile at 12:05. I HAVE REPLAYED THIS .5 SECOND PART ABOUT TWENTY TIMES NOW. I think it was Key who spoke, but I couldn't hear what he said!!!!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I haven't seen any pics of it yet ;;; It was gone in such a flash. I'm gonna obsess about this for a while, I can feel it lol. 

Uh that ceased to be a fan account very quickly. Whatever. THENK YOU INTERNET. 

edit: I THINK I GOT IT!!!! I THINK KEY SAYS "Jonghyun-hyung wrote the lyrics" qlwrjelka;sjfkher;kqlqkjwerpouqwlasdjfkljqw;krljqwekr;ljqew;lrfLAKSF;LKQJWERKLQEWRJKLJFASDFL;KJEWR

• JONGKEY 4EVER LOL (BUT ACTUALLY SINCERLY CRYING ABOUT IT)
• seriously, I love how neverendingly supportive they are of one another - not that support is limited to either of them, from either of them, but it has been extremely constant
• jjong understands a fair amount of English! which I already knew and which only makes sense, but it's still nice to see it I guess? idk why lol. I love that it takes him a moment to process it and when he does -
• that embarrassed, pleased, genuine laugh. it gets right to the heart of me. I love him so much I can barely breathe ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; 

///

I'm gonna finish the rest of the concert later; just posting this for now out of anxiousness to fucking POST SOMETHING.