I’m Your Hope, You’re My Hope…. I’M JHOPE!
A somewhat last minute decision to bite the financial bullet and go see JHOPE was obviously a good decision. I was still salty and sad that I wasn’t able to get tickets to see Taemin a few weeks prior so I used this as a pick me up- and boy did it ever.
This was a big redemption arc for Barclays in NYC as the last time I was there for Jackson Wang’s Magic Man tour in 2023 it was NOT a good experience. The seats in the upper levels are SO steep that standing feels like a death wish- which I think was exacerbated by the fact that I was drunk. This time I went completely sober and it wasn’t as bad, however those upper seats are still not for the faint of heart! I was worried for some of the seats they opened up late because they seemed to almost be behind the stage, but THANKFULLY someone on the team had a brain and they tilted the giant side screens so EVERYONE could see- Kudos whoever did that! Merch was cute but most was sold out (I went on the second day) so boo to Hybe for not better anticipating that- they have to know us Armies are crazy and starved for things lately!
The stage itself was a little reminiscent of Suga’s D Day stage as it moved around and was super dynamic, but in true JHope style he was also moving around a ton- man was this man BORN to be on stage! Not only is his dancing unreal, his vocals are great. Outfits were nothing short of amazing and the entire show was one giant dose of dopamine and serotonin. Hearing his solo stuff (which, while he is not my BTS bias his solo stuff has always been my favorite) and even some new songs mixed with classic and iconic BTS hits made my heart happier than it’s been in a while. It brought me back to BTS at Metlife and the ill fated 2020 tour I had tickets to before lockdown changed everything.
With my Army heart screaming and bouncing around I can’t imagine many words to describe this concert other than perfect. BTS remains my top concerts (ATEEZ right behind them) and I think I will always hold them close to my heart and support them in whatever they do. JHope is nothing short of perfect, amazing, talented, and continues to bring sunshine to each and every one of us- and if you haven’t seen BTS or JHope in concert yet you’re missing out on some life changing shit.
Also shout out to my local Army Navy store which has some DOPE jackets and pants for Kpop concerts- I took a grey jacket that said ARMY and put BTS iron on letters above it and then had stenciled the BTS logo on the back with fabric marker. Easiest concert fit besides my NCT monstrosity and something I can and will wear for future BTS concerts!
