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BTS brought the hits, and an army of passionate fans, to Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on April 9

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BTS performs on stage at Allegiant Stadium, April 9, 2022.
Photo: BIGHIT MUSIC / COURTESY

I’m far too young to have experienced the Beatles craze. But I imagine that the current BTS movement is reminiscent of those days—but with far more reach and opportunity, thanks to technology. There are multiple apps where fans can connect with the boys, and the amount of activities Las Vegas set up to correspond with the Permission to Dance On Stage shows is jaw dropping.

The boys sold out four nights at Allegiant Stadium (April 8, 9, 15 and 16) during presale. Before attending the second night of the series on April 9, I spent hours researching the famous boy band. I learned the basics, beginning with their 2013 debut, and I listened to a portion of their large discography. But no amount of research could’ve prepared me for how expansive and passionate the BTS Army is.

I arrived about an hour before doors opened at 4:30, in hope of chatting with fans. There were hundreds of people already there, and the group was diverse as far as I could tell. Men and women, old and young alike were in this crowd. They were a mix of Asian, Black, Latinx and white. And, as I would later learn they were also binary and non-binary. Some of these folks were dressed in their BTS t-shirts and some with BT21 (personas created by the BTS members) headbands.

While waiting in line, I spotted a family of three and asked them if they'd traveled to be at Allegiant. I learned that Carmen, 15, had traveled from Detroit, Michigan, with her mother and grandmother, who were also fans. Carmen’s mother explained that they came out to Las Vegas because after missing out on the Map of the Soul tour, which was cancelled due to COVID-19, they felt this was their only opportunity to see the boys.

I also encountered fans that had traveled here from Minnesota, Arizona, Texas and California. I even ran into a couple of Henderson residents—G.G. and Becky, both in their 50s, who attended the Permission to Dance on Stage show at Sofi Stadium late last year.

“[BTS’s music] is so different from the new music that is out there. It’s just positive,” G.G. says.

Some fans arrived hours early, like Serena, 28, from Anaheim, California, who arrived at 7:45 a.m. She attended two nights at Sofi Stadium, which was hectic to get into, she explained. Additionally, getting through the sponsor booths (for freebies and photo opportunities) and merchandise lines took hours.

“I would say the organization was better here,” she says. “We got through the merch line and all of the sponsorships by, like, 12:30 p.m.”

Serena said that if she could’ve gotten tickets to another night at Allegiant, she would’ve. But tickets were a little harder to get this time around, and besides that, she's Coachella-bound during BTS's second weekend.

“I have been a fan since 2015 … and I really wanted to see them when they came to the U.S. in like 2017, but I was still in college, and I didn’t have any money to go see them," she said. Then, with the pandemic, I was like ‘I’m never going to see them.’ So, in a way I felt like if I could go and see BTS in concert, I felt like that meant the world was getting better.”

With that, I found my way to my seat. As the lights dimmed, the words “WE DON’T NEED PERMISSION” flashed across the LED screens. The crowd of 50,000 erupted into cheers as the show began—the loudest crowd I have ever been in.

BTS burst out with high energy in white-and-red suits singing “On,” from their 2020 album Map of the Soul.  The Army Bombs—a BTS official light stick—changed from white to red as BTS went into their second song “Burning Up (Fire).” It was amazing how many fans purchased these light sticks; there was no reason to take out a cell phone tonight. 

As the show continued, the crowd showed that they were well-versed in what are called "fanchants." These include chanting the member’s names, from oldest to youngest, before the lyrics begin. There are also particular lyrics chanted throughout a song.

Multiple times throughout the show BTS took the time to speak to the crowd. Before performing the last song “Permission to Dance,” they took about 20 minutes to share their thoughts on the evening.

The boy’s personalities really came through while speaking as well as when they were performing. Based off of this concert, I get the sense that J-Hope is the positive one, V is the charming one and RM is a confident leader type. As a group, though, they come off as silly. BTS fans can correct me if I’m wrong.

These boys can clearly sing, dance, rap and have a good time. In fact, it’s difficult to be unhappy when BTS are doing what they do best. The melodies and dance moves can make anybody smile.

When the show concluded, I took the opportunity to chat with more fans to see what they thought.

Ana, 22, and Genesis, 23, traveled from Phoenix together to see their first BTS concert.

“It was great!” they said in unison.

“It was crazy to see them in person because we’ve been looking at them in a TV for five years,” Ana added.  

Frankie, 28, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, attended three nights of the show at the Sofi Stadium and purchased two nights at Allegiant Stadium. “No two BTS shows are the same," Frankie said. "Even if it’s a similar setlist, you’re always going to get a different experience.”

But why travel so far twice?

“I think I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel a genuine connection to the artists and the music they produced. I really mean it when I say that the experience is just unlike anything else and the connection that they have to their fans along with the amazing art they create for us and the way they perform for us is so incredible,” they said. “It’s worth it. It’s worth the plane tickets—for some people it’s worth the bus rides. It’s worth the money if you are fortunate enough and if you’re privileged enough to be able to do something on this scale.”

The Army is passionate, I realize. But how and why did they become so passionate? Every Army member has an origin story, and the ones that I spoke to smile and light up when I ask about their story. They know exactly where they were, and they remember the first BTS song they heard.

Some said it was the positive messages in the songs that made them a fan. Others said it was the group's dance moves, or their personalities. One fan even said they were won over by Jin’s hair.

Throughout all the stories that I heard, one thing became clear: folks feel like they found BTS at the right time. These boys have given them hope and joy at a time when they need it.

“BTS will find you when you need BTS,” Serena says.

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