DKB Brings the Heat to ATL’s Center stage

DKB on stage in ATL, courtesy of Studio PAV

There is something electrifying about seeing a K-Pop group that is just beginning to gain momentum perform in a small club. Up close, you’re able to witness their talent and grit firsthand. At DKB’s Meet & Live U.S. Tour, the first since their debut, the opportunity felt like a dream. 

“This is the first time we’ve interacted with our fans beyond social media,” DKB’s rapper E-Chan said to a wild crowd in Atlanta at Center Stage on June 14. “This tour is really a dream come true. How did you wait this long for us?” 

Photo by me :)

DKB, the nine piece boy band from Brave Brothers, are in the middle of their first tour produced by Studio PAV. The tour gives BBs exclusive access to the boys, with the highest ticket price granting admission to a fansign and first entry into the venue. For a steal, you can get snapshot tickets for just over $20 to take a polaroid with your biased member after the show.

At Tuesday’s stop members​​ E-Chan, Teo, D1, GK, Heechan, Lune, Junseo, Yuku, and Harry June each made strong cases for why their group is one to watch. After months of seeing the group perform “Sober”, a raucous lead single, on variety shows such as Music Bank it was surreal to see them in person. As unreal as it felt for me, I can only imagine how the members felt: After two years of performing in empty studios, the boys can finally interact with and meet their fans face to face. DKB can finally feel and see how beloved they are. That’s impactful – and it was felt at their concert. 

DKB’s tour is the first I’ve been to where the organizers, rightfully, play the group’s music to amp up the crowd before the artists take the stage. When “Sober” finally hit pre-show, the promo image of the boys on the large LED screen that would accompany the group began to light up. BBs screamed the lyrics in a frenzy and then, there the nine members were.

hyung line, photo by me~

The boys opened with “Sorry Mama”, the song they debuted with, as each member effortlessly pulled off a mixture of streetwear and high fashion, along with some incredible choreography. This tour feels special, not just because it was the first time the boys could see fans in person, but because, as leader D1 noted, it's touching to see so many fans from different places connect with them. 

It was especially balmy inside Center Stage, but it wasn’t just due to the stuffiness usually found in small nightclubs. The group’s relentless pace and frenetic choreograph kept the energy at a boiling point. 

“It’s so hot in here,” Yuku commented halfway through the show.

 “We might have some songs that will cool you off,” E-Chan replied as staff kindly passed out water. But cool off we did not (at least metaphorically): Instead, DKB pushed harder and served some unreal stages, such as “Rolleroaster”, one of my favorite songs. 

The time when the group shined the most was perhaps during the unit stages. Units in K-Pop can comprise hip-hop, dance, vocals or even age groups. We were blessed with two units at DKB’s show: a hip-hop unit highlighting the eldest members, E-Chan, Theo, D1, and GK, and a dance unit featuring Heechan, Lune, Juneseo, Yuku and Harry June. 

Both units allowed the boys to showcase how they are all-around performers and how wiry K-Pop can be. The hip-hop unit handled the stage like rockstars with E-Chan tossing water from his bottle into the crowd and each member hyping up BBs with freestyles. The dance unit stage, though, was an absolute spectacle and is worth the ticket price alone to see live. My jaw dropped more than once with the acrobatics the boys can perform and how well they can dance. Harry June’s and Heechan’s skills were particularly insane to witness. 

By the time the group came back together for the final songs of the night, I was in awe. “We’ll never forget this night,” the members told us more than once, and they promised they’d be back. 

If you want an indication of where DKB could be headed, look no further than their encore of “Sober”. It was the same remix the boys used during their final week of promotions on variety shows, but live with a room full of BBs, “Sober” lit up with a force of chaos and delirium. As they hone their skills and become a more senior group, DKB’s potential lies in how charismatic and free they are on stage. Their concert was one of the best I’ve been to and their tour is a treasure you shouldn’t miss this summer. 

Special thanks to Studio PAV for being so fun to work with giving me a press pass to this show!