RAIN Announces “THE RAIN 2023 Still Raining” North American Tour
For the first time in sixteen years, the K-Pop superstar will hold two concerts in North America.
THE RAIN 2023 American comeback isn’t finished.
After successfully returning to the United States for the first time in sixteen years to perform at KCON, RAIN has announced he will host two North American concerts in November. The “Still Raining” tour will bring Rain to the Hard Rock Live in Atlantic City on November 22nd and the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on November 25th. Fans can register for a pre-sale on September 26th by subscribing to Infinite Prospects Entertainment’s mailing list. General on-sale will begin September 28th at 10 AM EST here.
“Can you believe it’s been seven years since our last concert tour? I‘m beyond excited to finally meet you in person,” RAIN said in a statement. “There are so many things I want to show you, so I’m having a tough time deciding.”
RAIN debuted in 2002 with the album “Bad Guy”, but he became a superstar in 2004 with the release of “It’s Raining” and a starring role in the K-drama “Full House”. The singer-actor is often credited with being part of the beginning of the Hallyu Wave, which brought Korean culture to the rest of the world. “It’s Raining” sold a million copies when it was released, making THE RAIN an international star. He was hailed as “the ambassador of Asia” by The New York Times in 2006.
RAIN’s first performance in the United States was not his own concert, but a Korean festival held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in 2005. That show, which also included Park Jinyoung (the legendary founder of JYP Entertainment), set in motion a rollout for Rain to travel to North America the following year. "The United States is the dominant music market," he told the Times. "I would really like to see an Asian make it there. I would like that Asian to be me.” Rain held two sold out performances at Madison Square Garden’s Theater in February 2006, and later returned for one concert in Las Vegas that December.
But after completing his mandatory military enlistment in 2012, RAIN has primarily focused on promotions in Asia. In the years since he was the most popular entertainer in K-Pop, Rain has opened his own company, starred in multiple TV series, and released several albums. In 2020, he reunited with Park for the single “Switch To Me”, a song that went viral thanks to its intense choreography performed by two men who were 38 and 50, respectively.
Perhaps one of my biggest regrets as a K-Pop journalist is that I was too young to attend those New York “Rainy Day” concerts. But in the years since, I’ve made up for missing out by researching and cataloging as much information as I can find about the shows into an article on the impact of RAIN’s North American debut. To me Rain is more than just one of the most important figures in K-Pop; he’s the supreme example of how K-Pop became the biggest cultural phenomena to reach North America in decades. And while it was incredible to see Rain at KCON, I am thrilled at the opportunity to finally attend one of his shows.
RAIN also seems genuinely excited to return to perform for his American fans. “Get ready because I will burn my heart and soul into these performances,” he said in his statement. “Can‘t wait to see you there!”
