9 ‘SEVENTEEN [RIGHT HERE] in Bulacan’ Moments That Were Hotter Than The Sun

SEVENTEEN kicked off their SEVENTEEN [RIGHT HERE] Asia Tour in the Philippines, and it was nothing short of a thrilling weekend.

Related: 13 Highlights From SEVENTEEN’s Two-Day Stadium Show ‘FOLLOW To Bulacan’

They came, they ate, they conquered. SEVENTEEN, composed of of S.COUPS, JEONGHAN, JOSHUA, JUN, HOSHI, WONWOO, WOOZI, THE 8, MINGYU, DK, SEUNGKWAN, VERNON and DINO (minus JEONGHAN and JUN) kicked off their SEVENTEEN [RIGHT HERE] Asia Tour at the Philippine Stadium in Bulacan, returning to the Philippines a year since their FOLLOW To Bulacan concerts.

On January 18 and 19, SEVENTEEN brought to the stage a dynamic three-hour set full of some of their greatest hits and deep cuts from their iconic discography. They brought the edge, they brought the fire, they brought the cheer, and they brought the fun from minute one until their final bow. It wasn’t just singing and dancing, too. SEVENTEEN and their fans (CARATs) made each other laugh and cheer, and even get all sentimental as they made memories in ways only that weekend allowed.

Although they weren’t complete this tour (Jeonghan’s fulfilling his mandatory enlistment, and Jun is focusing on his acting career—he’s set to star in a movie with Jackie Chan!), SEVENTEEN still brought that beloved SEVENTEEN energy in every moment—and CARATs reciprocated. Check out a few highlights from the SEVENTEEN [RIGHT HERE] in Bulacan concert weekend!

EXPLOSIVE PERFORMANCES

One thing about SEVENTEEN—they don’t play with their openers. As the lights dimmed at the Philippine Stadium and the stage opened up to the idol group, smartwatches everywhere (AKA mine) buzzed with a “Loud Environment” warning as the screams and cheers reached new decibels. With a powerful opening sequence that was the stuff of darkteen enjoyers’ dreams, composed of Fear, Fearless, and MAESTRO, SEVENTEEN immediately drew the audience into a story of past struggles and eventual triumph as the “maestro” through an intense, hyped, and energetic performance that set the tone for how hot and exciting the entire concert was going to be.

Whether as a full group or as units, SEVENTEEN commands a stage like no other, voices and movements having impact from the first row of the VIP section until the very last row of the bleachers. From each member’s head to toe, from the sidestage to the extended stage, SEVENTEEN’s commitment to delivering electrifying performances showed through.

ENER-ENERGY

Besides the heat, SEVENTEEN couldn’t stop raving about the now-renowned energy and volume of a Filipino crowd. Like idol, like fans! It was infectious energy, transmitted from the artists to the crowd, and, if you’ve never been to a SEVENTEEN concert before, you can bet it’s a loud, wild, and euphoric experience.

From HOSHI expending all his energy (and even singing faster than the music, causing MINGYU and WONWOO to amusedly tell him to slow down) to DK moving faster than lightning on stage, and WONWOO giving S.COUPS a piggyback ride, the group started their tour (and their year) incredibly lively.

GROUNDSHAKING CHANTS

From “ener-energy 기 모아 아주 다 나와” in Super to “kung chi pak chi” in God of Music, the fanchants were yelled from fans’ heart straight to the sky. No matter how hot the weather was, or how tired people got, they gave their all into matching SEVENTEEN’s energy, turning notes and screams into doses of dopamine.

ALL THE FUN SURPRISES

VERNON hiding his hair up until the beginning of the concert made for the gag of a lifetime. He debuted a buzzcut in Bulacan, eliciting deafening screams from the crowd. Even Pop Base was gagged! Little details also made for an exciting experience at SEVENTEEN [RIGHT HERE] in Bulacan. For instance, the live band, the mascots on stage, the surprise CARAT sing-along, the fan projects, the additional songs in between the AJU NICE encores—they were all pleasant little surprises that made for a memorable weekend.

SEVENTEEN’s three units—hip-hop (S.COUPS, MINGYU, WONWOO, and VERNON), performance (HOSHI, THE8, DINO, and JUN who was unable to attend), and vocal (JOSHUA, WOOZI, DK, SEUNGKWAN, and JEONGHAN who’s currently enlisted)—each stepped out to perform their
respective tracks (new and old) including the powerful, chant-worthy Water, the smooth disco track Rain, and the twinkly ballad Candy, clearly displaying what sets SEVENTEEN apart as a team.

Each set piece and performance gave off different vibes, channeling the breadth of emotion a SEVENTEEN song or performance gives off. Laughs erupted as VERNON was caught “asleep” during his verse for Oh My!, and people teared up as Campfire played over the speakers. It was truly a rollercoaster of an experience—just like stanning them is.

BSS CAMEO

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Another surprise moment came during the opening ment, when sub-unit BSS’ new track CBZ (Prime time) suddenly kicked in and the trio performed a bit of it live for the first time at a concert! In that moment, DK, HOSHI, and SEUNGKWAN became everybody’s happy pill.

HITTING THE CLASSICS

It’s not easy to decide on a setlist, but SEVENTEEN managed to give the people what they want and crafted a setlist that was a fun mix of edgy, upbeat, sentimental, fresh, nostalgic, and exhilarating. They ticked off recent b-side hits like Crush and March, sentimental tracks like Cheers to youth and Campfire, and nostalgic title tracks like Home and debut single Adore U. In between, they even sang a little bit of tracks not on the setlist like HOT, Mansae, World, and more, encouraging CARATs to sing along.

CARAT-OKE TIME

Speaking of CARATs singing along, SEVENTEEN really utilized how loudly and enthusiastically CARATs sing every single word of their songs for this tour! Before the encore, the crowd was encouraged to sing along to the songs being played—the length of the encore, as the words said on screen, would be determined by how much energy and volume the crowd had. And of course, Filipino CARATs delivered. Singing several songs from Rock with you to Darling, the crowd had their own karaoke segment that not only showed how well they knew and how much they loved SVT’s discography, but also got us an encore to remember.

Dino’s Snapshoot verse deserves a shoutout, being known over the years as a Filipino CARAT favorite. On Day 1, Dino even let the crowd sing half the verse! Fluent in Korean or not, everyone knew those lyrics by heart.

STADIUM TOUR, STADIUM TOUR (LITERALLY)

With an extended extended stage, runways, and steps down to the crowd, SEVENTEEN were free to traverse a pretty large amount of space. It’s a huge step up from the mall shows of their early days, and yet another indication of how far they’ve come. It also allowed them to engage with a bunch of fans. S.COUPS even took a video with another fan’s phone, and SEUNGKWAN let a CARAT sing his famous AJU NICE high note.

Moving carts have also become a highly-anticipated treat at SEVENTEEN concerts. They made use of it at FOLLOW last year, and the Philippine Stadium offers perfect grounds for carts to traverse. Though there wasn’t any explicit promise of their use, plenty of people anticipated them. Something unfortunately prevented SEVENTEEN from using the moving carts on Day 1, but on Day 2, CARATs were treated to the eleven members going around in the carts and getting up close and personal with them. Hopefully when they return (and they will, because they keep saying so, so hold onto your wallets), everybody gets the chance to see them like that, too!

AN ENCORE THROUGH THE ERAS

In a slight move away from their never-ending AJU NICE encore, SEVENTEEN brought out the big guns for the finale—having the band play a whole bunch of beloved songs. They tested everyone’s energy and knowledge of their discography, and they passed with flying colors. In between all the jumping (you can also bet that the day after a SEVENTEEN concert, you’ll end up sore), tracks like ’bout you, leader line’s CHEERS, and BSS’ Fighting played before the last AJU NICE, ending the concert on a very high note.

Photos courtesy of PLEDIS Entertainment & SEVENTEEN on X.

Continue Reading: With Their New Comeback ‘TELEPARTY,’ SEVENTEEN’s BSS Wants You As Happy As You Can Be