echo We are Wave To Earth and we want to become the next wave!
South Korean indie rock band, Wave To Earth, has made global waves (pun intended) throughout the past year thanks to songs like ‘seasons‘ and ‘bad’ going viral on TikTok. Following their success, the band put on a sold out North American tour in the summer of 2023, leading to much speculation about a possible taste of the band in Asia and Europe.
To quench the band’s global fans thirst for witnessing the band live, Wave To Earth announced their Southeast Asian tour, with Malaysia included in the bunch for 2nd March 2024. The reaction was immediate, as tickets sold out within hours of its announcement. This prompted a swift announcement of a second show for Kuala Lumpur on the 3rd of March 2024, which also sold out in record time.
The anticipation for the concert began, and on the first day of the concert fans queued at Zepp Kuala Lumpur as early as 11 in the morning. As more fans began to flood the scene, the time ticked down to the start of the show. Fans rushed into the venue to get the perfect spot for the two hour show when doors opened at 7:00 p.m. Excited fans began singing along to the band’s music that was played in the venue. As the clock struck 8:00 p.m, the lights dimmed and the band took centre stage with confidence as the crowd chanted and screamed for the band whilst chanting the lyrics to ‘bad’ which was being played in the background.
Intro + Bad, Peach Eyes & Sunny Days
As the chants slowed down, the band began building on the chords for the intro to their first song. The delicate notes echoed in the venue, the energy from the crowd bounced around in the form of screams with each resonance of the keyboard played by session member, Jonggeun Cho. The drums by Donggyu kicked in like a punch through the intense enthusiasm of the crowd, with the other members following suit with their respective instruments.
The guitar riffs and the tones of the saxophone seamlessly flowed into their first song of the night, ‘bad’. The euphoric build-up of the song popped a bubble as the crowd sang along to every lyric of the song. The unanimous shouts created a feeling like no other, the fans chanting every word with Daniel as he sang their most popular song for the Malaysian crowd.
Riding on the high of ‘bad’, the band proceeded with their next song, ‘peach eyes’. The greenish-pink hue of the lighting created a mood perfect for the feel-good song. Fans sang along joyously to the idyllic lyrics, creating a pleasant atmosphere of emotions. The spirit from the crowd carried on to ‘sunny days’. The simple upbeat tone and the airy keys were sure to make the ecstatic concertgoers swoon to the soothing song. As the song came to an end, the crowd cheered for the band, excitement still travelling in the air.
Nouvelle Vague, Sunburn & So Real
After a short introduction by the five bandmates, the quintet began their soulful performance of ‘nouvelle vague’ for the Malaysian audience. The air quickly turned moody as the chords of the song entranced the audience with the deep intro to the song. The atmospheric lighting of the venue captivated the eyes of the crowd as the lights flickered between blue and red, setting the tone for the song. As the song slowed to an end, session member Jeon Min took over with an outstanding saxophone solo. The audience was left mesmerised with every bend of a note made by the saxophone player, ending the song with a jaw-dropping performance.
With no breaks, the band transitioned to ‘sunburn’ seamlessly, enticing the audience for the next song. Daniel’s raspy voice, that became the forefront of the performance, paired perfectly with the dreamy chords of the band as they entertained the Malaysian audience with immense passion.
The track ‘so real’ followed after, becoming one of the most monumental moments of the concert. The song is known for the harder and heavy make-up of the instruments which did not disappoint with the energy it brought to the night. The climax of the song was the highlight of the stage. All of the members had gone crazy at the last minute of the song, Dongkyu being the main man behind it all. Beginning with the drum break, each member had their own moment to shine as the lights flashed along with the erratic beats and bone-shaking bass. The performance left the audience in awe as the bandmates gave it their all and shook the whole room with the weight of the stage. Dongkyu ended with a stunning drum solo that led to an explosion of energy as he threw his drumsticks in the air.
Intro + Daisy, Evening Glow (Potatoi Version)
As the members moved on to ‘daisy.’, the audience was once again struck with a beautiful composition of chords that stringed together perfectly. Many began swaying to the upbeat sound of the song, singing along to the feel-good lyrics and smiles radiating from faces in the crowd. However, the song came to an abrupt halt as the band’s bassist, John Cha, brought to the attention of others that someone had fainted in the audience. As the audience member was attended to immediately, John and Daniel began handing out water bottles to fans in the crowd. The bassist also reminded the crowd to consider their safety and stay hydrated during the concert.
Apologetically, the lead singer suggested singing the song once again to make up for the sudden stop that had taken place. As the song began, Daniel leaped around the stage, after putting down his guitar momentarily, to revamp the mood of the crowd. The singer is more than alive, as he belted the lyrics to the track while cheekily interacting with his bandmates and the crowd. The song ended with a high as fans blissfully sang along to the song while Daniel took Dongkyu’s drumstick to finish out the song. “I got so excited, I messed up my place.” the lead singer told the crowd.
Ahead of the next track, the lead singer and the bassist exchanged whispers before exchanging their bass and electric guitar with one another. John proceeded to give an introduction to the next song on the list. “(This song) Really fits with Malaysia. You guys have the best skies in the world. This is Evening Glow.”
The light-hearted vibes from ‘daisy,’ had carried forward into the special version of ‘Evening Glow’ making it a treat for the Malaysian audience. John, who is also known as Potatoi, led the band as the vocalist for this performance. Originally performed with Daniel in the lead, John released a new rendition of ‘evening glow’ on his debut solo EP, ‘Toy”. John’s nasally tone coupled with the beautiful background, begged for cheers as the dreamy notes bounced off the walls and into the ears of the listeners. The mesmerising moment did not stop there as the disco ball lit up the room with iridescent lights that poured into the room, going along perfectly with the expression of the song. The visuals enhanced the experience of the song, making it one of the most memorable moments of the concert.
Ride, Pink + Bonfire Outro, Special Performance of Bonfire
Riding on the slow and calm atmosphere from the previous performance, Daniel began plucking the strings of his guitar, creating anticipation from the crowd of what was to come next. As the other members began chiming in with their own instruments, the picture for the next performance became clearer, and fans cheered with excitement for the next song. The ninth song was none other than ‘ride’. The build-up of the song became the main attraction, as the rock elements of the song blended perfectly with the softness of Daniel’s voice. As the song reached its climax, Daniel, Dongkyu and Jeon Min teamed up to end the song with the perfect amount of hard-hitting rocking out that suited the song.
The next song that was performed was a fully Korean song by the band called ‘pink’. The atmosphere quickly turned soft as the lighting fittingly switched to a shade of pink to match the song. The crowd sang along and swayed to the touching song. Jeon Min was once again placed in the spotlight as he delivered an ear-melting performance of the saxophone. As the song faded out, the band smoothly progressed into the next song which served as an outro for the previous song.
The tranquil chords of ‘bonfire’ wooed the audience, leaving them amazed and calling for more. Originally, ‘bonfire’ was meant to only be performed as the ending to ‘pink’, but the Malaysian Day 1 concert goers were showcased the full rendition of the song after the crowd chanted for a full version. The soft vocals of the fan favourite song enchanted the audience as they unanimously sang the lyrics to the song. The audience was blessed with the emotional song that was paired with carefully played notes from the band.
Love, Homesick
After the emotional high of the previous performance, the band continued to keep the mood by moving on to the next song, ‘love.’. The track, which is another fully Korean song, is one of the band’s most popular songs, and one of the most anticipated songs of the night. As the first chord was strummed by Daniel, the crowd went wild, and screams echoed throughout the hall. The feelings that were conveyed through Daniel’s voice and the minimalistic sound of the drums and bass by Dongkyu and John were felt in the bones of everyone in the audience. The dreamy lighting, which was a mixture of purple, blue, and green hues multiplied the tone of the song, making the performance one to remember.
From one emotional piece to another, the band played ‘homesick’ for the crowd next. The heart-crushing song moved listeners with the sheer weight of the lyrics and the hollow-sounding vocals and instrumental. Listeners were astonished by the depth of the song, and the peak of the song erupted a volcano of emotions while fans belted out the lyrics from the top of their lungs. Daniel’s voice paired with the light keys by Jonggeun made for a gut-wrenching ending.
Surf, Pueblo
After the emotional performances, the band took a break to speak with the crowd. Unfortunately, the end of the concert was approaching, and the members regretfully informed that they only had two songs left. However, to not kill the mood, the next two songs were upbeat songs that served as the perfect way to end the night.
“Let’s surf together!” The crowd shrieked in delight as the members began playing the infamous intro to the song. The bliss of the members was prominent, as the band was all smiles and playfully interacting with each other while John was bouncing adorably on stage. For the first time of the night, Jonggeun was highlighted for a solo as he did a number with the keyboard on stage. As fans jumped to the beat of the lighthearted song, Jeon Min once again delivered a spectacular performance with the saxophone. Fans sang along in chorus to the song and Dongkyu exquisitely ended the song with a full-body drum solo that left audiences in awe.
With no breaks, the band continued on to ‘pueblo’ by playing the beautiful introduction to the song. Fans chanted along to the lyrics of the song while the green lighting of the stage provided a dreamy atmosphere for the closing of the concert. Daniel urged the audience to sing along with him and the whole hall sang ‘pa-pa-pas’ in union, creating a soothing atmosphere that made way for the breathtaking break. All five performers put their whole being into the performance while they all rocked out together. In true Wave To Earth fashion, Dongkyu left an extraordinary mark on the show by showcasing his skills once more in a solo to end the song and concert as a whole. As the members walked off stage, the audience felt it was too unfortunate to end the concert just like that.
“We want more! We want More! We want More!”
Calla, Seasons, Light
The five bandmates made their way back onto stage, denoting a flurry of cheers from the crowd. As the members walked to their respective instruments and began setting up for the next performances, the crowd was rumbling in anticipation. Without dragging on any further, the band began plucking the chords to ‘calla’. The purple lighting set the scene for the flowy song that felt like a dream. Daniel’s raspy belts sent chills down everyone’s spine as his sorrowful voice laid the foundation for the song. The combination of John’s bass and Dongkyu’s drums ended the track gracefully and had fans screaming.
The moody tune was followed by the band’s most famous song, ‘seasons’. The hall overflowed with energy as the whole audience sang along to the track. Daniel’s gentle voice shone in the performance, telling the story of the lyrics in a way that struck the hearts of fans in the crowd. The blue hue from the lights made the performance more immersive, flawlessly interpreting the song in colour. The simple instrumental paired with the hard-hitting vocals made for melancholic bliss as the crowd chimed in without missing a single word. Daniel’s guitar riffs ended the song, leaving a warm feeling in the air from the heartbreakingly cosy song.
The final song of the night was the band’s debut song, ‘light’. As the band began the intro for the song, Daniel urged the fans to sing along with him to create an interactive performance. The fans chimed in with their ‘oh-oh-ohs’ and created a choir of voices with the beat. When the beat kicked in to signal the start of the song, gold confetti shot up into the air, forming a picturesque scene. Screams echoed throughout the venue as the gold pieces of confetti cascaded down onto the crowd. The audience joined Daniel as the room sang in harmony with the atmosphere. kiAs the song approached its ending, the disco ball was turned on once again, marking the euphoric end to the night that was sure to leave an imprint in the minds of the audience for the rest of their lives.
“I’ve seen a wonderful sight in Malaysia. Thank you!”
Written By: Trezshur
