Golden Child Meet & Live Tour in USA: Stop 2 - LA

June 26, 2022 marks Golden Child's second leg of their Meet & Live Tour in USA! I blogged about logistics of the tour here and about the San Jose leg here.

The LA venue was Teragram Ballroom, and the check-in took place directly on the sidewalk. There was a makeshift line for VVIP and VIP check-in, and a separate makeshift line to pick up Snapshot tickets (this time the tickets were in a crate rather than laid out on a table).

While checking in for VVIP, the volunteer wrote my queue number while I asked if I could write my name in Hangul instead of them, and they happily let me do so.

Here are all of my Snapshot tickets.

For LA, I purposely chose the Wish album to be signed and to wear my "Genie" worker outfit. It felt most fitting since the photoshoots for Wish took place in LA the day after Golden Child's KCON LA appearance in 2018. I really like how the members tried to sign close to where they are in the photo.

The fansign order was Bomin, Joochan, Donghyun, Jibeom, Jaehyun, Seungmin, Jangjun, and then Y. As a note, now you can no longer hand deliver letters to the members. Before reaching the fansign table, there is a table with a box for each member where you can drop off your letter. The fansign is always such a blur but below are some moments I remember:

• While Jangjun was waiting for the next fan, I waved at him and he waved back at me.
• Bomin first said "hi" as I said it in Korean, then he said "hi" back in Korean.
• Joochan at first used a silver pen then felt apologetic and redid his sign in black.
• Jaehyun was talking to Jibeom when it was my turn with Jibeom, so I didn't get to talk while Jibeom was signing. Jibeom then said something along the lines of "thank you for coming" in English and then to follow up with him in San Jose expressing his lack of confidence in speaking English, I said "지범이 영어 잘 해요 (Jibeom speaks English well)" (which I now realize isn't the best Korean but he got the gist).
• Seungmin and Jangjun both said my name.
• Y asked how am I then at the end subtly said "I love you" and I was taken aback but said it back.

After the fansign, we went back outside in queue order. For soundcheck, we entered back into the venue in an orderly fashion. This was an all standing venue with no barricades by tier. When I got inside, I saw that the left side of the front row was occupied by ADA accessible ticket holders, along with a sign language interpreter. Seeing that the front row was already filled despite being #17, I would prefer being right being ADA for a better view, however knowing that phones would be grabbed during "Bottom Of The Ocean", I opted for second row on the right side. Above was my view. There was no barricade between front row and the stage, only tape on the floor and a security guard.

To my surprise, the setlist for soundcheck was slightly different today! Golcha sang "I Know" and the first half of "Milky Way".

And now onto the concert! Below is the setlist and I'll add any highlights. I'll only post a handful of pictures of the concert on my blog (I recorded the whole thing so screenshots of videos aren't great quality, and you can view some of my pictures on my Twitter thread here, and surely lots of others' fancams on SNS as well).

Setlist:

1. Intro VCR - same intro VCR as Play concert
2. Ra Pam Pam
3. Burn It
4. Ment - Almost all members had to tie their shoes. Jangjun commented, "Everybody, what happened to your shoes?!"
5. I Know
6. That Guy
7. Ment - They were saying how Jibeom has been working out at the gym so Jaehyun jokingly (or not) said, "Show them. Show them. Show them right now. Show them." but to no avail.
8. What Happened?
9. Pump It Up
10. VCR - condensed TV shows / commercials VCR from Play
11. Wannabe - Without You - One
12. Ment - Jangjun said in English how while he was backstage he heard a woman ghost singing to Golcha songs in his in-ear so it was creepy, and it turned out that it's us. Jaehyun said that since they're in the US, they want to sing some pop songs and asked who will sing a pop song. Then Jangjun pointed to Jaehyun and said, "It's your time." In the meantime, Y and other members started singing "Despacito" (or more like singing the word "Despacito" because they didn't know the lyrics^^), then Joochan said, "My favorite song, 'Versace On The Floor'. Let's go? Yah let's go." Jaehyun went backstage and came back with a phone and lyrics he searched up. Then he kept cutely stalling by saying, "I'll go in a lower key...this song was really popular in America when I was here...nevermind..." then he sang Justin Bieber's "Baby" and the crowd sang along. Then the members wanted Jibeom to sing next so Jaehyun was like, "Let's go Jibeom. Jibeom let's go." Jibeom sang "Lost Stars". Then Jangjun talked about going to Santa Monica yesterday and riding the rollercoaster but Donghyun skipped out.
13. Oasis
14. Bottom Of The Ocean - I genuinely tried but failed to have my phone taken. I was so close with Bomin! Joochan was jumping around with a bottle of water and was a bit shocked when the water spilled onto the stage.
15. Ment - Jaehyun asked the members on their thoughts of the tour. After Jibeom spoke, Jangjun directed it to Donghyun in English with, "How about you, my son?" Jaehyun said he invited his homestay brother Robin to the show, then paused, saying that he thinks he will cry but not now. He said that this brother taught him football and basketball and after school they'd play Xbox 360. Jangjun mentioned that he also invited Tag's friend who they, along with Seungmin, hung out with in Korea, and that he is very handsome.
16. Sea
17. Breathe
18. Ment - Jaehyun asked who is going to Denver. Jangjun followed up by asking us to call out friends and cousins in Denver to come to their show.
19. Crush
20. Ending VCR - same ending VCR as Play
21. - Encore - DamDaDi
22. Ending Ment - Jangjun mentioned that he can hear us screaming "Encore! Golden Child!" so he said the members should shout "Goldenness!" and they did.
23. Milky Way

Bomin pointing at me during the chorus of "What Happened?"?!? Or me being delusional hehe

Bomin was so close, yet so far during "Bottom Of The Ocean"!

During the ending ment, hello to you to Jibeom^^

After the concert, the staff had those with Snapshot tickets to wait towards the back of the venue while they set up the session towards the stage.

Here is my second set of Snapshots! Unfortunately with the super dark lighting plus our navy outfits, we all generally got lost in the background, but Bomin's really pulled through with his blonde hair hehe. (Me talking about Bomin yet again 🙄).

Here are some of my recollections from Snapshots (in the order I took them):

• Bomin: He pointed out my Genie outfit, called me Genie (not dying thinking about "Shadow Beauty"?!), asked if he could get closer for our Snapshot, and I got such a reaction from telling him that I'll be in Denver. This entire conversation has made me so happy because he is seriously so personable and attentive.
• Joochan: He recognized that my outfit is Genie and said that it's good. In the middle of our pose, the staff noted that someone is behind us so we both turned toward each other then behind and chuckled. Afterwards he complimented my outfit again.
• Jangjun: After our Snapshot, he asked if I live in LA, then the staff hinted me to leave. Then Jangjun asked me again so I got to talk to him for just a little bit longer^^
• Y: After our Snapshot, he tried to initiate his usual double high five, but I stopped him and asked what was on his hand. Then he replied "G. N. C. D.", then showed me and said it again slowly, "G...N...C...D." really cutely. Then we double high fived.
• Jaehyun: He asked about my outfit so I turned around to show him the back, then he said that I slayed.
• Jibeom: I told him that he danced really well today, then he said in English, "Oh yah~ Thank you. *chuckles* Very happy day...to me."

Overall, I have mixed feelings about my experience in LA. I was really spoiled with the setup in San Jose (for both the concert and Snapshot location). Honestly being in pit was tough with rowdy people pushing their way and continuously walking all over me (figuratively and a bit literally). But going through my recordings from that day, I am especially happy with my Snapshot with Bomin^^

I genuinely always try to show as many members as possible in my posts and try to be for the most part unbiased, but Bomin has been making it quite difficult since the beginning of the tour! I'll continue blogging about the remaining stops...stay tuned to see if Bomin continues to wreck me hehe.

Golden Child Meet & Live Tour in USA: Stop 1 - San Jose

Golden Child kicked off their first US tour in San Jose, CA! I talked about logistics of the tour and ticketing here. It's even more meaningful that the first stop falls on June 24, 2022, which is the 4 year anniversary of Golden Child's first US schedule, KCON NY 2018.

The concert took place at Montgomery Theater. I checked out the venue the night before, and was so excited to see Golden Child on the digital display board. It was slowly starting to feel real!

Studio PAV posted the day-of schedules for each stop a few weeks in advance. There is a 3-hour time frame for checking in, but really arriving onsite with 45 minutes to spare seemed sufficient.

Outside the venue, there was a line for VVIP and VIP check-in, and a separate line for Snapshot ticket pick-up. For the VVIP and VIP check-in, you show the volunteers your QR code (either on your phone or printed out; also the name on the ticket is irrelevant as they only need the code), then for VVIP they write down your queue number and your name in Hangul on your badge. You can also request to write your name yourself.

My cousins had VIP. This is how both sides of their badge look like. The other side of the VVIP badge uses the same collage photo with the white outfits.

For the Snapshot ticket pick-up, they had a table with the tickets by member. You show them your QR code and then receive your ticket for that member. They emphasize that if you lose your ticket, there is nothing that can be done, so it is really important to keep track of it. Another note is that Snapshot tickets can also be picked up after the concert and throughout the Snapshot session. The Snapshot tickets uses photos from the Play shoot. (I have Y's ticket too, but didn't realize it didn't make it in the photo >.<).

The VVIP line had already formed outside by the time I got to the venue. I found my spot in line and waited until the fansign. The venue secured checked our bags in the meantime. About bags - I used a clear stadium bag for all the stops. Eventually they moved up the VVIP line to inside the courtyard area with a few of us inside the foyer of the venue where the fansign would be held. At 6:15PM the members walked in, and I just couldn't believe my eyes. It's been over 2 years since I've last seen them in person; it just felt so surreal that I couldn't stop gaping! They waved at us as they randomly sat down in front of the long table. They were wearing their "One" white stage outfits with gold trimming.

The volunteer staff didn't give me the poster that comes with the VVIP benefit, and I ended up arguing a bit in front of Golden Child >.< (Later on I explained the situation to another volunteer while waiting in line for soundcheck, and she walkytalkied someone and said that after the concert, I can find any staff member to get my poster. This affected about the first 60 or so VVIP).

I'll mention here that there is no recording during any of the fan engagements (fansign, soundcheck, and Snapshots), but you can record the concert with a cell phone. Cameras aren't allowed throughout the entire event.

The fansign order was Jangjun, Bomin, Donghyun, Joochan, Y, Jibeom, Jaehyun, and lastly Seungmin. Each member had a black sharpie and a silver sharpie. It really went by so fast that I couldn't process anything, but I would say I had about 10 seconds with each member. Jangjun said that it's an honor. Y read my name tag and said my name out loud. The photobook of my Re-boot normal album slipped out and he had difficulty putting it back so he just passed it onto Jibeom to put back. While my friend and I were watching the Play concert streaming, we couldn't stop staring at Jibeom's and Seungmin's ears to identify if they were real piercings or not. Even though now we know that they aren't piercings, I was still taken aback and said to Jibeom that he has an earring, and he pointed to it. I then handed Jibeom my fan letter, and because I was second for the fansign and no one else had given letters yet, Jibeom wasn't sure if he could accept it and looked to his left and right before he took it. Jaehyun said "what's up" and I quickly word vomited how we had a video call in January and he said that they'd have a tour, so I thanked him for that. (I also made a note that said someone said they remember me, potentially Jangjun? Why don't I remember something so important >.<).

After the fansign, the staff directed us back outside to the back of the VVIP line. As the fansign progressed, I eventually made it back inside the foyer to see the end of the fansign (which was 7:12PM? I didn't realize how long the entire fansign took place). As the members finished, they waved at us. Bomin had a lot of letters in his hand. Donghyun and Joochan politely bowed to the staff before leaving.

Here are the albums that my cousin and I had signed. I liked that they tried to sign their name as close to their photo as possible. And a plus about having an earlier queue number is that hopefully their hands aren't tired yet so that the autographs will come out nicer^^ I had my Game Changer album signed at the last stop and noticed that they no longer tried to sign close to their photo for that album, rather just on the border where there was space.

Next was soundcheck, which was for both VVIP and VIP. For VVIP, the staff were really respectful of keeping the queue order in check, and letting us know one at a time so that we could choose our spot rather than everyone running inside at the same time. The venue is seated and has a second floor balcony, so you could choose between the two floors. I chose the very front and center of the first floor. While the rows filled up, I was surprised that the seat directly behind me was still open. My friend in #62 was a few rows back, but I flagged her to upgrade and was happy we could be together.

There was quite a bit a room between the first row and the orchestra pit. When we all stood up for the concert, everyone was really respectful of staying in front of their seats. As for front row, we were allowed to go all the way up to the orchestra pit so no one was directly behind us in front row either. I also wanted to mention that I wore my "DamDaDi" pinstripe jersey for the first stop because 1) I wanted to open up the tour with what started it all, and 2) in celebration of the 4 year anniversary since I first wore this jersey and Golcha first saw me in it. While outside the venue, I was really surprised at how many people also had jerseys! It was really uplifting seeing the fandom grow so much^^

Soundcheck started at 7:28PM. Again it really felt so surreal seeing them on stage again! They sang "That Guy", and during the second rap, Y was cutely dancing in place. Then they sang the first half of "I Know". Bomin kept looking into fans' eyes and waving a lot! I was surprised at just how short soundcheck was.

After soundcheck, GA ticket holders are allowed inside the venue so it is best for VVIP and VIP to stay in their seats for a few minutes until GA pick their spots. Then there was time before the concert.

I'll only post a handful of pictures of the concert on my blog (I recorded the whole thing so screenshots of videos aren't great quality, and you can view some of my pictures on my Twitter thread here, and surely lots of others' fancams on SNS as well).

The concert started at 8:08PM. I'll bullet out the setlist below and add any highlights. As for performing as 8, they distributed Daeyeol's lines while they left the audio track for Tag's lines.

Setlist:

1. Intro VCR - same intro VCR as Play concert
2. Ra Pam Pam - When Jaehyun was in the center and bending down, his top was so loose you could see so much...I still feel like such a criminal...
3. Burn It
4. Ment - Right away Jangjun had to excuse himself because his pants ripped! English king Jibeom said "I miss runebong". Jaehyun also said that Joochan got tanned yesterday so now he's sexier 😳
5. I Know
6. That Guy
7. Ment - Y sang a bit from "Midnight Sun" and Joochan performed a bit from "Equal". Jaehyun also said, "I know I can't say this but Jibeom is taking an interest in musicals so give it up!"
8. What Happened?
9. Pump It Up
10. VCR - condensed TV shows / commercials VCR from Play
11. Wannabe - Without You - One
12. Ment - The members sang pop songs impromptu, including Jangjun singing and rapping "Nothin' On You"
13. Oasis
14. Bottom Of The Ocean - The members took fans' phones to film themselves! I was too scared to reach out, though I had the perfect opportunity...I knew I had to push myself for future stops!
15. Ment - Jaehyun said that the members chose the setlist themselves for this tour.
16. Sea
17. Breathe
18. Ment - The members talked about how the next tour will be even bigger. Jaehyun asked who will also go to the LA show, and they seemed pleasantly surprised that so many Ness planned to go to both California stops.
19. Crush
20. Ending VCR - same ending VCR as Play
21. - Encore - DamDaDi
22. Ending Ment - The members gave their sincere messages about their initial worries and hard work they put into this tour. Bomin really surprised me with giving his entire ending ment in English! Next we took a group photo that they later posted on SNS.
23. Milky Way - After the song, the boys came up to the edge of the stage to wave goodbye. Jaehyun even took the phones of both girls on my right, and I still didn't really have the courage...when the members held hands and bowed, Jangjun lifted his arms to troll Jibeom and Jaehyun.

One callout is that if you're in the center, Joochan loves staring at you when he's in the center! This was during "DamDaDi". Also this was my view for the entire concert - it seriously felt like a personal concert!

While getting ready to take the group photo, Bomin looked at me while all the other members were already looking at the photographer!

I didn't notice this until I was watching my video, but I can't believe Bomin looked at me again in between taking the group pictures! I thought Bomin had started paying attention to me during LA Snapshots, but I guess it really did start from the very first stop! (He's wrecking my bias list so hard!)

After the concert, a staff member came out and told those without a Snapshot ticket to exit, and those with Snapshot tickets to stay inside the venue while they set up out in the foyer. We were waiting for about 35 minutes before the Snapshot session began. The staff requested for those 18 and under to go to the foyer and line up first so that they can go home earlier. The lines were formed in age order from left to right, starting with Y on the left and ending with Bomin on the right. There was a volunteer staff at each line with the 5 poses printed on both their front and back. The process was you line up for the member you have a ticket for, hand the staff your ticket, tell the staff which pose, then the staff tells the artist which pose. You take the picture, wait for the Polaroid to be ejected from the camera, and leave. 

One callout is that redos are acceptable if something is wrong with the image due to photographer (ex. underexposed or too dark, overexposed or too bright, too zoomed in), or due to the artist (ex. doing the wrong pose). You can ask a staff member in a black shirt (these are official staff; those in white shirts are volunteers) and they will autograph the Polaroid and that becomes your new Snapshot ticket. It is important to wait for your Polaroid to develop inside the venue in case you do qualify for a retake, which is difficult if you're one of the last ones to take your Snapshot and then the artist has already left by the time your Polaroid has finished developing...

Another callout is that if no one is waiting in a member's line, for example Jibeom, a staff member will shout, "Anyone have a ticket for Jibeom? Anyone for Jibeom? Last call!" then you need to exit your current line and go to Jibeom's line before he leaves. If you're in the middle of taking a Snapshot with another member, you can inform the staff that you also have a ticket for Jibeom so that he doesn't leave.

It's really fun waiting in line for one member, and then while the neighboring member is waiting, you can wave at them! And as awkward as Snapshots in general may seem, the members are always so sweet, kind, and friendly, and genuinely are trying to make the best memories with Ness.

These are my first set of Snapshots! Looking back on these, the Bomin one definitely qualifies for a retake. Bomin was my last one and I was one of the last Ness to take a picture with him, so the staff had already kicked me out of the building before my Polaroid finished developing >.< But as someone on Twitter commented, he looks like an angel which is valid so I'm content with how it turned out^^

Here are some of my recollections from Snapshots (in the order I took them):

• Jangjun: I told Jangjun that 4 years ago we played a game on stage together at KCON NY, and he said that he remembered!
• Y: He was very sweet, and made sure to double high five each Ness after taking our picture with him.
• Joochan: He looked at my jersey and said that it's been a long time and that he remembers (our time together at KCON NY)!
• Jibeom: He pointed at my jersey. Then I briefly spoke to him in Korean and he replied in Korean (my mind completely went blank on what we actually said >.<)
• Bomin: He pointed at me and said "DamDaDi" then asked in English how was the show.

Overall, the entire experience was absolutely magical! It was quite intimidating having the fansign first; the first time seeing Golcha in person in so long, and it's the fansign?! I regret not really preparing anything to say during the fansign (yet I did this for every stop). As for the concert, it was really one of the best concert experiences; there was no roughhousing or people trying to get a better spot, so it felt really comfy, and as for my spot, it legit felt like a personal concert! And lastly the Snapshots, these are really such unique experiences and it's during this time where you can really talk with the members without feeling too rushed (as opposed to the fansign). This was the perfect beginning to the tour!

Golden Child: RATA-TAT-TAT Commemorative Goods Review

During Golden Child's Japanese debut,  A WOO!! commemorative goods were sold for a limited time. I had initially thought that only official Japan Fanclub members had the ability to order, but now looking at the announcement here I think I could've ordered too...the regret...

On June 15th at 6PM JST, Golden Child's official Japanese Twitter account announced RATA-TAT-TAT commemorative goods, along with preorder benefits that are exclusive to fanclub members. Here is a link to the announcement.

Seeing that there are preorder benefits, and more specifically how these benefits are exclusively for fanclub members, I checked out the goods as soon as I woke up and saw the announcement to lock them in and make use of my membership. The shop can be accessed from a link within the announcement page of the fanclub site (here).

There are 2 types of goods: a badge and a set of 5 photos from the "Golden Child Real Showcase 2022 'RATA-TAT-TAT'". Each type is sold by member, where the badge is ¥1,000 each and the photo set is ¥1,200 each.

According to the announcement, the sales period is from June 15, 6PM JST until items are sold out. Shipping is ¥600 only within Japan; it cannot be shipped overseas. As for preorder benefits, they are applied per transaction, not per item. Each transaction that includes the badge will come with an OT9 clear file; this clear file is the same as clear file distributed to fanclub members at the showcase. Each transaction that includes the photo set will include a postcard with OT9's printed messages. As I believe anyone can order these items, to distinguish if you are a fanclub member and therefore qualify for the preorder benefits, you must use the same email address to purchase that you did to register, as well as enter your membership number in the comments section of the payment page.

On June 15 at 11:55PM JST, I instinctively bought the Jaehyun and Jibeom versions of both items (despite not really knowing what I was even buying), and wanting the preorder benefits, I placed 4 separate orders. I also added in the comments section both my email address and membership number. I tried using the international credit card option which didn't work, then I tried PayPal which went through.

On June 25 at 12:09AM JST I received emails saying that all 4 purchases were cancelled. contact@goldenness.jp emailed me directly at 8:45AM JST stating that they didn't process any of my orders within 10 days due to system issues and therefore PayPal cancelled my orders, and that I would need to reorder. This really frustrated me because "the early bird gets the worm" obviously didn't pay off. Whereas my friend who ordered later than me had her order successfully ship. I got this notice the day of Golden Child's San Jose concert and didn't really have time to deal with this but finally got the chance to reorder all 4 items (as 4 separate transactions) using PayPal the following day (during my quiet time in between the San Jose and LA concerts^^).

I received email notifications that my orders have shipped on July 1st JST and they all arrived at my Blackship address on July 4th JST.

This is everything I received! I did receive 2 clear files for the badges, as well as 2 postcards for the photo sets. After I received my package, I checked both the announcement page and the photo set item page and they updated to state that the postcards have run out. I'm glad that they explicitly state when benefits have run out. I'm unsure of the packaging from the Goldenness Japan shop since Blackship consolidated my packages together, everything arrived safely and in perfect condition.

Here is a closer look at both sides of the fanclub preorder benefit A4 clear file. This is the same clear file that was distributed at Golden Child's showcase in Japan for this release. This OT9 group photo is the same image as the album cover of the RATA-TAT-TAT limited version.

Here are the metal badges. These images are the same as the Universal Music Japan preorder benefit photos that came with purchasing any of the non-fanclub version RATA-TAT-TAT albums (excluding the set of 9; that had a separate preorder benefit).

I still wasn't actually sure what this was, until I saw the back. There is a safety pin so that you can fasten the badge. The size is quite strange to me for a badge, with dimension 1.625" by 4.625".

Here is the fanclub preorder benefit postcard that comes with the photo set. It has OT9's printed messages in Japanese. I'm in awe with Bomin's handwriting; even in Japanese, it's so perfect! This postcard is slightly thicker than regular paper but thinner than cardstock and has dimensions 3.9375" by 5.8125".

The photo sets are all shots from Golden Child's showcase. They have a glossy finish so they're prone to fingerprints. The bottom right has the Goldenness Japan logo. These photos are smaller than usual but cute in size, with dimensions 3.5" by 5".

Here is Jibeom's photo set. His smile is contagious^^

I really like the commemorative goods and fanclub preorder benefits for RATA-TAT-TAT. I like that the photo set provides in-action photos from the showcase rather than from the album photoshoot, so that we actually get new content. As for the images of the badges, I don't mind that they're the same as the UMJ preorder postcards since I didn't pull bongbeom for those anyways. And I think the badges can stand up well on my shelf and will add variety to my Japanese shelf. And lastly, I like the variety in the preorder benefits; if I had actually attended the showcase, I would be annoyed that the clear file is the same, but since I didn't, I'm happy I now have that same clear file^^ And I really do like the postcard since it's always fun seeing the members' handwriting, especially in other languages!

I lowkey regret not buying Bomin's versions for these items...ever since the tour, I just cannot get him out of my mind. It has really come full circle because predebut, I was so Bomin biased that my friend would say he was an institution for me!

Coming up I'll unbox my RATA-TAT-TAT albums (along with continuing to blog about Golden Child's US tour!).

Golden Child: Goldenness Japan Fanclub Membership Review

With the announcement of Golden Child's second Japanese single album having a fanclub exclusive version, I finally ventured out to try and figure out how to join a Japan fanclub. It was actually much more straightforward than I had anticipated! On May 17th KST I signed up on the website https://goldenness.jp/, then I entered entered my Japanese address (using my proxy), and then I used my credit card without an issue. The total for the membership was $53.48 USD (¥6,850 JPY). The membership comes with a fankit which will be shipped to my indicated Japanese address. Looking at my account, the expiration date of my membership is May 31, 2022.

There was a notice on the Goldenness JP website stating that all Ness who sign up by May 18th will have their membership benefits sent out starting on the 23rd. This was the push to get me to sign up as soon as I could.

On May 31st JST, I received a package at my Japanese warehouse Blackship, and they provided me with a photo of the package and a photo of the shipping label. With 45 days of free storage, I decided to wait until my Japanese albums arrived (and later on, my RATA-TAT-TAT commemorative goods as well). I don't plan on doing another review of my Blackship experience since the goods I forwarded over will span 3 posts, but again it was seamless and I would definitely continue to use them^^

My fankit included the above: a piece of paper introducing (?) the fanclub, the membership card and cardstock sleeve packaging, a plastic card holder, and a retractable card holder reel.

The front of the membership card packaging has the Goldenness Japan logo.

The inside of the packaging has information in Japanese. And here is the membership card! It feels like a typical plastic card, and is simplistic but really pretty in showcasing the logo in the center on a metallic gold background. The membership number is embossed at the bottom. In my opinion, this card design is my second favorite of all the Goldenness membership cards so far; my favorite is still Gen 1, whereas I am not fond of Gen 2 or Gen 3 just because the colors and designs don't feel like they represent Golcha or Ness.

The backside of the membership card has information in Japanese, along with a barcode and the membership number.

Underneath the card on the packaging are the members' printed autographs in age order! This was a nice surprise^^

One side has a solid sleeve for a card, as well as the Goldenness Japan logo embossed in the center.

The other side has a clear sleeve to hold another card. there is a hole in the top corner to pair with the accompanying card holder reel.

I was surprised that a retractable card holder reel would be included in a fankit! I only see these in an office setting. It's fun having a Goldenness (Japan) branded one, and it'd be great to use with the card holder and membership card if I ever needed to use the card in person. The black part is plastic while the keychain and clasp part are metal; you can use the clasp to hook it onto the card holder. You can pull the keychain part to reveal the string reel.

Here is the backside. It has a metal clip to attach it to your belt loop or pocket.

Along with the fankit, the Japanese membership is handy in accessing the shop page that sells the exclusive fanclub album versions. Woollim has also sold commemorative goods for both A WOO!! and RATA-TAT-TAT, and I know for RTT fanclub members can receive preorder benefits (unsure about A WOO!!). I have lots of regret not looking into how to buy A WOO!! goods, but I've learned from that mistake! The membership is also nice as it has exclusive photos and videos, and you can also receive a digital birthday card in your email on your birthday.

At this point I don't think about the price anymore...because $50+ for just this and the accessibility to buy 9 jewel case albums?! PLUS crazy shipping prices from Japan to the US? So without thinking about that, it's exciting to be part of a Japan fanclub and to have usable branded merch (which of course I'll just end up preserving rather than using). I'm excited for what else Golcha has in store for Japan (now that I'm starting to understand how it all works), though of course a Korean comeback is priority at this point!

Golden Child Meet & Live Tour in USA: Ticketing

It feels so surreal how the summer of 2022 is booming with so many US tours, and even more surreal that this includes Golden Child! Words cannot describe how ecstatic I am because I really thought that I would be living a life of quarantine forever and that the best days of seeing Golden Child live (and my goal of going to every Golden Child solo concert in Korea) were behind me. I'm really grateful that I can continue living my other goal of going to every Golden Child schedule in the US.

I'm not exactly sure how I want to blog about everything (you can see my real-time updates on my Twitter thread here), but I'll start off this series of posts with an introduction to Golden Child's US tour by Studio PAV, and for future posts, will include logistics for VVIP (every stop was different) along with pictures now that I'm back from traveling.

Timeline (all announcements are based on their Twitter unless otherwise stated):

• April 28th: Studio PAV announced both Golden Child and Brave Girls US tours
• May 5th 10:05AM PT: Studio PAV announced Golden Child's dates and cities (10 stops!)
• May 12th 1PM PT: Studio PAV announced venues
• May 13th 3:12PM PT: Studio PAV announced tiers and ticket sale dates of May 24th 2PM local venue time for Early Access members, May 25th 2PM local venue time for general sales
• May 24th 7AM PT: Studio PAV announced that ticketing is pushed out a day
• May 25th 8:08AM PT: Studio PAV announced the seating chart and concert times for all venues except Nashville
• May 25th 2PM local venue time: Early Access ticket sales for VVIP tier excluding Nashville
• May 26th 2PM local venue time: General ticket sales for all tiers excluding Nashville
• June 3rd 8AM PT: Studio PAV announced the new Nashville venue and Early Access VVIP sales set for 4PM ET on this day, with VVIP general sales starting the following day at 1PM ET
• June 3rd 1PM PT: Early Access VVIP ticket sales open for Nashville
• June 4th 10AM PT: VVIP general sales open for Nashville
• June 6th 10:18AM PT: Studio PAV announced the VVIP signed poster benefit has been upgraded to a fansign (I saw on www.kpoptickets.com that "signed poster" has been removed for VIP, though they didn't explicitly announce this demotion). The poster will be included for the fansign or you can bring an album for them to sign plus receive still the poster unsigned
• June 6th 10:32AM PT: Studio PAV announced VIP and GA tiers are now on sale for Nashville
• June 7th 8:11AM PT: Studio PAV announced Snapshot poses by member, price ($40 USD), limit 60 per member per city, and sales begin tomorrow June 8th at 2PM ET; on their Facebook and Instagram they also state that there are no bundle packages
• June 8th 11AM PT: Snapshot sales open
• June 9th 12:19PM PT: Studio PAV announced the fansign FAQ including letters and small gifts being allowed during the fansign
• June 11th 10:18AM PT: Studio PAV announced concert day schedules
• June 22nd 7:37AM PT: Studio PAV updated the fansign FAQ so that gifts are no longer allowed

Early Access Concert Ticketing:

My concert buddy and I have Early Access memberships and split up ticketing by city for the most part. As ticketing is by local venue time, the schedule was as follows:

• 11AM PT: Atlanta and Philadelphia
• 12PM PT: Minneapolis, Dallas, and Chicago
• 1PM PT: Denver
• 2PM PT: San Jose and LA
• TBD (at the time): Nashville

VVIP (or Studio PAV's highest tier) is always sold directly through www.kpoptickets.com. I prepared ahead of time by emailing PAV to ensure I had the Early Access benefit. It is also important to note that during Early Access ticketing, you can only purchase 2 VVIP tickets per transaction (for example, 1 VVIP for San Jose and 1 VVIP for LA, or 2 VVIP for San Jose), while the limit is 4 VVIP tickets per transaction during general sales.

To order, select your city, the number of VVIP tickets you'd like, add to cart, then enter your name and email address for each ticket, then complete your purchase. Within a few seconds, the Ticket Details section will populate with your queue number. According to PAV's FAQ page, the name and email address listed on the ticket isn't important as long as the concert goer has the e-ticket with the QR code to be scanned at the venue.

I ticketed right as Early Access sales opened and was quite surprised with my queue numbers...

• Atlanta: 1 and 2
• Chicago: 1 and 2
• Minneapolis (same time as Chicago): 11 and 12
• Denver: 1 and 2
• San Jose: 2 and 3
• LA (same time as San Jose): 17
• Nashville: 1 and 2

As for Dallas, I had #26, and for Philly, I had #32.

Snapshot Ticketing:

Snapshot tickets are sold directly through www.kpoptickets.com, and sales opened right at 11AM PT on June 8th for all venues. You first select the city, then use the dropdown to select he member. Each Snapshot ticket is $42 after fees, and there is a limit of 60 Snapshot tickets per member per city. One transaction can have any variation of members and cities, and can also include concert tickets as well. When checking out, you need to include your First Name, Last Name, and Email for each Snapshot ticket.

Within 16 minutes, Jangjun and Bomin sold out in LA. By the end of the first day of sales, LA completely sold out, and some members sold out in San Jose and Chicago. With LA and San Jose being so competitive, I'm relieved I was able to solidify my Snapshot tickets within the first few minutes.

I ticketed right as Snapshot sales drop, planning to get one ticket with each member at every stop. With the help of my brother, we were able to secure this right away. And with how addicting Snapshots are, I may have bought a few more while on the tour...

Final Thoughts:

It still feels surreal that Golden Child really held a US tour AND with so many cities. I'm forever grateful for this entire experience and will try to share it all out in upcoming posts (they'll probably be more like word vomit and less photo centered).