[KCON18NY] Day-0: Klub KCON

Klub KCON is an add-on to your convention ticket. It is a "club" for all ages (those under 13 need a parent to accompany them) from 5PM to 9PM with a DJ playing Kpop. In previous years there would be a surprise guest from the artist lineup that would appear for about 15 minutes for either a quick Q&A or point choreography lesson. I had researched previous Klub events and found that the artist was usually from the Day 1 lineup and a rookie boy group, however I still had my hopes up that Golden Child could be a guest. Sometimes it would be a surprise who the guest is until they show up at Klub, while other times KCON would announce the guest a week beforehand. This time, on June 8th at 11:40 EDT KCON announced Pentagon as the special guest AND that another special guest will be revealed soon. On June 13th at 9PM EDT KCON announced Stray Kids is the other guest and will hold a surprise performance. At one of the KCON Facebook live chats, they had also announced that Alex Reid would be a special guest as well, however they never really advertised this nor put it on the official Klub poster.

I am most certainly not a dancer nor do I like such social events, so I was trying to minimize the time I'd be in the Klub. Do note that many people started waiting in line for Klub right after early check-in so that they could get a good spot in seeing Pentagon and Stray Kids. I decided to go into Klub by 6PM, so an hour into the event which would give attendees plenty of time to get settled in. The Klub is held at Barnabas Health Hockey House, which is part of Prudential Center and is where all artist engagements (hi-touch and red carpet) are held. The worker out front scanned my bracelet and I was in.

Inside the lobby of the venue, there is a concession stand and little seating. Once inside the Klub, there is a high stage at the far end, and about half of the room was packed. On the far right is a much lower stage, and that is where the red carpet will be held. I took this photo at towards the back of the arena. The midway point is about where that camera is, and that camera is blocked off to form about a 6' by 6' square. Standing behind that gave a better view since no one would be directly blocking you. I ended up standing to the side and in front of it throughout the night, and at that area it was a good distance to see the stage well.

Right at 6:02PM, Alex Reid came on stage. I had perfect timing - I would've beaten myself up if I had missed a performance! She performed a song, gave an introduction (she is such a great entertainer!), and then performed another song. Next she gave an introduction to the next song she was going to perform, "Gretchen Wieners", which she would release the next day. This was her first time performing this song in public! Afterwards she commemorated her stage with a group selca. Her stage ended at 6:14PM. (Yes, even with my crappy photos I'm putting my watermark on there.)

There was an MC and DJ Sanchez on stage. The DJ played a lot of popular Kpop songs, though none from Woollim. When he played "Damdadi", I was the only one scream-singing along, but it was nice to have my moment. Many people were just standing around, waiting for the two main acts, and few were actually dancing. Many were dancing in place while singing along.

By 7PM the front half was a lot more crowded. At 7:08PM, the music stopped, and everyone pushed forward in great anticipation. Stray Kids came out and performed "District 9". An MC came out (Danny Lim from Buzzfeed?) and had the members do introductions. Each member introduced himself in English. The MC then asked the members how they felt being at KCON NY. Next the MC asked the audience to ask a question to the boys, so the MC asked what they are looking forward to eating since it's their first time in NY. One member said "we all know what Woojin wants to eat..." and Woojin said "I want to eat chicken." The Seungmin said "milky milkshake" and did the cutest dance to it! Next, the MC announced that Stray Kids prepared a special stage just for Klub KCON, which is a cute version of "Beware". Then Stray Kids took 2 group photos with the audience, then took a minute to drink some water and wave to fans. Lastly, they performed "Hellavator"! During the second verse, the members were waving to fans and 2 held onto selca sticks. To close, Stray Kids said their ending ment. Stray Kids' entire stage lasted just over 20 minutes.

Afterwards, DJ Ginjo came out on stage. His style of DJing is so different from the first guy's - the first guy was basically playing Kpop hits and you could easily identify the songs, whereas DJ Ginjo really manipulated the music and made it his own style.

At 8:30PM, Pentagon came to the stage! They first performed "Runaway". Next the members gave individual introductions in English. The MC then asked if Pentagon needs water, and they said yes, so the MC said "staff, can we get water? Pentagon is thirsty!" I really like the MC, he's so entertaining, knows how to take care of the artists, and knows how to get the crowd going. The MC then asked how Pentagon feels being in Klub KCON NY for the first time. One member said "this is our first time visiting New York...it's so wonderful to be here as Pentagon and we are so touched to see everyone here." Another member said "it is so spectacular to see everyone here." The MC then asked "out of all the members, who has never been to New York?". Majority, it not all of the members raised their hands. Then the MC asked the members who haven't been to NY where they would like to go. Members said Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Shake Shack, and one even said "I want to do (go to?) a concert in New York!" Then the MC asked the members to introduce their next song. One member said "the next song is...a song which makes everybody shine." The audience partook in the fanchant so well, I was so proud of Universe! Next the members performed a relay dance for "Shine".

Then Pentagon introduced their last song as "the final song is something related to this atmosphere today, something spectacular". I have never heard "Spectacular" before, but it was such a beautiful song and so cool to see it live! It was a softer pop song than the other 2 they performed, and the members were so friendly and waving at the audience. There were only 2 members on stage and I couldn't see where the others went off to...it turns out 1 member (Hongseok...?!) went down the right side where the red carpet is! That part is barricaded off but there were about 1 to 2 rows of fans lined up there. I could have easily ran up there to touch his hand but I was too scared...lastly Pentagon took 3 group photos with the audience, the last one being a sexy version. Then for the ending remarks a member was so humble and kept saying "thank you so much," then "see you tomorrow". Pentagon's entire stage was over 21 minutes long.

At 8:52PM, the MC called it a night and everyone left after Pentagon's stage. I didn't realize just how much my feet hurt at the end of today in sneakers, and had a feeling the weekend will be much more tiring.

For the past 6 weeks, I was most nervous about Day-0 for 2 reasons: 1) whether or not Golden Child would have an artist engagement and if I could get into their hi-touch, and 2) going to Klub KCON. I am the most anti-social wallflower and feel very uncomfortable at these types of events, however I wanted to fully experience KCON and push myself past my comfort zone. I am really beyond happy to have gone to Klub KCON because 1) it was totally acceptable to be just standing around on my phone, and 2) the guest appearances were so worth it! Stray Kids and Pentagon performing 3 songs each is incredible, and I was practically seeing a mini concert in an intimate setting. So far, my KCON experience has been off to an amazing start!

[KCON18NY] Day-0: Friday Early Check-In

While KCON NY 2018 takes place on Saturday and Sunday, there are still events taking place on the Friday before. In this post I'll discuss my experience at early check-in for KCON.

The 2 weeks leading up to KCON weekend, KCON has been releasing information such as schedules, convention map, panels, special guests, and official KCON merchandise. While some are quite helpful, others were rather new and drew questions, like the Star Square and Star Live Talk. I'll cover these as I experience them in Day 1 or Day 2.

Today KCON finally releases the artist engagement schedule for hi-touch. This is important because not all 10 artists in the lineup have an artist engagement. When KCON revealed the weekend schedule earlier, it showed that there will be 3 artist engagements on Saturday, and 4 on Sunday. All artists will attend the red carpet; the lineup on Saturday will be at the Saturday red carpet and the lineup on Sunday will be at the Sunday red carpet. At 10:10AM EDT, KCON released the artist engagement schedule.

At 2:35PM EDT, Billboard released the Star Live Talk schedule. Knowing that Golden Child will have their live talk at 1PM and hi-touch at 2PM, I knew things would be tight. You can start lining up for your hi-touch directly after the previous hi-touch line has been let into the venue.

For the A1 artist engagement package, I receive 1 hi-touch, 2 audience, and 1 red carpet, all of which are guaranteed but random. For each event, I receive a ticket that I must open to reveal the artist for hi-touch and audience, and the day for red carpet. For other artist engagement packages, there is a hi-touch chance or audience chance or red carpet chance, and these cards may just say "sorry" and therefore no opportunity for an artist engagement.

In the weeks leading up to KCON weekend, I was active on all the Facebook groups in finding potential trading buddies. I added myself to those trading spreadsheets, made endless comments on others' trading posts, made myself known as a Golden Child stan on a group chat, and made my own spreadsheet that I could reference. However while I was actually trading on site, I only contacted 1 person from my list and they never replied. I think it's much easier to just trade in person, but it's nice having a backup.

As only an Inspirit and Goldenness, first of all it is nerve-wracking waiting for the artist engagement schedule to be released to confirm if Golden Child will have one. My goal is to get Golden Child hi-touch and Sunday red carpet. You have to relinquish your ticket at each event, so you can't keep it as a momento. Therefore I also want a Golden Child audience ticket, so that I can keep. As for the other audience ticket, I will be strategic in choosing a time that won't interfere with Golden Child's other scheduled events, such as their Star Live Talk.

Early check-in officially starts on Friday at 1PM. KCON has indicated that check-in ends at 5PM or at 6PM; it wasn't clear. Klub KCON is from 5PM to 9PM, and you need to check in prior to obtain your Klub wristband for entry.

I arrived at the Championship Plaza where check-in is at 12PM, and this is the line so far. On the far left is the Toyota check-in, where if you show a Toyota key, you get to check in before the others. The next section over is for Diamond and Platinum ticket holders. The middle section is for all other pre-registered convention goers. The far right is for purchasing a convention ticket, artist engagement packs (I think A1 was sold out), and KCON lightsticks on site.

Going to KCON alone, I was really worried that I wouldn't meet anyone. But the 3 people around me in line were very friendly and we bonded together, planning to help each other get the hi-touch tickets that we each want. At 1PM the line began to move. When it was my turn, I gave my first and last name to the staff, along with my printed email confirmation that had my QR code. The staff gave me a tote bag (this may only be for A1), A1 pack, and wristband, and on the table were the informational booklets that included maps and schedules. The worker put the wristband on me but purposely didn't tighten it - the white tube can only get closer to your wrist, however at the placement it was now, I was able to slide it off my hand easily. There is a plastic card attached to the wristband, and this is used to scan into certain areas of the convention where you need a convention ticket. I also had the Klub add-on, which was programmed into my wristband.

This time, the artist engagement packs come perforated together. You simply have to rip the perforated sides to reveal your tickets. My heart sank when I saw I got fromis_9 for hi-touch...(no offense) but I knew this would be one of the toughest to trade. I also got Heize and Wanna One for audience, and Saturday red carpet. I had to trade everything. Right away I found someone who wanted to trade their Golden Child audience for my Wanna One audience, so I did it. I was so excited and didn't realize just how much that Wanna One audience was. Then I took out my 8.5" by 11" notepad and pen and made a sign for wanting to trade my hi-touch and red carpet. Many others had signs too, and everyone would be eagerly looking at every sign for hopes of finding the perfect trade. I quickly found someone to trade my red carpet.

After being very worried about what to do for hi-touch, two girls came up to me offering to trade for a Golden Child hi-touch! I hugged them both and cried, knowing that it would be guaranteed that I would be touching Golden Child's hands! By 1:40PM I had finished trading, but because the atmosphere was so exciting (everyone was crying and screaming when they found their ideal tickets), I stuck around. I knew I wouldn't be able to use my audience ticket due to time constraints, so I tried to sell my Heize audience. One guy traded it for his Stray Kids audience, and I asked if he was genuinely interested in this trade because I knew he could've easily sold his audience. He was positive, and shortly after I sold the Stray Kids audience for $30.

Later on my friend, who wasn't at the venue yet, wanted me to check in for her. She took a picture of her printed ticket and another of just her QR code. I told the staff member her first and last name and showed the QR code. I was given the tote, A1 pack, booklet, and wristband. I opened her pack and screamed! I am not a vocal person, but I was so excited to see she pulled a Wanna One hi-touch. Others in line asked if I had got what I wanted, and I told them "no, I got Wanna One, which I can easily trade for what I want!" Right away I found a girl wanting to trade as many of her engagement tickets for a Wanna One hi-touch. In return, I got her Golden Child hi-touch, Golden Child audience, and Saturday red carpet.

My friend also pulled fromis_9 and Pentagon for audience, and a Sunday red carpet. So many people wanted Wanna One's hi-touch, followed by Pentagon and Stray Kids. On the flip side, many people were trying to trade their fromis_9 hi-touch.

My friend gave me the Saturday red carpet. So in the end, I got a Golden Child hi-touch and audience, and both red carpets.

I left the area at 5:45PM and there were still a few people trading. Klub KCON had already started at 5PM, however being the wall flower that I am, I was in no rush to head to the Klub.

Again, I wanted to point out how friendly everyone is! I wore my homemade Golden Child Damdadi jersey, and people complimented it. I forgot to take a picture of myself on that day, but here's one from a previous day (can you spot the Golden Child items in the background?). I couldn't wait to wear this outfit all throughout KCON to spread the love that is Golden Child and to find other Goldenness!

Golden Child Golden Day Merchandise Review (Part 2 of 2)

I previously reviewed the Eco Bag, Badge Set, and Patch Set from Golden Child's Golden Day fan meeting here. In this post I will review the remaining items in my collection: the L Holder Set and the Poster Set.

L Holder Set

The L Holder Set cost 15,000₩ and comes in a clear plastic bag with the label that includes the holographic Woollim sticker.

This set includes 7 L holders, in order from top left to top right, then bottom left to bottom right. There are 2 group shots, and 5 paired shots. All these pairings are really adorable!

The backside of all 7 L holders has an aqua background with the Golden Day logo in the center.

The holders all have a glossy exterior finish. Here you can see that both sides are translucent.

The L holders have dimensions 8.6875" by 12.1875". I placed a regular piece of printed, 8.5" by 11" sized paper and you can see the text through the translucent folder. As expected on L holders, they are only meant to hold several pieces of paper.

Here is a closeup of the group shots, Jaehyun and Joochan, and Bomin and Jibeom.

Here is a closeup of the remaining pairings: Daeyeol and Y, Seungmin and Donghyun, and Jangjun and Tag.

Poster Set

The Poster Set cost 25,000₩ and comes in a sturdy cardboard tube. The poster tube is 17.75" tall and 2.75" in diameter.

The posters come rolled up and stored inside a clear plastic.

The other end of the posters has the plastic carefully covering the poster edges.

Here are the poster edges from the original side. You can see that some of the edges are a bit damaged, but it's not noticeable once you see the posters straight on.

This set includes 11 posters. In order, the first poster is a group shot, then from oldest to youngest.

Here is a closeup of the group shot, Daeyeol, and Y.

Here is a closeup of Jangjun, Tag, and Seungmin.

Here are Jaehyun, Jibeom, and Donghyun.

And lastly, here are Joochan and Bomin.

After much internal debate on rearranging my posters, I decided to replace my Infinite Paradise and 2015 Season's Greetings posters with Jibeom and Bomin's individual posters. I love seeing their refreshing and youthful smiles^^

Overall, I love both the L Holder Set and Poster Set. The spring picnic concept suits the boys so well. I've placed all the L holders along with my Infinite ones in an art portfolio book (because this is art!) And I'm happy to display 2 of the posters in my room.

Golden Child Golden Day Merchandise Review (Part 1 of 2)

Golden Child held their first fan meeting (excluding the one in Japan in March 2018) Golden Day on May 22nd, 2018. My friend was able to help me obtain 5 of the 7 official merchandise items sold onsite. The 2 items missing from my collection are the Postcard Set or Light Stick, which were sold out within 30 minutes. For Part 1, I will be reviewing the Eco Bag, Badge Set, and Patch Set.

Eco Bag

The Eco Bag cost 25,000₩ and comes in a clear plastic bag with the label that includes the holographic Woollim sticker.

Here is how the front of the bag looks like. The design is like Golden Child's navy It's U suits, where the letters that make up "Golden Child" form a diamond pattern. The bottom right has the original Golden Child logo. I love how this overall design is simplistic and can be used anywhere without blatantly screaming that I'm a Goldenness.

The backside of the tote has the same pattern. The letters and straps are navy. The size of the bag, with dimensions 14.25" by 16", is very roomy and the strap length, 10" from the top to the lip of the bag, is long enough that the bag fits comfortably on my shoulder. I can also alternatively put the straps in the crux of my elbow.

Here is how the inside of the bag looks like. The entire bag is made of a durable canvas material, with no lining on the inside. There is also a pocket at the top.

Here is a closeup of the inside pocket, that's like a flap. I discuss more about the tote overall at the end of the post.

Badge Set 

The badge set cost 23,000₩ and comes in a clear plastic box with a simplistic baseball design on the front.

The back of the box contains product information and the holographic sticker.

Here are the metal pins. I'm really happy that Woollim produced some of Golden Child's baseball jersey and logo designs from Gol-Cha! era as official merchandise. The pinstripe jersey is definitely my favorite design, so I'm very grateful to see this design as one of the pins.

Here is the backside of the pins. The pinstripe jersey and baseball/bat logo pins have a silver backing while the green jersey has a gold backing.

The pins have a lot of detail and are very 3D. The wording, stripes, and baseball stitching all are raised. While the dark lines of the pinstripe jersey look black, it is actually silver. The jersey pins are 0.875" wide and 0.9375" tall. The baseball pin is 0.9375" by 0.9375" and the bat is 1.25" long.

The backside of the pins are also detailed. There is a striped texture on the backs. With the pin in the middle, you can also see gauge the gap there is between the pin and the backing.

Patch Set

The patch set cost 23,000₩ and comes in a clear plastic box with a simplistic spring picnic design on the front that matches the theme of the fan meeting. This theme is more apparent in the Poster Set and L Holder Set.

The back of the box contains product information and the holographic sticker.

Here are the patches which have a felt texture. Like with the baseball pins, I'm so happy that Woollim produced some of Golden Child's school uniform logo designs from Miracle era as official merchandise. I'm especially happy to see the Chinese logo design in patch form!

Here is a closeup of the 3 patches. I love how intricate these designs are.

The backside of the patches actually have high quality safety pins attached. So while these are called patches, you cannot just sew or iron them on.

Here is the backside. The patch itself is a bit flimsy but the safety pin is really sturdy with its medal backing. There is a bit of a distance between the patch and the safety pin, so if you use the patch on a thin piece of cloth (such as the eco bag), there may be a gap between the patch and the cloth.

Comparison

Here you can compare the size of these goods. The pins look so much more adorable with their small size!

I decided to add the 3 pins and a patch to the tote. I really like how it looks and can't wait to use my bag to subtly declare myself as a Goldenness!

Overall, I absolutely love these items! The bag itself is minimalist and can be used anywhere. The badge set is really adorable and captures the essence of DamDaDi era's baseball concept, whereas the patch set beautifully captures the essence of It's U era's school uniform logos.

I reviewed the L Holder Set and Poster Set here.