The Dream Show with the dream boys
True to its name, NCT Dream’s 2nd world tour is really THE DREAM show manifested into reality.
This show got me sweating, kicking my feet, crying real tears – this fed and kept my delusion full to the point where, even now, when I think back on or talk about TDS2, I still blush and feel excited as though the event was just yesterday, even though it has been a year.
The Dream Show 2 was the best concert that I had ever attended. This tour really lives up to its name; A dream come true.
The local concert organizers truly nailed it with the concert production. The stage is enormous and brought to an entirely new level of “extended,” to the point where the stage reaches some parts of the elevated seated sections, making it seem like you’re sitting right next to the idols regardless of your section.
Photo by @NCT2020RESONANCE
Less than 24 hours after tickets went on sale, the two-day show was sold out. This is not surprising given the magnitude of NCT Dream’s Filipino fandom. What was shocking to me was the fact that I camped out for almost 32 hours for these tickets, which was a first for me and something I doubt I would ever do again (though I did it for NCT 127) but I was fortunate and determined to watch both days. In Filipino terms, “ginusto ko to eh!”
For day 1, I opted for a seated section. My initial target was to secure front row tickets in the section where the extended stage reaches the seated section but damn, fans were faster than lighting. Gratefully, with the help of a friend (thanks Kat!), we managed to secure seats on the 2nd row near the extended stage.
One thing I’ll always talk about TDS2 is how well they transitioned between scenes; it was so seamless that the audience barely noticed when they left and returned to the stage.I did my best to avoid watching clips of the tour just because I prefer to have firsthand experience of the show– I want to be shaken to the core, especially since this is the first time I’ll watch Dream with Mark, an experience that is uniquely close to my hear– Ultimately, I feel like I made the correct choice since the whole event was interactive (a thing that I didn’t expected considering that it’s a KPop show) and exciting from the opening (specially the opening, I was TOO confused on who I should look at. They came out in different sides of all stages) to the encore and even with the VCRs.
At this point (we are not even halfway through this post), it’s obvious who my bias is. Believe me when I tell you that this man is the fuel to my raging delusions. The one where I’m confused about who among us both have the parasocial relationship– myself or him?
Although I have seen Mark perform live before, this was the most memorable experience. As the saying goes, third time’s the charm
I could feel the tension in the air during the Quiet Down performance; I just know that we were all holding our breaths. I think it’s understandable because this is their first “mature” level of performance. Screams commenced as soon as the song began, making it nearly impossible to hear the music.
Although the fans appear to be still and engrossed in their phones, our reactions were clearly visible. Almost every fancam I watched to during Quiet Down in Manila had a wide range of reactions behind the scenes that can be heard through the videos.
Quiet Down will always be THAT performance where you’ll always be confused on who to look at or what they’re going to do next, even after seeing it a hundred times.
This was an emotional moment for Filipino fans. Even though Manila were not able to see 7dream for TDS2, we will always continue to love and support Chenle. Along with the hope that next time, for TDS3, the Dreamies will finally be able to perform as 7dream on one stage in Manila.
Day 2 was a dream come true for me. With 36 as my queue number, I got the barricade spot at the main extended stage.
My height was not an advantage against the high barricade. It’s a good thing that I brought my most trusted platform shoes with me.
I also learned a new barricade tip from my co-fan who was next to me: bring a tape and tape our belongings to the barricade facing the stage so we don’t have to carry them throughout the entire concert.
The whole experience of seeing them so close feels surreal– They can see me just as clearly as I can see them.
Sure, I could be exaggerating a bit about how “clearly” they can see me; after all, we’re all familiar with how a stage works and its lighting. The point is, they can see me, and that thought alone would be enough to run a complete movie length of delusion in my head!
I took less photos and videos on day 2 just because I wanted to savor and really be in the moment; a fancy way of saying that even I’ve deleted (during the VCRs if I were to be honest) nearly all of the apps from my phone, but I still don’t have any memory left.
The most memorable moment of the show is hazy in my head, up to this day, I still doubt if it really happened, but I know it did because of the video that I took. It never crossed my mind that Mark, my ultimate bias of all time, would be literally (not fictionally) standing right in front of me.
I think he saw the banner that I made that’s why he went a step down from the stage and stood a few seconds in front of me. The agonizing pain from wearing my 8-inch platform boots—what my friends refer to as “monster shoes”—was quickly alleviated by his presence. All it took was a few seconds.
TDS2 will always be that event that I will always cherish and look back on with a smile.