Stray Kids Bring a Fiery & Sensational Set to NYC’s Citi Field on Their dominATE World Tour
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So far in the summer, New York City’s weather has been unpredictable. It’s a season known for sunshine and making fun memories, but the scattered showers try to get in the way of everyone’s plans. Despite rain looming on everyone’s minds and the weather app, Stray Kids’ Citi Field concerts served as the eye of a storm. Not in the sense that everything was extremely calm— it was quite the opposite, as exhilaration and thrill overflowed at the June 18 <dominATE> tour stop. (Editor’s Note: It did, in fact, storm on the June 19 show, and the concert was postponed for a few hours.)
The eight-member group, consisting of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N., made a monumental entrance adorned with dozens of Team SKZ dancers, carrying emblematic flags in uniforms, synced to the hardcore beat of “MOUNTAINS.” It had a smooth transition to “Thunderous,” which had the whole baseball stadium rumble with the blasting and roaring chorus “Sorikkun / Man I’m not sorry, I’m dirty.”
There was no time to rest, and the energy was constantly at a steady and thrilling high. The members introduced themselves after the sizzling “JJAM” with Bang Chan even pointing out that the octet could “see every single one of you” in the venue. Before we knew it, 30 songs and three intense hours went by in a flash, and it’s safe to say Stray Kids really hit it out of the park. Here are some standout moments from the tour, and click the link below if you want to score some last-minute tickets.
3RACHA’s Versatile Songwriting & Producing
Stray Kids’ in-house production team is composed of members Bang Chan, Han, and Changbin, who have written and produced nearly all of SKZ’s songs. You can hear and feel the passion and intention in each one of their tracks, no matter how short or long they are.
So when these songs are translated to live band arrangements and catered towards a stadium, these songs are amped up over 1000%. During “LALALA,” the thumping drums are accentuated with heartshaking fills and crescendoed basslines, and “God’s Menu” cooks up a hardcore synth and guitar riff between the “DU DU DU DUs.”
Compelling Unit Stages
Shortly before embarking on the <dominATE> tour, Stray Kids released Mixtape: dominATE, which features four distinct sub-unit tracks. So when it came to the unit portions of the show, each member was shining with their partner and owned the stage.
Felix and Han kicked it off with the contemplative “Truman” which later explodes into a banger celebrating all their deserving accomplishments with devoted STAYs. Changbin and I.N. took a turn (or drifted) with “Burnin’ Tires” which came with an impressive choreography where the dancers mimicked a car before the two entrenched the stadium with the catchy chorus and did a cute skit pretending the ignition button didn’t work before the pyrotechnics went off.
Bang Chan and Hyunjin later apparated out of thin air in the middle of the extended stage, where they sprinted and jumped onto the platform (I could only imagine that it was at least 7 feet tall). Amid the mysterious hooded dancers, they let their presence be visibly known with the anthemic and hypnotic “Escape.” Finally, Seungmin and Lee Know graced the stage with their ballad “Cinema” where the performance resembled a true romantic black and white film, including an all-out credits scene where each member of the audience’s name is listed, while they serenaded the audience who had been blissfully wooed.
Impeccable Stage Design
With the <dominATE> tour, there really is an emphasis on the ATE. The stage and extended stage are shaped like a giant “A” which the members really use to their advantage. During “Domino,” the members wandered their own ways to the extended-extended stages to say hi to fans and read signs. Incredibly synced fireworks surrounded fans at every corner, and it felt very satisfying to the senses.
A notable highlight with this tour’s stage design is the inflatable stone giant during their recently released single “GIANT.” The behemoth emerges behind the elevated stage as the group gears up for the cutthroat single, where they declare themselves as the giants themselves and singing that they’ll be “crushing worlds below.”
Stays Make Stray Kids Stay
If you’ve ever watched a Stray Kids music video, their group slogan pops up at the end: “Stray Kids everywhere all around the world, you make Stray Kids stay.” It’s a powerful sentiment and it reminds their fans that they couldn’t be anywhere without them. After the credits rolled for “Cinema,” Seungmin said that the name Sophie caught his eye, and he even managed to call out and find that fan in the crowd.
Shortly after the ending mentions, STAYs surprised the members with a heartwarming tribute about how their music and camaraderie helped them through the troubles of life. To which, the members got emotional and Bang Chan made a poignant speech about how they were just “normal” guys. But their immense and extraordinary impact has touched the hearts of millions.
Idols riding on carts around the stadium have been a staple for K-pop stadium shows lately as an opportunity to get up close to their fans. During the encore, each member interacted with their fans with delicate care, making sure they noticed each person, so that they could remember that moment forever.
