ALL(H)OURS’ LA Fancon Was a Perfect Finale Stop

Mar 5

When it comes to K-pop boy groups, I typically prefer more of the R&B side, but ALL(H)OURS shocked me with how energetic their songs are. They often sound like they were made to be heard in a live setting, filling rooms with an anthemic atmosphere. And after hearing ALL(H)OURS at their All The Hours tour in Los Angeles, I can say that they did not disappoint.

The first third of their set was nonstop hype, opening with “WAO WAO,” and playing some of my favorites from their catalog, such as “Graffiti” and “DO IT.” Their wardrobe had them donned in black marching band-like fits, reminiscent of My Chemical Romance’s “The Black Parade” outfits. It was fitting as they were performing on stage loudly and passionately, reminiscent of your school’s marching band during a home football game.

After playing through about seven songs, the members of ALL(H)OURS took a short break to interact with fans. They played games like bat spin, where they’d whirl in tight circles for a few seconds, then try to walk a straight line. If they failed at any of these challenges, they’d have to entertain other members by dancing with them. It was a fun way to keep the show going without exhausting their catalog too quickly.

I was also impressed by each of the members’ willingness to speak English. Multiple times throughout the night, they thanked the audience for coming out and kept hyping the crowd up. As far as I know, none of the members are native speakers, so this shows how dedicated they are to connecting with their fans.

The boys are still early on in their careers, so they don’t have any solo songs yet, but they split into two sub-units to perform covers, with Xayden, Masami, and Hyunbin covering Connor Price’s “Trendsetter.” Kunho, Youmin, Minjae, and ON:N followed with a cover of Shawn Mendes’s “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back.” The former brought a hip-hop flavor, and the latter was softer, adding genre variety to the group’s own rock-heavy songs. They also did a cover of BTS’s “Blood, Sweat, & Tears,” which also felt pleasantly timely, considering the group has an upcoming tour this year.

During the second half of the show, ALL(H)OURS also performed a new upcoming song, “Dead Man Walking,” which is set to be released this month. It definitely sounded in line with what the group typically releases, a dark and energetic anthem, and I’m really looking forward to hearing the studio version when it drops in a few weeks. The encore is where ALL(H)OURS performed my favorite song of theirs, “Racer.” I love the hypnotic EDM and house-inspired instrumental behind it, and it was exhilarating to feel it rattling my bones through the venue.

Strangely, ALL(H)OURS performed a few songs a second time during the encore, including ones like “SHOCK” that were at the beginning of the show. Instead of rehashing previous songs, they could’ve easily been replaced with some others that weren’t performed at all, such as “Kings & Queens.” “GOOD JOB” and “LA Vida Loca” would’ve also made great additions to the setlist during the sub-unit segment, as that’s how those songs are structured, too.

Still, I had a great time catching ALL(H)OURS on their first fancon, and they brought enough energy to make it feel like a real celebration for the fans in the room. With Los Angeles as the final stop on the run, here’s hoping they got a moment to soak up the West Coast weather before heading home.