“Let’s open our wings to fly away together,” sang Dreamcatcher’s SuA last week at the final stop of the group’s nine-stop REASON: MAKES tour in Los Angeles. The line rang true to many of the near-capacity crowd, but much so for Jessica H., a self-proclaimed hardcore InSomnia [Dreamcatcher’s fandom] who camped for nearly 30 hours to ensure she was one of the first into the venue.
“Dreamcatcher really saved me,” she said, “It sounds cliché, but during the pandemic, their music and their videos bought me out of a really dark place. Dreamcatcher’s message of hope in the darkness just said something to me.”
“Dreamcatcher really saved me,” she said, “It sounds cliché, but during the pandemic, their music and their videos bought me out of a really dark place. Dreamcatcher’s message of hope in the darkness just said something to me.”
Jessica’s wait, as well as many others, was rewarded when the seven-member group appeared on stage, shrouded in darkness. Despite surviving an exhausting compressed tour schedule, each member of the group executed the exhausting and crisp choreography of their first two songs: the 2017 debut single "Chase Me" and then 2019’s "You and I."
“Did you know that L.A. is a very special city for Dreamcatcher?,” asked the group’s leader JiU during a quick break between songs. “L.A. is also the very first city where we ever did a concert in the U.S.”
“I think that’s why I’ve been looking forward to today more and more,” rapper DaMi quickly followed. Other members of the group [main dancer SuA, main vocal SiYeon, sub vocalist HanDong, lead vocalist YooHyeon, and maknae GaHyeon] also agreed immediately before launching into their next set of guitar-driven songs: "What", "Scream", "The Curse of the Spider" and "Diamond."
Older Insomnia was rewarded as the group pulled out “And there was no one left,” a sultry vocal number from their 2019 mini album "The End of Nightmare" that had the crowd shimmying back and forth. The group then breathlessly performed two ballads, "Emotion" and "Polaris." In yet another callback to previous tours, JiU directed to crowd to wave and lift their synched lightsticks in unison, using the same motions from their 2019 U.S. tour.
To much of the crowd’s delight (and much to the group’s chagrin), the group performed "Love Shake", the debut title track of Dreamcatcher’s previous iteration, "MINX". While HanDong and GaHyeon love performing the song and did so with smiles and overexaggerated movements, the original members of MINX, especially Dami, rather hide than perform the catchy 2015 song ever again.
After shaking off the momentary embarrassment, Dreamcatcher performed songs for their latest album "Apocalypse: Follow Us." In "Some Love", the group preached self-acceptance with the line “Believe in who you are…. We all need some love.” The group continued with the same theme of self-love with their next song, "Fairytale", which asked listeners to “We’re heading for a surprise; follow your heart, we’re living in a fairytale.”
Every Insomnia in the group took those words to heart and followed every note and beat to their next few songs, "Sahara", "Wind Blows", "Vision" and "Boca." Yet, everyone’s reverie was broken apart by the loud, EDM-focused "Silent Night." Dreamcatcher repeated the finale of "Silent Night" three times, converting the scene from a K-rock concert into an impromptu nightclub while the group’s main dancer SuA screamed, “I’m fine!” The group then finished its main set with fan service versions of "Mayday" and "New Days."
Yet, InSomnia knew that Dreamcatcher’s performance was soon to come to an end as the group went backstage to quickly change into their encore outfits. They returned to perform favorites "Full Moon" and "Over the Sky" before saying their final goodbyes with their latest comeback and fan song "Reason." “We’re always with InSomnia,” the group sang, “We can spend more time together… ‘cause you are the reason.” Many in the room, including Jessica, shed tears of joy as the group left.
“Those 30 hours were worth it,” she said as she prepared to queue up for the after concert hi-touch session with the group, “They mean so much to me.”
Dreamcatcher returned to Korea after this show, but many Insomnia in the U.S. and worldwide yearn for their return. With an expected comeback in May, it might not be long until the public gets to see Dreamcatcher back on stage.
Dojeon Media received a photo and review pass from MyMusicTaste, the promoters of Dreamcatcher’s REASON: MAKES tour. It did not influence the coverage of this event.