Marking a significant milestone in their career, Starship Entertainment announced on August 11, 2023, that IVE would be embarking on their inaugural worldwide concert tour in support of their I’ve Mine EP. The tour kicked off in Seoul on October 7, 2023, and ends in Tokyo on September 5, 2024.
Like other K-Pop world tours, I approached this skeptically since the historical definition of “world” has been limited to specific locations. So, I was surprised when the tour dates outside of Asia were revealed, and it covered the significant continents where K-pop fans reside.
The Show What I Have world tour takes IVE to:
- Asia (19 shows)
- North America (6 shows)
- Europe (5 shows)
- Latin America (3 shows)
- Oceania (2 shows)
So, unlike many K-pop “world” tours, they mean worldwide for the most part here.
Since I live in North America, my choices of shows were within the six cities listed for that region. As I did for aespa, I decided to attend the final show of the North American leg. For this tour, it ended in Newark, New Jersey. It allowed me the most time to save up for the event, and since I knew people around that area, I wouldn’t be bored during the long pre-show waiting periods.
New Jersey is a state I’ve never been to, and Newark is a city I’ve never visited, so it was an excellent opportunity to see the place. I only know New Jersey has an NHL team and is a short train ride across the river from New York. That said, my trip was a hit-and-run, so my excitement level for seeing Newark was significantly lower since I wouldn’t do any touristy things at all. The hype was more intense to see IVE again.
The Show What I Have World Tour was my second opportunity to see IVE perform live. The last time I saw them was the first Krazy K-Pop Super Concert (a.k.a. Krazy Super Concert) in Long Island last year. While the VIP perks for this event were less generous (no picture with my peeps, IVE, and five other strangers), it still got me a VIP lanyard, a gift pack consisting of various accessories like pens and a keychain, early entry to the venue, and soundcheck access. I did not pay for the send-off package since I did not want to partake in the clusterfuck of thirsty weabs clamouring for IVE’s attention.
On concert day I took a Lyft from my hotel to the Prudential Center. It was a ten-minute drive in moderate to light traffic, and I was dropped off shortly before 4 p.m. I immediately noticed that the area around the venue was sparse. There was only a little of anything nearby, and if you wanted something to eat (at a reasonable price) before the show, you had to walk a few blocks.
Since I was there so early, check-in was a breeze, and I immediately headed toward the merchandise area on the other side of the building. I knew of the selection of merchandise and the prices before coming to New Jersey and already had an idea of what shirt I wanted. In addition to a black concert T-shirt, I bought a cap, a keychain, and a tote bag to carry everything.
After that, it was off to the VIP check-in area to be sorted by section for early entry. Rather than flooding the doors with excited weabs and overwhelming security, entry was done per section, starting with the floor and working to the bowl sections. My grouping was the second last to be let into the building. I understand the logic behind this, but it was a long wait.
Thankfully the majority of the people in my section were experienced concertgoers, and no noobs were holding up the line for screening. After clearing security, the VIP badge holders were escorted to their sections to wait for sound check. My seat was comparable to what I had for aespa in Barclays, except it was a few rows lower in the bowl. I could easily see both stages with no obstructions.
Before the start of soundcheck, the venue staff instructed those of us in the bowl to move to the first five rows. I was thrilled that we weren’t being shuffled to the back rows of the floor. As a height-deficient human, those areas suck for me. Of course the overexcited weabs around me were rushing for the lower seats. I didn’t even have time to properly get out of the way for the people in my row, so I did my best to make way for them.
Once the frenzy ended, I moved to the lowest possible row and settled for soundcheck. I ended up in a decent spot in the aisle, so I had some freedom to move around. The pre-show e-mail said no filming or photos during soundcheck. That rule was not enforced because as soon as IVE hit the stage, it was phones up, and no staff were doing much to stop anyone from doing whatever they wanted. So, I went with the flow and did what everyone else did.
I am not one to record videos for entire songs at concerts, especially from where I was. I didn’t have a mini-gimbal to stabilize my phone, and my arms get tired from holding the phone still for too long in landscape position. I also wanted to see the artists on stage with my eyes and not through my phone’s screen. Why go to a live show if you don’t look at what’s happening around you?
So, for the sound check, I recorded short video clips, took pictures, and basked in the casual vibe of IVE waving at people. Suffice it to say I was laser-focused on my bias, Yujin, but I also got footage and pictures of other members over the 16 minutes the sound check lasted.
The setlist for the checklist was:
- Cherish
- Off The Record
- After Like
- All Night
Once the sound check was completed, the crowd returned to their seats or went to the concourse to find food or buy merchandise. I opted for food and spent around $20.00 on chicken strips, fries, and a drink. That’s not too bad for stadium food prices. You get less at other places for the same price.
When I finished my meal, the venue was filling up, and shortly after, the show began. I had watched the version of this concert from Korea on the plane ride into Newark, so I knew what the setlist was. It allowed me to enjoy the concert and plan for what songs I wanted to get a complete recording of or pictures from. Like I said, I wouldn’t spend the entire concert staring through my phone.
This concert was much better than the short set I saw at the Krazy K-Pop Super Concert. It was a lot like their Korean concert, except for a few things, like the missing stage lifts and swings used at the beginning of the ballad set.
IVE Show What I Have World Tour US Setlist
- I Am
- Royal (Rock ver.)
- Blue Blood
- Heroine
- Cherish
- Eleven
- Shine With Me
- Either Way
- Lips
- Mine
- Off the Record
- 7 Rings (Ariana Grande cover) (Gaeul solo)
- Every Summertime (Niki cover) (Rei solo)
- Wannabe (Spice Girls cover) (Rei & Gaeul duet)
- Reality (Richard Sanderson cover) (Wonyoung & Liz duet)
- Woman Like Me (Little Mix cover) (Yujin & Leeseo duet)
- Hypnosis
- My Satisfaction
- Love Dive
- Kitsch
- Baddie
- After Like
- OTT (Encore)
- All Night (Encore)
IVE performed many album cuts and b-sides, which is excellent for those who deep-dive into their discography and tedious for those who only know or want to see the a-sides performed. I was delighted to see the performances of songs like Royal, Cherish, My Satisfaction, and OTT.
The solo and unit sections of the concert were my favourite moments. I most enjoyed the Rei/Gaeul and Yujin/Leeseo units since their songs and performances were crowd-friendly. Liz/Wonyoung were okay, but their cover was a snoozer for me. They looked good putting me to sleep, though.
The fake-out ending encore of All Night was a fantastic way to send the crowd home happy and satisfied. I saw a few people in my section leave before the encore started and during the whole goodbye speeches. They missed out. But hey, if they have a train to catch or want to beat traffic, I don’t blame them for making the sacrifice.
Overall, IVE’s Show What I Have concert was an enjoyable experience, even with some of the bells and whistles from their fuller stage show missing. If you are attending their summer and fall tour dates, you are in for a fun time.
