Kim Sung-kyu, the leader of veteran boy band Infinite, thrilled fans with a stand-alone concert last weekend, his first in 18 months.
The singer's “LV3: Let's Vacay” concert took place over the weekend at Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Seoul.
Following 2022's "LV1 : Light & Voice" and last year's "LV2: Like Your Vibes," the third iteration of the singer's branded concerts embraced the theme of summer vacation in steaming heat, subtitled "Let's Vacay."
Sungkyu opened the gig with "Divin'," descending from the ceiling while accompanied by the sounds of a majestic band.
Every song was arranged to emphasize the live performance experience, with Sungkyu performing alongside the band that has become a hallmark of his solo concerts. The concert showed off his character as a soloist, influenced by renowned bands like Muse and Nell -- very different from the music of Infinite.
Videos of waves, palm trees and beaches served as the backdrop, befitting the summer vacation theme. As Sungkyu performed four energetic songs —“Climax,” “Small Talk,” “60s” and “Go Again” — nonstop, rainbow lasers filled the concert hall and giant balloons floated above the audience to the delight of fans.
During the performance of "Jump," a song written by Sungkyu that expresses the uncertainty of Infinite's five-year hiatus and his determination to start anew, all stage effects were minimized to allow the audience to focus on the lyrics and the singer's voice.
A solo version of Infinite's Japanese song "Toki" and an acoustic version of “Fog” were then showcased.
Fans requested an encore by singing "Kontrol," with the lyrics “come back." Sungkyu performed an encore of four songs, including soft love songs “You” and “Stuck On.”
Sungkyu returned to the stage for a second encore, performing impromptu requests from fans with the band, delivering a performance that was as impressive as the main show. The final song of the second encore was “Closer,” an unreleased track performed exclusively at the concert, drawing cheers from the fans.
Earlier this year, Sungkyu took the stage as the lead in the musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” and last month he took part in Infinite's first full-unit fan meeting in seven years. Starting in September, he will star in the musical "Kinky Boots."
The LV3 concert tour will continue in Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong to early September.
