Ahead of their fourth debut anniversary, K-pop quintet MCND wrapped up the U.S. leg of their 2024 “ODD VENTURE” tour, which celebrated the recent release of their fifth mini album, ODD-VENTURE.
MCND reunited with their fans, known as GEMs, in six cities across the U.S., including San Francisco, where we joined the members during their Feb. 16 show at Fort Mason Cowell Theater. Located at the north end of Pier 2, the waterfront venue offered world-class views of San Francisco Bay and provided a unique space that made for an unforgettable show.
Honestly, our MCND concert experience was unlike that of any other concert we’ve been to—K-pop or otherwise. We walked in the venue with little-to-no expectations of what the show would be like, but quickly got a glimpse of the surprisingly special night that was ahead of us.
As we learned, going to an MCND concert doesn’t just mean you get to see the group perform on stage; it means you get to connect with the members before, during and after the show in intimate ways that showcase the group’s desire to create special experiences and unforgettable memories with their fans.
Before the concert started, MCND gave San Francisco GEMs a sneak peek of the show by posting a pre-view cam of the members rehearsing “Cruise.” A little later on, GEMs filled the theater with squeals and laughter as the members started a live broadcast on Instagram that showed them backstage just minutes before they were scheduled to perform. This glimpse into the group’s concert preparation process was something we’d never gotten from other artists, so with that, MCND had already set themselves apart.
As MCND members Castle J, BIC, MINJAE, HUIJIN and WIN appeared on stage, they were greeted by GEMs’ excited screams and cheers. A white ocean of lightsticks illuminated the theater as the group kicked things off with back-to-back performances of “ODD VENTURE” and “Cruise,” both of which are from the group’s latest album.
“We participated a lot in the making of the album,” the group shared before moving on to the next stage.
Throughout the concert, MCND continuously worked their way into becoming one of our new favorite K-pop groups. Heartfelt performances of songs like “Back to you” showcased the members’ powerful vocals and angelic ad libs, while hip-hop tracks like “Crush” gave the members opportunities to show off their smooth dance moves and swaggy rap styles. Despite a few audio skips, the group carried on and had a blast performing, as evidenced by the smiles exchanged by the members on stage.
The MCND members are exceptional performers, and if there’s one thing they know how to do, it’s get people on their feet. Energetic performances of tracks like “Player” and “H.B.C” got the crowd hyped, with GEMs dancing, jumping and singing along. Then, to everyone’s surprise, most of the members got down from the stage and walked up and down the theater aisles while performing “ICE AGE.” While Castle J, MINJAE and HUIJIN wandered through the audience, BIC stayed on stage, and WIN sat down and kicked it with some GEMs near the back of the theater.
Between stages, MCND took several moments to interact with GEMs in fun and engaging ways, and, at one point, the members announced they were going on a secret mission to prepare something special for the audience. After a few minutes of huddling together, they began showing us what they had prepared. One by one, each member imitated a sound characteristic of the city by the bay, including a cruise ship, sea lion, ocean wave and seagull. As the sounds came together, I closed my eyes for a moment, and, if I wasn’t aware I was at a concert, I could’ve sworn we were outside by the water.
“We prepared a San Francisco scene,” Castle J proudly explained.
As the night came to an end, the members took turns expressing their gratitude and appreciation for everyone who made the concert possible. They reflected on what a great time they had, emphasizing how much they enjoyed being with GEMs.
“I’m so happy I’m able to do this show on the water with my fellow GEMs,” MINJAE said.
WIN shared the same sentiment, admitting “I think I had more fun this time than the last time I came by.”
We, too, had so much fun, and we can’t wait to see MCND again soon!
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