8 best moments from SEVENTEEN's US Stadium debut in LA

Towards the end of their first trio of hits, the introduction to 'Maestro' is also something of an introduction to SEVENTEEN's approach to artistic creation. While Woozi plays the opening keyboard riffs, Hoshi rises to a raised platform where he dances with the conductor's baton. S.Coups takes the moment of the mic drop to signify the start of the song. Each of the three leaders runs their respective arenas — Woozi, the music. Hoshi, the performance; S.Coups, the team. It beckons their status as a self-produced band, setting aside any speculation to the contrary.

There was never a dull moment even in the evening, even when he was just saying hello. This is largely due to Hoshi's legendary entrance. After an introductory shout of “Put on your tiger marks!”, he took the stage catwalk to an Auto-Tuned chant while more than 20,000 people raised their hands in matching tiger claw shapes. (It's not real worship, we promise.)

SEVENTEEN always play to their strengths. Nowhere is this clearer than in their unit performances, split into rappers, dancers and singers.

S.Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, and Vernon kicked things off with their venue-matching 'Water' and 'Monster' stages (“Stadium door to stadium door“, “Vernon raps? Hoshi, The8, and Dino then transitioned easily to “Rain” and “Lilili Yabbay,” the latter of which showed off their chops on the floor. Joshua, Woozi, DK, and Seungkwan, meanwhile, closed out the unit's scenes on an emotional note, bringing crystal-clear vocals to the ballads “Candy” and “Cheers to youth.”

Lest you forget this is a multi-hyphenate group, though, they return to the stage shortly after as a (mostly) full set for the indelible bop “Oh My!” — Oh, and since improv is another skill on their collective resume, this portion is one big comedy sketch with inflatable animals, of course.

Since Los Angeles is member Joshua's hometown, SEVENTEEN's LA shows always have a little extra flair—plus, this event provided a big boost to their emotional single 'Home'. Without a doubt, the song is the heart of the setlist, with its delicate melodies, spinning triple-axel jump and a fan assist with perhaps the clearest fan chant of the night. No wonder Joshua choked up towards the end of the concert. “What have we done to deserve this kind of love from you?” he asked, promising to return as soon as possible.

It's not a SEVENTEEN show if the spotlight isn't on the fans themselves, whether it's through interactive chants and gestures or a big-screen sign debut. But this time, the group dialed that energy up to 100. Even after climbing from arenas to stadiums, they designated specific fans in the stands (wearing tiger outfits and carrot suits, among other quirks) to dance-battle the members to a song of their choice.

There's perhaps no one better suited for fan service than Mingyu, who took time both nights to ask if the crowd was hungry or cold (then sprayed them with entire bottles of water anyway, at his behest). Just in time for the final night, the rapper hung up his jacket for the ultra-high-octane “Super,” which has already spawned its share of nude bicep fancams. Explaining the sudden choice of weapons, Mingyu described his philosophy very simply: “If you like it, that's it!”

Later in the evening, the group opened the floor to requests. While not every song from SEVENTEEN's extensive discography can make it into the setlist, they're more than happy to sing a few bars of old favorites as a bonus — if they can remember them, that is. In addition to 'Crazy in Love', 'Rock With You', 'Headliner' and 'Don't Wanna Cry', the lead lineup brought back 2017's 'Change Up', although S.Coups and Woozi seemed a bit unclear in the words. . Don't worry, chiefs – we'll forgive you if you add it to the correct list next time.

As usual, SEVENTEEN ended with multiple laps of “Aju Nice,” its circus-shaped horns the perfect soundtrack for a clown encore. At each stop, Seungkwan jumped down to the floor to get audience members on the barricade to sing the main high note of the song. And indeed, in that regard, fans have continued to raise the bar. What could top the recent tour opera, kazoo and metal traditions?

But the final night saved the best for last: A group of surprised fans flipped their fake blonde bobs as an exclamation point to the chorus' delivery of the high note, prompting the members of SEVENTEEN to don the silly hairstyles themselves. No one was left out of the fun – Vernon glided down the runway on his knees, serving up '80s glam rockers, while Woozi took a page out of Willow Smith's book and flipped his hair back and forth.

One big advantage of playing in outdoor stadiums? Beautiful view of the night sky — and on Sunday night, SEVENTEEN seemed to agree. Before reviving their favorite B-side 'Our dawn is hotter than day', which was mostly hit by other US charts, the members mentioned how the lyrics were perfect for singing under the moonlight: 'With tightly held hands , the sun is setting/ Only the stars fill the night sky/ As it shines on us.”

The band also has a significant audience with the celestial bodies, according to the ever-thinking The8. “When the concert started, we could see the moon, but we can't see it anymore,” he said. “But we'll see it again tomorrow, right? SEVENTEEN is the same.” Like the moon, he added, they are fixed. Being apart is only temporary. “Even if we disappear for a while, you will see us again.”

As the team closes out this year of change, The8's words served as a good reminder. But aside from the hope of returning to LA in even bigger venues (“We can do it!” Mingyu affirmed), the future wasn't the focus of the night. Their first US stadium performance is a huge achievement, and everyone—fans, SEVENTEEN members themselves—seemed happy to be together at that moment.