Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatcher, the K-pop girl group known for being the “the face of rock in K-pop,” returned to Taiwan for an encore concert on July 27th as part of their Luck Inside 7 Doors world tour. Following their sold-out Taipei show in March, the group opted for a larger venue, this time performing at the Kaohsiung Music Center. With Kaohsiung being only the fourth Asia stop (including Seoul) announced this year, the concert also attracted fans (known as InSomnia) from across the region.

“Honestly, it's amazing how K-pop, or in this case Dreamcatcher, bridges fans from all over the world,” said Insomnicsy (Kit), a fan who traveled from Malaysia. “I've had the opportunity to experience both a new country and see Dreamcatcher live. I met so many new friends from Taiwan, Hong Kong, France, Germany, and even Korea. It's kind of like when you've found your second home with people who share the same joys and interests with you, just pure wholesomeness and fun.”

Anticipation for the concert grew among InSomnia worldwide as it became clear this would likely be the first concert after the new comeback. Sure enough, on July 10th, Dreamcatcher released their 10th mini album, VirtuouS, which followed their previous VillainS mini album and concluded their VirtuouS duology. The title track, “JUSTICE,” was well received by both old and new fans. While new fans appreciated its fresh sound, longtime supporters were particularly enthusiastic about the song's return to Dreamcatcher's signature style. With many other K-pop groups releasing fun summer bops, “JUSTICE” stood out both in genre and theme.

Nonetheless, this comeback was a bittersweet one, as shortly before the release date, Dreamcatcher Company announced that the group’s main vocalist, Siyeon, would not be participating in the album promotions due to health issues and anxiety. This announcement was met with an outpouring of love and support from the fanbase, who urged her to prioritize her recovery and take her time. One fan, Courtney, quickly set up a site, forsiyeon.com, to collect messages, fan art, and photos from fans hoping to send their well wishes. Others who were members of Dreamcatcher’s Fancafe volunteered to post messages in Siyeon’s secret letter box on behalf of international fans, even offering to translate for non-Korean speakers.

This comeback’s title track stood out for its multiple high notes distributed between five members—Siyeon, Yoohyeon, SuA, JiU, and Gahyun. With the group currently on their eighth year, this was the perfect way to showcase how much they have grown vocally over the years. Moreover, during the live stages, members Handong and SuA—both officially sub-vocalists in terms of the group’s vocal line—impressed many by stepping in for Siyeon’s vocal parts, wowing even longtime fans who knew they had it in them. Notably, SuA, who is also Dreamcatcher’s main dancer, received well-deserved recognition for her vocal abilities. KBS recently released a “SuA Killing Part Collection,” showcasing her vocals on live stages over the years.

While promotions felt a bit shorter this time around, Dreamcatcher delivered powerful performances, maintaining stable vocals while executing challenging choreography. With unfavorable timing and broadcast schedules due to the Olympics, it was unfortunate that “JUSTICE” could not secure a music show win. Still, fans managed to dominate various fan-voted polls, including the Show Champion pre-vote, Music Bank's Best Performance Musician (BPM) Award, ENA HOT STAR award, and Song Champ of July. This effort was recognized by the members themselves, who made sure to thank fans for working so hard on the pre-vote. They also recorded a thank you video after receiving their trophy for the BPM Award.

Fueled by their recent promotions, Dreamcatcher set their sights on their highly anticipated encore concert. But news of Siyeon's absence, announced shortly before their departure, tempered the excitement amongst fans. There was a mix of anticipation for the show and concern for Siyeon, but also relief that she is being given the time and space to focus on her health and wellbeing. Just like the comeback, it felt bittersweet.

Despite the circumstances, fans knew that the members would give their all, and were eager to reciprocate that energy in full. On the day of the concert, the excitement was palpable, starting with the long and winding line for merch even before the booth opened. As the concert hall gradually filled up, instrumental versions of Dreamcatcher songs played over the speakers. Fans draped in black, hooded robes waved their scepter-like lightsticks. After what seemed like forever but also a blink of an eye, the lights dimmed, the crowd cheered, and the show began.

In contrast to their Taipei show where their outfits were more casual and colorful, their theme for the evening was black and white, exuding an elegant yet edgy vibe. Regardless of their attire, their magnetic stage presence remained the same, immediately captivating the audience.

The concert had a few technical issues, one of them being the volume on the mics being turned down during the first half of “OOTD,” and then suddenly turned up halfway through during one of Yoohyeon’s lines. Despite these setbacks, the members powered through, never missing a step, singing their hearts out, and playfully bantering with the audience.

For their Taipei and Hong Kong shows, the members had prepared two Mandarin song covers to perform. Regrettably, they were not able to do so this time around, but promised to do so next time. As expected, there were changes to the overall setlist to incorporate the songs from VirtuouS, with “JUSTICE”, “STΦMP!,” “2 Rings,” and "Fireflies” all making it in. With “2 Rings” having been performed at their showcase, this was the first time that “STΦMP!” and “Fireflies” were performed in front of a live audience. “STΦMP!,” a song that manages to mix beautiful, soft vocals with a hard hitting chorus, had the whole venue predictably hyped up and stomping. “Fireflies,” a beautiful ballad filled with harmonies between different combinations of members, on the other hand, was an emotional performance.

In terms of older songs, fan favorite b-sides from the Summer Holiday EP, “Alldaylong” and “Airplane,” were included this time around while tracks “MAISON,” “DEMIAN,” “Starlight,” “Mayday,” and “We Are Young” were cut to make room for all the additions.

Another notable song in the setlist is "Silent Night," a Dreamcatcher concert staple known for its extended outro where fans and members chant "One more time!" before engaging in an energetic dance-off. This time, the tradition was interrupted midway with cake and balloons, prepared by the local fan support team, to celebrate SuA’s upcoming birthday. After a birthday song and wishes, the dancing recommenced, this time led by the energetic almost-birthday girl dancing with a heart balloon around her waist. With the Taipei concert having celebrated Handong and Dami’s March birthdays, attendees of both shows were fortunate to have gotten to celebrate three of the members’ birthdays this year.

Of course, members were noticeably missing their fellow member the entire show, with Siyeon being mentioned by leader JiU during their first ment [talking section] and again multiple times by others throughout the evening.

Rather than redistributing Siyeon’s lines or rearranging their choreographies for the rest of the songs, the members opted to let Siyeon’s voice be heard through the backing tracks. Audience members were encouraged to sing Siyeon’s parts, with JiU and Yoohyeon especially encouraging us to do so during their performance of “Scream.”

In a way, it felt like both Siyeon’s absence and presence were deeply felt by all. The decision to cover her parts in “JUSTICE” and “2 Rings” while leaving the others unchanged sent a clear message—they could step in for each other when needed, but at the same time, no member is replaceable.

When it came time to give their individual closing speeches, maknae Gahyun seemed extra emotional, tearfully promising that they would return as seven members the next time. As they prepared to take the customary group photo with the audience, front row audiences offered up a Siyeon standee, which the members enthusiastically brought with them onstage to pose with.

During the encore, the Siyeon standee was kept onstage, grinning in the background as they performed their final songs. The night concluded with the beloved “Reason,” their most recent fan song. And just like that, the concert was over.

“It was quite emotional to see how the girls made sure that Siyeon's presence was still felt, and heartwarming to see their bond manifested in how they refused to let the standee go,” said Sweej, a fan who traveled from Singapore. “And it made me love the girls and their bond even more.”

The next leg of the Luck Inside 7 Doors tour will be in Latin America, with three stops announced in September. Following that, ten stops in the United States have been announced for November.

To learn more about Dreamcatcher, you can also read our feature story here.

You can also read about Dreamcatcher’s Mystery Code hunt to promote VirtuouS here.