Stray Kids has done it again! They were back for a 2-night concert last March 11 and 12 at the Mall of Asia Arena, after the postponement of their DISTRICT 9: UNLOCK World tour that was set last April 2020 in Manila. Filipino STAYs (Stray Kids’ fans) were ecstatic to finally see these hardworking boys on stage again, and the octet did not fail to deliver. With their diverse music and exhilarating performances, the concert was definitely a great experience, not only to the fans, casual listeners, and to those who came out of curiosity, but also to the artist themselves.
The Three-Hour Event
From the very beginning, it was clear that this was going to be an incredible show – the innovative stage production made possible by Pulp Live World, was evident enough to “wow” the concertgoers as soon as they enter the arena. The boys started off with a thrilling performance of the tour’s title track, “Maniac”, getting the crowd hyped up and ready for what was to come – “Venom” and “Red Lights” pulls the crowd into the spider web that Stray Kids created, along with the huge moving Spider legs that added an extra layer of visual impact. They greeted everyone in their first ment, starting off with “Step out, we are Stray Kids” then introducing themselves as Lee Know, I.N, Felix, Bang Chan, Hyunjin, Seungmin, Changbin and Han, respectively. Han could be noticed being seated on stage, as his enteritis that was reported a day before their 1st Maniac show in Manila has not completely healed yet. Bang Chan asked fans if they were in the Bench fanmeet a month ago; if they attended their concert before; and if it’s their first time. They were surprised that a lot of STAYs were first timers, proving how the fandom had grown, especially during the pandemic.They then introduced their next song ironically as a difficult one, as it was “EASY”, followed up with the Korean version of their 1st Japanese EP, “ALL IN”; their debut song, ” District 9″, one of their pandemic hits, “BACK DOOR; the crowd-favorite B-side, CHARMER where Bang Chan, Felix and IN lifted their shirts; and Lonely St. where they sung their hearts out. Back to the main stage, they performed “Side Effects”, which they take pride of, as Kpop’s first attempt to psytrance genre. They really took us to their journey with the breathtaking performances, then the second half already started with a live band gracing the stage as Hyunjin danced, then the members gradually entered to perform a powerful medley of Thunderous, God’s Menu and Domino, that showed their synergy and the reason they’re one of the most sought-after performers in this generation.
They did their second ment on the extended stage to give all of us some rest, introducing “CHEESE” by asking each other about their favorite burger toppings. It was a very energetic performance as the members roam around and interacted with their fellow members and STAYs. It was then proceeded by their pre-debut hype song, YAYAYA and ROCK, one of the tracks from the debut album, “I AM NOT”.
It was a time for a serenade when Lee Know, I.N, Seungmin and Bang Chan were left on stage with the beautiful ballad, “Waiting for Us”. After which, they did a small talk on stage and as done in other stops, they showcase their individual talents, then introducing the next team to perform, “MUDDY WATER”, who dominated the stage with their rap performance and played right after with their unique talents.
The complete 8 members came back to the stage and performed their title track from their latest mini album, “MAXIDENT” ending with the iconic “I LOVE YOU” handsign.
After which, they did their 3rd ment, with Bang Chan saying that the show was about to end. “Walang Uuwi”, the fans responded, and it reached them. As much as they want to stay, they proceeded to perform a new version of their pre-debut song, “Hellevator”, followed by “TOP” and “Victory Song”, as they have performed during MAMA 2020. It left a strong impression especially with the CG filling the extended LED screen, taking you to an extraordinary ride.
STAYs got the chance to showcase their talents too. STAY stage is that segment where they give fans a mission – to copy the pose of a member that will be flashed on screen, or the choreography played. Everyone did well and Stray Kids were impressed of their fans. After filling the MANIAC meter with the loudest cheers from the fans, they were back for “FAM” where they introduced each member lyrically while having fun on stage, followed by “MIROH”, where they continued enjoying with STAYs.
Stray Kids expressed their gratitude and how overwhelming they were, through the final ment. Han said he was okay, so we do not have to worry. Hyunjin said it was an unforgettable night, after the audience sung him the birthday song because his birthday is coming up soon.
They concluded their first night with Star Lost and Haven where they made their STAYs special. They made us want more and look forward to the next show on the following day.
Highlights of “MANIAC”
Stray Kids created their “unique world” in their “MANIAC” tour to Manila that weekend, and it was an incredible experience for all in attendance! Here are some of the highlights from the show:
– The boys put on an amazing performance, full of high energy and great choreography. They had the crowd cheering and singing along to most of their hit track, that left Stray Kids in awe.
– There was also a special cover of New Jeans’ “OMG by Seungmin; Sam Fischer’s “This City” by Lee Know on the 1st day
– Bang Chan surprised the fans when he sung an OPM with Yeng Constantino’s “Ikaw” that gave birth to his new nickname “Sa pagpatak”, on the 2nd day. He is also quite aware of the pop culture whenever the pause of “All I Do is Win” comes up – he kept teasing the fans by singing that part, seemingly informed of what the response would mean so he stopped and laughed.
– Changbin performed his rap in “Mirror Mirror”, a collaboration song with Thai artists, Milli and F.Hero, with fans singing along with the chorus, followed by Han’s flawless rap with “I Got It”
– 2 members performed their track in SKZ Replay, a compilation of their self-produced music, on the 2nd day: I.N sung “Hug Me” for the first time in the whole tour. This covered the whole arena with warmth, while Hyunjin, who sung and grooved to his track, “Ice Cream” made the fans swoon.
– A lot of fans had their moment with each of the members as the boys were very generous with their waves, heart signs, and responses to their handcrafted or handwritten banners.
– On the 2nd night of MANIAC in Manila, Stray Kids watched a VCR that showed how they inspired STAYs and some clips from their first concert in Manila. It’s like walking down the memory lane with “Never-ending Story” as one of its background music. After which, banners were raised that conveyed the fans’ message to Stray Kids.
– Unexpectedly, Stray Kids sung an acapella of the chorus of “Never-ending Story” with glee, as they were moved by the VCR and all the STAYs.
The Manila stop ended with a touching final ment with fans singing an acapella of “Waiting for Us” as they etched it to their memory, praising how good we all sung and Bang Chan assuring that they will be “Never-ending Stray Kids”. They were overwhelmed of the love and support of their fans and promised to come back. It was a touching moment that Stray Kids and STAYs will truly remember.
Overall, it was an unforgettable night for everyone who were at the venue. The group proved once again why they are one of the best K-pop groups around, and their fans will continue to support them every step of the way.
Special thanks to PULP Live World and Happee Hour for this wonderful 2-night event.
Next Up: RUNNING MAN IN MANILA 2023: A DECADE OF LAUGHTER & NCT DREAM TOUR ‘THE DREAM SHOW2 : In A DREAM’ in MANILA
