While BM is no stranger to Atlanta Hidden Kard (KARD's fandom name) -- as this marks his fourth performance in Atlanta -- he greeted fans for the first time as a solo artist!
Downtown Atlanta is always bustling with the sounds of traffic and attracting visitors for various events. Thursday, May 23, 2024, was no different as fans made their way down the busy streets of Downtown Atlanta to a state-of-the-art venue in the Reynoldstown neighborhood known as The Eastern. This three-tiered premiere concert facility offers unrivaled vantage viewpoints -- so fans can see the stage from anywhere in the venue--, a spacious floorplan and impeccable acoustics for any artist on stage.
Fans eagerly began to fill the sidewalk and stairwell leading to The Eastern in anticipation of BM's 21 and up "After The After Party" Solo U.S. Tour. The evening's stages started with rookie independent duo who fuses rap, a little rock, and R&B together, CLUB BOYBND. CLUB BOYBND is a Korean-Canadian duo -- consisting of Justin Trash (also known as Bu-Wan) and Roc Lee -- who made their debut on February 3, 2023, with hit single, "Kiss me thru the phone." The duo was sure to make their presence known in Atlanta as they started the night with "Kiss me thru the phone," "Confessions," and "Naturally." The duo slowed things down a little with "HMU," before picking the crowd's energy back up and closing out the night on a high note with "Like This," to which Justin jokingly told fans if he didn't hear:
"Like This, Like That, then I'm going back to Dallas."
Fans happily obliged with the request of the rising artists as they filled the venue and sang along.
Check Out Our Full CLUB BOYBND Gallery, here!
The next artist to take the stage was one who has been making a name for himself as he was recently revealed as part of the MetaMoon Music Festival lineup -- SUNKIS! The Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter is known for his captivating soulful R&B sound -- which he has perfected -- and even more captivating dance moves. His first stage began with a VCR highlighting that he couldn't answer the phone because he was an opening act for BM's tour -- which led perfectly into his first stage as "VOICEMAIL" began to play. SUNKIS also performed J. Taylor's viral song on which he was featured, "Like I Do." Before beginning his performance, he asked fans to dance along if they knew this one. This rising artist did not hesitate to show off the viral TikTok choreography as he got to the chorus and his verse. SUNKIS performed his debut track, "I Could," along with several other fan-favorites, including "Top Tier," "All For You," and "LAST GOODBYE."
Check Out Our Full SUNKIS Gallery, here!
These complimentary and very differentiated styles set the tone for what fans could expect from the headliner. It was finally time to get the party started as the lights began to dim, and fans once again filled the venue -- only this time with screams of excitement and cheers as BM took the stage with "Lowkey." This stage immediately set the energy and tone for what fans could expect for the night as the artist made the stage his. While the energy levels were already high, the night was still young as BM continued with performances of "Embers" and "Nectar" -- two tracks from his latest EP, Element -- before pausing for a short introduction. As BM stripped off his jacket to be able to move more freely and "get more freaky," BM raised the crowd's engagement as he performed "ATAP (After the After Party)," where fans filled the venue, shouting along:
"ATAP! ATAP!"
BM immediately went into "Bad Intentions," which Hidden Kard are no strangers to. During this stage, BM took the time to interact with fans -- even acknowledged those in the higher tiers of the venue before picking up the venue's energy with "Motion." As lyrics and corresponding emojis ran across the screen behind the artists, fans began jumping and dancing along with the song. It was time for the first special fan event of the evening -- where things started to get a little spicy. This event was designed to mirror that of a serenade segment -- but with a twist. While the fan still took their spot in the chair on stage, BM took a moment to show off just a few more sensual dance moves before lifting his shirt and body waving over the fan's lap before slowly diving to thrust his hips at the floor. Following this special stage, BM took a moment to address that fans already know who and how he is based on what they see on social media stating:
"Most of you all know me for the Big Tiddie Gang, and I know you all see me on Twitter and the raunchy things I put on there. But I hope you all know that I also got a big heart. If it's alright with you, I would like to slow things down for just a couple of songs. I want to show you this other side of me. Who's ready to simp with me?!?"
before proceeding with "LIE" and long-standing fan-favorite, "Broken Me." While some fans used this moment to enjoy BM's vocals while grabbing drinks or taking to the restroom to gather themselves for the high-intensity of the night's show, most stayed to sing along and watch with adoration as these two stages -- set to beautifully curated and emotional background screens -- gave listener's a view of this typically extroverted artist's inner thoughts. After watching BM fill the stage with such emotion, it was time to pick the energy level back up!
BM went straight into back-to-back performances of "CWS," "Loyalty," and "Badgirl BadBoy," which progressively increased the crowd's energy levels to new heights before the final special fan stage. For this fan stage, three attendees were called up to compete in a twerk battle where the best performance would be voted on "by the judges" -- the crowd. To help contestants enter and exit the crowd safely, Konnect'd selected the winners before the show and reiterated to all attendees that these individuals would need to be able to safely exit to go on stage, and safely return to their spot. This pre-planning made for seamless transitions of the selected individuals and gained smooth cooperation from attendees.
It was time to test fans' knowledge with a short stage titled How Well Do You Know BM? Snippets of "Icky," "RSVP (Koala Cover)," and "Put it on ya," played and BM would turn the mic to fans to finish the lyrics. BM took a moment to give a "Shoutout to Queen Jessi! You know she was the first person to put me on one of these up here [referring to the stage] and then acknowledged his love for KARD (the co-ed group that he is a member of) and his fans, "I think this is my fourth time in Atlanta, and usually I am here with my other three members who I miss very much. So, it speaks volumes for you all to pull up for me and fill a space like this. I have so much love for you guys and can't wait to come back." Following his heartfelt ment, BM took one quick motion to strip out of his shirt before starting a very heated performance of "Body Movin'," where he would later wipe himself dry before tossing it out to the crowd. The final stage of this segment is powerhouse and fan favorite song, "13IVI," where BM would leave everything on stage for his fans as he displayed powerful, high-energy dance moves to match the song's heavy bass and club-like vibe. Before he would allow the party to end, BM returned to the stage to close out the show with "Badgirl Badboy," a commemorative photo with the fans -- where he directed fans, "On the count of three, everyone say ATL!" -- and ending with an encore "Motion" to keeps fans energetic as they transitioned from the show to the after party!
Check Out Our Full BM Gallery, here!
While this show introduced a new and interesting concept of creating a phoneless environment, it was by far the most interactive and exciting because fans were immersed in what was happening in front of them. Hidden Kard, what was your favorite part of BM's solo tour?
Be Sure To Follow CLUB BOYBND and SUNKIS' Journey
K Fuse would like to thank the team and Konnect'd for allowing us to be a part of such a unique experience and the opportunity to provide coverage for BM's first solo tour!
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