Minnesota’s TOMOON: Are you ready?
ONEUS returns to Minneapolis with their brand new Blood Moon 2022 Tour on Saturday, 2/19 at the Skyway Theatre. Tickets are still available HERE!
AND! TCM was able to snag an quick interview with the South Korean idol group ahead of the concert!
Local K-pop fans will remember that ONEUS first came to town in 2019 on their Fly With Us Tour and delighted hearts. The RBW group is back again with a new tour, and wins the distinction of being the first idol group to bring a show north of Chicago, now that concerts are happening again.
Since 2019, ONEUS has put out three EPs –Lived (2020), Binary Code (2021) and Blood Moon (2021)- and two singles – ‘In Its Time’ (2020) and ‘Stay’ with ONEWE (2021). That’s a lot of new music.
And in 2020, ONEUS also participated as one of the seven male idol groups in Mnet’s Road to Kingdom, one of the competitive reality tv music shows of South Korea that just doesn’t quite have a parallel in U.S. television (unless you want to think of it like a cross between The Voice and So You Think You Can Dance, but starring professionals). Though ONEUS did not win the program in the end, they did deliver a variety of performances to meet the show’s different challenges and assignments, much to the delight of their fans.
They sure have stayed busy during the pandemic! Now, let’s catch up with the boys –Ravn, Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwanwoong, and Xion– before Saturday’s show.
INTERVIEW: TCM’s 2022 Tour Questions for ONEUS
The COVID-19 pandemic has created so many challenges we could not have imagined during your 2019 tour for Fly With Us. How has ONEUS adjusted to pandemic life?
[Keonhee] It was difficult to meet the TOMOON in person due to the pandemic for about two and a half years, but I am glad that I can meet them as the situation is getting better gradually. I spend the time thinking about how to give back more of the love I had received.
Did anyone pick up any bad habits (or good habits) during lock-down?
[Ravn] I started to watch video content or play games. I do play games on PlayStation or enjoy watching content on Netflix or Disney Plus.
[Seoho] I thought I should wear a mask more often to take care of my health before Corona, but now I have to always use it!!
[Leedo] As there are limitations to outdoor activities, I became a little obsessed with doing exercise.
[Keonhee] Getting too used to food delivery! It may be a good habit to refrain from going out for safety reasons, but I am concerned as the spending is quite big.
[Hwanwoong] I wash my hands more often than before, and I started to take nutritional supplements for immunity!
[Xion] A good new habit is that I pay attention to my health conditions all the time. I try to maintain good health always because it would be upsetting if I cannot perform the show due to bad health.
‘BLACK MIRROR’ (Binary Code)
You are touring the U.S. during winter! It gets cold in South Korea, but maybe not as cold as Minnesota in February? Can you share some of your favorite ways to stay warm and cozy during the cold months?
[Xion] I love snow! I think I can stay warm both body and mind if I move around and spend time making a cute snowman outside.
Have you had any good meals on tour? Tell us about the foods you enjoy in the U.S., or foods you miss from home while on tour?
[Ravn] Omelet I ate at the hotel! They make it with the ingredients you want, and it was really delicious.
[Seoho] What I wanted to try was brisket!!! What I enjoyed was scrambled eggs!!! And what I want now is galbijjim.
[Leedo] The omelet that came out for breakfast at the hotel was very impressive. They make an omelet in front of you with the ingredients that you chose, and it was super delicious.
[Keonhee] I really wanted to try a Philly Cheesesteak, as everyone was saying that it is a famous thing in the US, and I was able to eat it at the Wilkes Barre Theater. The most delicious thing was the McMorning sold only at McDonald’s in the US. It was impressive that the buns were made of pancakes.
[Hwanwoong] Recently, I tried a dish called Chipotle for the first time, and it was so interesting and delicious. Somehow, it seems like we always go to LA at the end of the tour, and I am looking forward to having sundubu jjigae in LA again as I enjoyed it quite a lot last time.
[Xion] I tried Chipotle for the first time and it was delicious.!! It was interesting to enjoy the new menu as we don’t have it in Korea! But I am enjoying all the food as I like western dishes so much.
How do you relax between tour stops? Are you watching any movies or tv shows during your travel time? Or is everyone just sleeping?
[Ravn] I try to maintain my health by doing some exercise during the break time during the tour to avoid any injuries.
[Seoho] I fall asleep right after the performance and watch YouTube or read books during breaks!!
[Xion] I get really exhausted after the show, so I just keep on sleeping.
[Keonhee] Although I am quite excited after the show, on the other hand, I am exhausted, so I take a shower immediately and fall asleep. Snacks and a can of beer on the tour bus during the break are quite relieving.
[Leedo] I work out during the break. Since I’ve been doing it in Korea, I just try to continue exercising when I have time even abroad.
ONEUS competed in 로드 투 킹덤/Road to Kingdom in 2020. That show was very different from other competitive idol music TV shows (Inkigayo, M Countdown, Music Bank, etc.)? What was the most fun or challenging stage you prepared for 로드 투 킹덤? What memories stand out to you from working on that show?
[Hwanwoong] Apparently, as a team who made a debut, the fact that there were rankings and elimination systems with the presence of fans was a big burden, and I think that’s a big difference. And the final performance, COME BACK HOME, was really fun, but I remember it being very demanding. From the retro-perspective, I think I grew up a lot through the process of getting directly involved and editing the movements, and performing difficult performances to meet my own expectations for the performance as it was a hard-earned stage.
Road to Kingdom – ONEUS – Come Back Home
ONEUS has a history of showcasing elements of historic and traditional Korean culture in your concepts, including a special Taekwondo performance video for ‘Lit.’ Your latest album, Blood Moon, has taken that further and includes a feature by Pansori artist Choi Ye Rim. How does it feel to be blending traditional Korean culture with Pop music?
[Ravn] We also performed a show with a lot of Korean beauties in ‘LUNA’. ‘Tiger is coming’ is a traditional Korean song that got a really good response abroad, and it was meaningful to be able to express this song again with our own unique style. I think it was a great opportunity to create synergy as we performed once again together with Pansori artist Choi Ye Rim. I hope that many fans around the world will love our performances as well.
‘Intro : 창 (窓 : Window) (Feat. 최예림, Choi Ye Rim)’ (Blood Moon)
Your latest single ‘Stay’ is a collaboration with rock band ONEWE. How does performing with a live rock band differ from your usual live stages?
[Seoho] I like band music so much, and I always thought it would be great to collaborate with ONEWE, and I hope to work together in the future. One thing I really enjoyed was that I could feel the vitality of the instrument in the song when we were doing a live show with the band on the stage. It has a different charm from us, who express music while performing.
‘STAY‘ – Collaboration single with RBW’s rock band, ONEWE
And lastly, 모두 대단히 감사합니다!! We are thrilled to have you back in Minneapolis! Thank you for coming back to see us! Do you have any special messages or greetings for Minnesota TOMOON?
[Ravn] Minneapolis gave us great memories in 2019, and I am so happy to be with you on this tour again! We’ll show you a lot of title songs that we haven’t been able to show you so far, so please enjoy it together.! Love you!
[Seoho] I heard that Minneapolis is very cold, but I prepared a lot of very hot performances, so please look forward to it!!!!
[Xion] ONEUS is finally back after a really long time! We prepared hard for a comeback as much as you wait! Thank you for coming during this difficult time, and I will show you a performance that you will never forget!! Let’s have fun! 💜
[Hwanwoong] Hello Minneapolis TOMOON!!! At the time of the last tour, the combination of white scenery and the heat from the concert was really impressive and I am already excited to feel it again! As this is the first concert in several years, I will show you a much more progressed performance, so I hope we can make good memories together!! See you at the concert ~
[Keonhee] TOMOON who are waiting in Minneapolis! I am so glad to see you again! We will make sure to present a really enjoyable performance as much as you have supported and waited for us for such a long time!! Thank you always.
[Leedo] We’re on our tour in America, and we’ll show you all the wonderful performances without getting injured until the end. Love you TOMOON♡
Thank you ONEUS for taking time to answer TCM’s questions!
We can’t wait see you at Skyway on Saturday!
Minneapolis is the fourth stop the new Blood Moon 2022 Tour. See below for full list of tour dates.
February 12th: New York, NY – Webster Hall
February 13th: Wilkes-Barre, PA – The FM Kirby Center
February 16th: Pontiac, MI – Crofoot
February 19th: Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theatre
February 22nd: Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
February 23rd: Atlanta, GA – Center Stage Theatre
February 25th: Cleveland, OH – Agora Ballroom
February 26th: Louisville, KY – Paristown Hall
March 1st: Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
March 3rd: Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall
March 6th: Dallas, TX – South Side Music Hall
March 7th: Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
March 11th: Phoenix, AZ – Marquee Theatre Tempe
March 12th: Beverly Hills, CA – Saban Theatre
