Boy band TWS' Rush Road VR concert romances fans with spring festival and intimate warehouse settings

From the comfort of our cinema seats, my colleague Bhav and I embarked on a wanderlust-filled adventure to places far from home.

We attended TWS' first-ever VR concert at Golden Village Bugis+ yesterday (April 29), where the K-pop boy band brought 42s (fandom name) onboard a lively journey packed with song, dance and lots of fan service.

Each seat came with a VR headset and after putting it on, we flicked our hands forward to unfurl adorable, floating virtual photocards of the six members - Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon and Kyungmin. The theatre erupted with coos from fans saying hellos to their biases, pulling the photocards repeatedly until they got each boy.

Shortly after, screams erupted when TWS' cool blue light sticks materialised in our palms and we were tasked to pick a member to accompany us on our VR journey. I chose the group's all-rounder Dohoon, with whom I found myself becoming more enamoured with time as he popped up between songs to make my heart flutter and even present me with a little gift.

Things got real when the boys kicked things off with a bright, outdoor performance, singing upbeat songs like Overdrive and Hot Blue Shoes. We watched them sing and dance on a spring festival stage bathed in sky blue, chock full of party decorations and confetti - "It's giving mini-Coachella," said Bhav.

We were then transported to the rooftop of TWS High School where the boys sang their hearts out to Countdown on a basketball court awash with a beautiful sunset, and subsequently to a mysterious stairway where our chosen member led us by the hand into the skies above, which had everyone both gushing and equally confused - where were they taking us?

Turns out, the boys took us to one of my favourite parts of the concert - a vast field where we sat on a camper van gazing at the aurora-filled sky together, as they serenaded us with Highlight. As someone who has the famed Northern Lights on my bucket list, I'd say TWS helped me get a little closer to my dream.

The boys swopped their sweet, angelic image for a more edgy and grunge look and led us to a shady alleyway littered with TWS-themed graffiti, grooving out to Comma, in their new swaggy outfits.

Mysteriously, they vanished and we were transported to an ominous warehouse, where they materialised and sang Oh Mymy: 7s, slowly lighting up the room and revealing more graffiti modelled after the band.

Taking a rest from their performances, the boys came together in a ment to express their heartfelt thanks to fans, citing the immense effort they had put into their VR concert as first-timers (Youngjae shared that he had even dyed his hair ash blonde for the occasion!).

Ever the dashing charmers, TWS took time to offer everyone some fan service, taking turns to out-aegyo each other and flirt with the crowd, seeing who could draw the biggest reactions.

An homage to old times

If you've stanned TWS since their debut in 2024, this VR concert will be a treat for you as it harkens back to the boys' Sparkling Blue era.

We're next taken to a cosy bedroom where we chanced upon tiny creatures dancing to Plot Twist atop a messy study desk - which turns out to be none other than tiny versions of the six members. Towering over them is a photo frame of them smiling happily together as fresh rookies, with a calendar marking Jan 22, 2024 - their debut date.

I couldn't help but feel my heart well up with nostalgia seeing them dance together in their own little bubble of youthful joy, as if they had been basking in how far they had come as a group, paying tribute to their early days together with 42s.

Overall, the standout part of this VR concert was the stellar scene-setting elements as I felt truly immersed in each of the venues TWS had put out, and they went perfectly together with the songs sung. I found myself more eager to explore the new, cool places we would be transported to, places that I would have never imagined seeing without these VR headsets.

The boys' easy, playful chemistry with one another was also very refreshing, with the occasional hug, nudge and head pat given to one another. Bhav, who was initially a casual fan, remarked that this VR concert brought to her attention "how insanely good their dancing is" and subsequently, walked out of the theatre a bigger fan.

Rush Road will be screened from now to May 13 exclusively at Golden Village Bugis+, with tickets priced at $38 for members and $40 for the public. All ticket-holders will get a photocard and an exclusive A5 post card, while those who attend screenings from now to May 6 will also receive one Rush Road official ticket.

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kristy.chua@asiaone.com

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