By the standards of most K-pop concerts, PIXY is grossly underrated. The quintet’s last album, Chose Karma, was the group’s best-performing album to date. But there they were playing at (an albeit smaller venue) Portland’s Bosanova Ballroom on Friday when I saw them.
The members performed nonstop for nearly one hundred and twenty minutes without costume changes or substantial breaks or pauses, which many of their seniors take. And their choreography isn’t for the faint of heart either – it’s powerful, fast, and masterful the way Sua, Dia, Dajeong, Lola, and Rinji perform it.
From our first glimpse of the members during the fan sign to the final wave goodbye, here are our favorite moments from PIXY’s 1st American Tour: Karma is a B tour stop in Portland. The VIP Treatment To say PIXY’s VIP benefits were worth it is an understatement. From a meet and greet fan sign and handing over our phones to the members for a selfie to being allowed to record nearly every moment and more, the overwhelming amount of personal interactions and engagement with PIXY would make even the biggest extrovert blush.
The group and, by proxy, its event organizer Leo Presents knocked it out of the park delivering the best VIP experience I have ever experienced. Not to mention the staff at Leo Presents didn’t hustle fans through the engagements, something I regularly see from larger organizers.
Rockstars On Stage Before Sua, Dia, Dajeong, Lola, and Rinji even hit the stage, WINXY (PIXY’s fandom name) of all ages littered the venue. They were amped up, many with homemade signs in hand, ready to see their favorite quintet hit the stage.
The group had no opener, and the girls hit the stage around 7:00 pm local time when the lights dimmed, music began to play, and the members emerged, kicking off the set with their hit song “VILLAIN.” They quickly made work of their amazing discography, performing fan favorites like “Wings,” “Moonlight,” “Deja Vu,” and “Insomnia.”
Ahead of their performance of their latest title track, “KARMA,” they actually taught the crowd the choreography of the song’s chorus and promised to bring the two fans who nailed the moves best on stage to perform with the group. That was a cool memory not only for the fans who not only got to perform alongside the members but also as a fan in the crowd. Never have I seen a K-Pop group do something that that, so it was a real treat to be a part of the “first.”
Final Impressions As K-Pop fans, we’ve all told our bias’ that they are our favorite in some form or another. However, PIXY not only heard our sentiment, but they decided to take it a step. Not only did they remember us, visibly looking excited to see us time and again during the various fan engagements off-stage, but also sent us finger hearts and other hand signals from the stage as well. This didn’t apply to just us, though. Whether WINXY purchased a regular ticket, the highest VIP tier, or a smaller upgrade to get closer to the members for even five seconds, it felt like a night out with friends who also happened to be talented K-Pop idols. In between songs, Sua, Dia, Dajeong, Lola, and Rinji took the time to talk with WINXY, regularly grabbing phones to take selfie photos and videos of anyone they could reach.
PIXY may not have had all the bells and whistles of a big concert production team (yet), but they didn’t let that stop them from delivering power performances with difficult choreography, all while singing live. Their velvety vocals felt unreal, and despite having a few technical difficulties with mic feedback, they were rockstars from start to finish. They are the antithesis of the phrase “Never meet your idols” and the very definition of the type of group you want to see at multiple tour stops.
If you missed the chance to see PIXY while they were in your area on tour, I highly recommend you do so next time. Not only did they put on one heck of a performance, but also the impression they left you with afterward. Fans in attendance didn't just support a K-Pop group. It felt like we were supporting our friends chase their dreams with how cool and personal their interactions with WINXY were.