Love Poem is IU’s concert and one of its stops is Manila. IU (Lee Ji-eun) is a singer-song writer and actress who is popular in Korea. She is called Korea’s little sister with her next door charm. Her song Good day was the song that cemented her place in the k-pop industry. Knowing that IU was having a concert here in the Philippines, it was such a golden opportunity to hard to pass. I like her songs and most I could relate too. I was luckily enough to avail the general admission ticket even if it was not my first choice. Knowing that a lot of people wanted to see her, it was really a blessing to watch IU sing, dance and interact with the crowd for one night.
Before the concert
Buying of tickets happened last November 17 2019. I was able to buy my ticket in ticketnetonline.com. Even if I was not able to buy my first choice, I was thankful for the general admission ticket. My wallet is very thankful for this too. However, I was willing to pay for Patron B (5,500) ticket just to watch IU live. The process of buying the tickets was easy yet stressful. The site kept buffering and maybe its a battle for the best internet. However, I was blessed to be part of the Uenas ( Uena – fan club name of IU) to attend the concert on December 13 2019.
Waiting outside the venue
The concert was held in Araneta Colliseum. It was my first time attending a concert show in this venue. I came to the area aroung 4pm. There was a line formed for the general admission. I was able to know the end of the line because a bouncer was holding a sign to indicate the end of the line. This was a nice touch by the organizers since the last concert I went to this was the problem. No one knew who was last in line. Since,it was free sitting the first in line would have the best seats etc. I was just glad that it would not be a hassle to look for the end of the line. A lot of people were selling unofficial merchandise: fans, banners, shirts etc. Also, a lot too were giving freebies like stickers, drawings and other stuff. I was not able to have my ticket printed by ticketnet since they had a cutoff for it. Also for the concert photocard I was not able to get any. As for the weather, it was nice and I did not mind standing in line since I got to read some of the e-books I needed to finish.
Inside the concert venue
The general admission line passed through the yellow gate around 5:30pm. The tickets were scanned or torn by the ticketnet employees. Also, the fan club banner was freely given for the fan project for blooming and Friday. A blue rose for blooming and ” We finally meet you on friday” for Friday. Since i was in the general admission section, it was free seating. I was not able to get a good seat, so I stood up. It was dangerous but I had a better view. Others were also doing it to get a better view too. The concert started from 6:30pm and lasted until 11:00pm. Before the show, fans were getting excited and started to cheer for IU. I was one of them since I was just so happy to be there.
The concert
View from General Admissions:
The concert started with the song Unlucky. The crowd sang with her and she thought it was a fan chant. (It could be though). The started with a video which talked about love poem and the rules and regulations etc. Also the concert is divided into 4 parts and 2 encores. It was a fun concert since it had the show part and a more personal one. IU sang and danced for 4 hours and also interacted with the crowd. She teased the crowd with witty remarks. Her english and tagalog were good too. BIBIBI was the best part for me. IU said that Manila is the mother of BIBIBI. I had fun singing and doing the chants. Also, the prompts/lyrics which flashed on the screen were really helpful. IU had a special so Filipino Uenas which is say you love my by MYMP. Like me, she is a fan of them.
For this concert, I liked the second encore best. It was just so casual and relaxing that I enjoyed it. Also, IU’s clothes were very casual. As for the crowd, it never lost its energy. IU was amazed that she could not hear herself sing because the cheers were louder than her voice. It was like a festival and I agree with her. It was nice also to know that she would be coming back, I don’t know when, but she said she will and Manila is like Busan, full of passion and love. When she comes, I would make time to watch her again with a better ticket too.
Before the concert, I was just liked IU because of her famous songs like Good day, friday and Bibibi. However, now I am liking the less famous songs too. Right after the concert, I went back to my hotel because my legs were starting to ache. I loved the concert. IU is an all around performer. She was a treat to watch and I had fun. I also liked that she talked to the crowd. She acknowledge the fans which were hyping her in front. Also, there was a pair who dressed as her co stars in hotel del luna. She gave them the honor of having to request a song for her. The pair was cute and that it was nice to see their happy reactions.
After the concert and my fan girl feelings
Love poem is the second k-pop concert which I attended. The first concert was also by PULP and they have improved a lot with their service. Thank you very much, Happy Sy for making this concert possible. Although, some are not contented with their service, I AM. It is not easy to be on everybody’s good side and they try with their utmost effort to be.
I LOVED this concert. Even if IU was 10 inches tall because of my distance from her, it was better than nothing at all. Again, I would definitely love a better view but it is what is given so I’m thankful. Her performance was amazing. She is really passionate with what she is doing. It was sad that it was only for one night, but she said that she would come back and I better save up by then. Her songs in the concert have been added to my spotify playlist. The 4 hours with IU drifted so fast, most especially the last hour where she was taking request. A night with IU was really the best for someone like me who has wished to listen and see her live.
Dogs and books 