A Playlist of Our Own Making
The live tour began with a simple, unassuming guitar note. Then, the bass followed, weaving together a melody that felt both complex and simple.
'This is... "Awakening"!'
She had never seen Group Sound perform live, but she had studied their playlists. She had done it to imagine what their concerts would be like. Yet, "Awakening" had never once appeared on any of those playlists. She didn't know why. Was it because it was an unpopular track? But rather than dwelling on that, she focused on the fact that this song was being performed live for the very first time—making it feel like a true premiere, just like her very first time seeing them.
Over the leisurely, echoing chords of the keyboard, Iseor opened her mouth to sing.
One day, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, I realized something
In this vast world, beneath all those countless things, I am so small
Perhaps because it was a track from Out of Time, the song had an old-school, yet by no means outdated, feel. As the song flowed from the stage exactly as it sounded on the album, she watched, filled with boundless emotion and anticipation.
When I was young, I lived believing the whole world revolved around me
But when I opened my eyes, I was nothing at all
Looking around, most of the crowd seemed to share her sentiment. They tapped their feet gently or clapped softly, sending their anticipation up to the stage. In response, the band answered with a heavy, distorted guitar riff, followed by powerful vocals in the chorus to seal the deal.
That is why I am free, to be anything or nothing at all
That is why I am free, everything holding me back was just an illusion
Her voice soared, racing forward in a straight line. The sheer volume, stretching out effortlessly, climbed to a peak before suddenly dropping back down—as if reminding herself that she belonged to the earth, not the sky.
Forget everything that binds me, past, present, and future
Realizing all those things that held me tight were shackles I tied myself
'Wow, live performances really are different...!'
Ever since she became a fan, holding back from attending their live shows, she had sometimes wondered: Is there really a reason to force myself not to watch them? A live performance was, in truth, nothing grand. It was just an artist playing right in front of your eyes. Perhaps she was merely projecting some special meaning onto it, artificially stoking a passion that would otherwise cool into disappointment.
She couldn't say those thoughts had dominated her mind. But it was also true that they had lingered like a stubborn, faded stain. A voice whispering that her three years of waiting were nothing but an illusion had definitely existed within her. Or rather, it had existed—until about five minutes ago.
That is why I am free, to be anything or nothing at all
That is why I am free, everything holding me back was just an illusion
"Alright, let's fly!"
Reaching the chorus once more, the other three members backed Iseor's vocals. The voices that had soared so high dipped for a moment, then traded places at Iseor's shout. Filling that sudden void was a raw, piercing guitar tone that cut through the air like a blade.
"Waaaaah!"
Even though they had explicitly requested the audience to save their vocal reactions for when prompted from the stage, a collective roar erupted from the crowd. The person sitting next to her screamed, and rather than frowning at the disruption, she found herself wishing she had joined in. The guitar solo was just that electrifying.
It wasn't overly complex. Anyone listening could easily tell which notes were being played and at what speed. But the sheer, elastic groove of the playing was on an entirely different level. It made her realize that Suyun hadn't even been playing at full power when recording the album version.
Letting go of the things that bound me, the world I see anew is somehow beautiful
Like the river reflecting the glow of the setting sun
That is why I am free, to be anything or nothing at all
That is why I am free, everything holding me back was...
And during the final chorus, Iseor let go of her bass and sang, accompanied only by the slow, steady beat of the drums following her one by one.
"Just an illusion..."
As she sang the final line, Iseor raised her hand high. Though they had only performed a single song, a profound sense of fulfillment washed over her, and she found herself clapping automatically. Amazingly, she wasn't the only one. The entire venue was showering the stage with thunderous applause.
And so, after earning a standing ovation just one song into the concert.
"Hello. We are Group Sound."
Following Ha Suyun's greeting, which had now become something of a signature.
"It's the first show of our tour. How is everyone enjoying it so far?"
"It's amazing!!"
"See? I told you they'd love it. You were worrying over nothing."
"Think about it logically. Who on earth would come to a concert and tell the artist to their face that their music sucks?"
"Well, you've got a point there~"
Exchanging playful banter, Group Sound took a moment to connect with the audience. Once the crowd had caught their breath and recharged their energy.
"Alright everyone, let's get this started!"
At Iseor's words, the crowd erupted into applause, assuming the next song was starting. But it wasn't a song that began. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept across the stage. From inside the ruined building set, a kuroko—a stagehand dressed entirely in black—emerged and began waving flags that were planted here and there around the structure.
"It's time to vote! Which song will be chosen next? The first option is... [The wind blows / Red flags flutter / To the far side]! The second option is..."
As the options, presented in the form of haiku, were read aloud, the audience fell into deep thought. What did these choices mean? Would the unchosen songs be skipped for the rest of the tour? Would they never get to hear them? And how was the voting going to work?
"If you want the first option, please clap your hands!"
Those who managed to decipher the short haiku and guess the songs began eagerly debating with those around them—strangers and friends alike—about what options one, two, and three actually were, lobbying for the songs they wanted to hear.
Whispered discussions rippled through the crowd. Everyone clapped with all their might to ensure their preferred song was played. In this manner, a peaceful concert hall was suddenly transformed into a battleground of friendly schemes and lively fan communication. Finally:
"Alright... the chosen song is! Ha Yeon-su, please do the honors."
"My name is not Ha Yeon-su."
"Ha Suyun, please do the honors."
"Then, today's chosen song is..."
She paused mid-sentence, letting the silence hang for a moment.
Even if it reaches the far edge of the sea, still, now is not the time to go
I am still waiting, until you come to me
Behind the low, murmuring vocals, a keyboard melody that seemed slightly out of place—yet strangely perfect—began to play, accompanied by a warm, solid bassline. As Suyun, letting her guitar hang low, began to clap, the audience joined in to match her rhythm.
On the dark blue rock where the seagull lands on the white sand, the rain pours down
And from this floor, I look up once again
The bass, drums, and keyboard blended together, weaving a complex tapestry of rhythm. It felt as if they were improvising on the spot—staying within a steady groove, yet playfully pushing and pulling the beat. It was as if they were releasing all the pent-up energy from their countless hours of practice.
Back then, from the moment we met you, I was bound to this place again
Trapped in a destiny I could never escape, yet I still believed in you back then
But from the moment you met me, why did you act like the end of a tiny promise
Like a red thread tied to that bird, unraveling yet never truly coming undone?
And as Suyun's voice—low and murmuring at first, then climbing relentlessly in a rapid, flowing stream—echoed through the hall, the members of Group Sound moved on stage in a way that made it crystal clear they were thoroughly enjoying the concert. They stomped their feet while playing the bass, added witty, playful beats while staying grounded in the rhythm, and danced joyfully even as the tempo shifted.
Watching their every move, the audience fully immersed themselves in the experience. Of course, they had come to have fun, so enjoying it to the fullest was a given. But seeing their favorite artists look so genuinely happy on stage elevated their excitement to a whole new level.
There were about two more song votes. The audience listened intently to the haiku Iseor recited, desperately trying to guess the tracks and voting for their favorites. They clapped repeatedly, whispering to their neighbors: "Don't you think this song is better than that one?" "No, I prefer this one. It looked like the applause was a bit weak earlier, so maybe we should push for this..."
Later, as the concert drew to a close.
"On concert production, Yoo Seoha! Audio production, Sato Hiroki! Concert promotion, Label Echo Sound's Assistant Manager Kim Yeon-ju!"
Iseor's shouts continued, as if she wanted to call out the name of every single person who had contributed to the show.
"On bass, Choi Iseor!"
In the final stretch, she introduced the members of Group Sound, each followed by a brief, dazzling solo.
"Everyone! Once you get home! Well, you might not make it home by then... but anyway, once you get back! Please check our official Twitter account, YouTube channel... basically, check everything! There's some news waiting for you!"
With that mysterious announcement, the four members waved to the crowd one last time, bringing the Tokyo Dome City Hall concert to a triumphant close.
On her way back to Korakuen Station, she quickly typed out her tweets and looked around. As if everyone shared her feelings, almost everyone leaving the City Hall was either glued to their phones or talking excitedly with their companions.
'But what on earth did they mean by that announcement at the end?'
She kept wondering about it on the subway ride back, and even while taking a bath at home. What could it be? News for the fans? Were they releasing something?
The answer came when she checked Twitter after her bath.
The haiku written in the middle of the tweet were the ones from today's concert. Seeing them, she knew it was about tonight's show, but everything else was a complete mystery.
'What... is this?'
With that thought, she tapped the URL in the tweet. And the moment she pressed the play button on the page that loaded, she gasped in sheer shock...
"Just playing the concert normally would be kind of boring, wouldn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
This conversation had taken place ten days before the live tour began. It was right after they had decided to release a live album, and they were discussing how they should go about compiling it.
"Since we're doing a whole tour, don't you think we should do something fun?"
At Seoha's suggestion, Suyun looked over at her. Doing something fun sounded nice, but...
"And what exactly is this 'fun' thing?"
"Listen. We're already planning to make every live show different, right? That's why we've been practicing so hard."
"True."
"Then it won't matter if people listen to different live recordings, because every single show will be unique. In fact, wouldn't that be even better? People can listen and go, 'Oh, this part is different here,' or 'I like how this show did that part better'..."
"Does it really work that way?"
In response to Iseor's question, Seoha eagerly laid out her reasoning. Listening to her, Suyun thought it actually made some sense.
'If having identical setlists makes people lose anticipation for future shows, then making every single show completely different solves the problem. Is that the idea?'
"Anyway, here's what I'm thinking."
"Let's hear it."
"You know that band, The Grateful Dead? What if we release the recordings of this entire live tour, just like they did? And while we're at it, we make it an interactive live experience. That way, the audience can essentially curate the playlist themselves..."