Before its official release, rapper Toosii gave fans a special performance of his new E.P, ‘Boys Don’t Cry’.
On October 7 The Knockturnal was invited to attend the NCT 127 private Speedway event to celebrate their 4th full-length album ‘2 Baddies.’ Inspired by their recent music video, the event was appropriately held at the world’s largest automobile museum, Petersen Automotive Museum. The museum transformed the top level of the parking lot to hold one of the best celebrations for NCT 127 complete with a ‘2 Baddies’ dance challenge hosted by Ellen and Brian and Eclipse, specialty ‘2 Baddies’ Latte, 360 Photo Booth with the ‘2 Baddies‘ car from the music video, and so much more. The event gave NCT fans, or NCTzens, a chance to step into the world of NCT while blasting some of their best songs.
Fans had been lining up since the early morning in hopes to get a glimpse of the boys. Roughly 5,000 fans attended the event with lines wrapping around the museum. When we arrived we picked up our VIP passes and headed in. After grabbing my ‘2 Baddies‘ Latte, which was a delicious drink made from banana, charcoal, and oat milk, I walked over to check out the exclusive merch station. I was shocked to see that the event featured the sale of the recent ‘Sanrio x NCT’ collaboration, which any fan knows was almost impossible to get. I walked across the parking lot to check out the photo zone and took my 360 video, and then took my seat and got ready for the show.
First up was the special dance tutorial by K-pop dance coverists, Ellen and Brian and Eclipse. They showed the audience a very in depth tutorial on how to dance to ‘2 Baddies‘ and ended with a performance of the song with the fans. After NCT 127 came out to extremely excited NCTzens, the Q&A began. During the Q&A, NCT 127 got personal and shared some behind-the-scenes stories about the new album and their U.S.concerts with preselected questions from Twitter. The Q&A session lasted for about 50 minutes, and then the members conducted a raffle to see what lucky fans would be taking home a signed album. After the Q&A session, the boys said bye for the last time and the event wrapped up.
Don’t forget to check out our behind-the-scenes TikTok @theknockturnal.com of the event, and follow us on Instagram @theknockturnal for clips and interviews of your favorite celebrities and exclusive events!
https://www.tiktok.com/@theknockturnal.com/video/7153740978715757870?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=6947444684143150598
NCT 127’s ongoing world tour headed to the United States after announcing only two stops in Los Angeles and Newark. On October 6, The Knockturnal was invited to attend the sold out NCT 127’s ‘Neo City: The Link’ show at the Crypto.com Arena in LA. This concert was extremely special for NCT 127 and their fans, also known as NCTzens or Czennies, because it was the first time NCT had been back performing in the states in 3 years post-pandemic. “The Link” world tour was first announced back in November 2021 and began with a three-date concert at the Seoul Sky Dome. Since then the boys have already performed in Singapore, Tokyo, and Manila. The group also announced that there will be dates and cities for Latin America coming soon. The Newark show will be taking place on October 13 at the Prudential Center.
This tour follows the release of NCT 127’s fourth studio album, ‘질주 (2 Baddies)’. The 12-track album showed fans a variety of different genres while staying true to the distinct NCT sound. The album featured tracks that showcase hip hop and R&B influences as well as the groups’ familiar soulful pop sound. Their album ‘질주 (2 Baddies)’ debuted at #1 on Billboard’s World Albums Chart, #2 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales, and NCT 127 charted on Top 3 on the Billboard 200 twice in a row.
When I arrived to the Crypto.com Arena, I was immediately amazed by the dedication Czennies had with their neon green fanbase color when coordinating their outfits. The arena was buzzing with excitement as fans ran to collect merch, lightsticks, and pre-concert photos. Once seated inside the stadium it was almost impossible to find an empty seat. Fans sat syncing their lightsticks while singing along to their favorite songs until the moment they had been waiting for when the two screens split to reveal all of the members. Immediately the whole venue erupted in cheers, arena shaking as the boys began with a powerful performance of ‘Kick It’. As a fan of K-pop for over 10 years, I have attended my fair share of K-pop shows and seen how loud fans can be, especially when they are finally seeing their favorite group for the first time. After witnessing ‘Neo City: The Link’, it is safe to say that no fanbase can compare to the volume of an arena full of NCTzens.
The members, consisting of TAEIL, JOHNNY, TAEYONG, YUTA, DOYOUNG, JAEHYUN, JUNGWOO, MARK, and HAECHAN, made sure to make up for lost time since their last show with the amazing setlist they had. The fans spoke, and NCT 127 listened setting the standard for all K-pop groups to follow with their immaculate setlist that no one was expecting. As a long time fan, watching the show was like an emotional rollercoaster where I found myself constantly screaming, “Oh my god!” with each song they performed. With tons of classics like ‘Regular’, surprise throwback performances like ‘Touch’ and ‘Back 2 U’, and new hits like ‘2 Baddies’ it was a concert that no one wanted to end. Just when I thought the concert couldn’t get any better, Taeil appeared on stage kicking off all of the members solo performances.
After almost three hours of consistent performing, laughing, and throwing signed balls into the crowd the concert finally came to a close with each member narrating a personal letter written to the fans while preparing for their final stage. They thanked everyone for waiting for them and hoped they enjoyed the show promising that they will return soon. The concert ended with each member giving their closing ments while fans and members started to tear up. Even up until the last minute the boys kept up their energy cracking jokes and screaming thank you’s into their mics as ‘Promise You’ played. NCT 127 will be missed, but now it’s time for fans in Newark to experience the same amazing show Los Angeles got.
Neo City: Los Angeles The Link Setlist
Kick It
Lemonade
Cherry Bomb
Elevator (127F)
Dreamer
Love Song
Taeil Solo (Another World)
Taeil and Haechan Stage (Love Sign)
Run Back 2 U (Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, and Jaehyun)
Highway to Heaven (English Version)
Breakfast
Mark Solo (Vibration)
Taeyong and Mark (Himalayas)
Jungwoo Solo (Lipstick Remix)
Focus
Johnny Dance Solo (Focus)
Jaehyun Solo (Lost)
Yuta Solo (Butterfly)
The Rainy Night
White Night
Back 2 U (Rearranged Version)
Doyoung Solo (The Reason Why It’s Favorite)
Favorite
Regular (English Version)
Love On The Floor
Paradise
Touch
Love Me Now
Sticker
Faster
2 Baddies
Dreams Come True
Promise You
Don’t forget to check out our TikTok @theknockturnal.com and follow us on Instagram @theknockturnal for clips and interviews of your favorite celebrities and exclusive events.
Rain or shine, Rolling Loud NY was going to finish off strong!
Day 2 of Rolling Loud was full of mosh pits, cocktails and continued great Hip-Hop music!
Day 1 of Rolling Loud NY (Sept. 23rd) was a great start to the three-day weekend!
@moorekismet
It was a returned to something wonderful for Moore Kismet. They returned to Randall’s Island for this year’s legendary and iconic Electronic Zoo Music Festival 3.0. After playing a dynamic set, we caught up with Moore Kismet to get the 411 on this year’s EZoo and what is next for the artist.
First off, we had to ask this young and talented artist, who has played Lollapalooza and Coachella, what was it like playing NYC’s Electronic Zoo Music Festival. They responded by saying, “New York is kind of a second home for me because I have family out in the surrounding areas and they make me and my mom feel so safe and happy.” They expressed that New York is a dream for them. “Getting to perform in NYC is something I really wanted to do more because they have so many iconic venues I haven’t even touched yet,” they said.
As for the set, Moore Kismet admitted, “I normally just put together a collection of some of my favorite songs of myself, my favorite artists, and my friends. From there, I play a completely improvised set where I try my hardest to play a set that the crowd can get into because we do this for them.” Getting that right vibe is not easy. They acknowledge, “I’ve been trying to do more recently is figure out how to cultivate good sonic energy around my music, not just finding open places to stick my unreleased songs in a set.” One of the highlights of their show for Moore Kismet “was this edit I made of “Outside” by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding and “earthsea.” by kosu that went the entire fuck off so that was fun.”
But for Moore Kismet, which means “more than fate,” music is just one part of the puzzle. Standing out, pushing boundaries and being a voice for the LGBTQ+ community is another important part of their identity. “For as long as I resonate with my identity, I will continue to do my best to be a voice for our community,” Moore Kismet admitted. They explained, “there are so many going on right now in this world that we need to focus on giving a platform to. One of those most pressing things is the continued threats of the full removal and outlawing of LGBTQ+ rights. It affects me, it affects a good chunk of my fans, and it will affect millions of people in the country who share this community with us.”
As for the music, Moore Kismet has unique production style and stage presence, which they explain as a “wild animal on stage. “They acknowledge it’s “because it gives me this unwavering sense of joy and energy that feels very emotionally freeing.” Furthermore, Moore Kismet adds “Over the years, I’ve drawn inspiration from so many different artists in so many different genres that it’s almost impossible to pinpoint a genre in or concoct some other form of label for my music.” Moore Kismet states, “I create music based on what I feel and what I’m inspired by in the moment. This correlates to how I choose sounds to work with, how I write melodies, how I mix songs, everything. Everything is influenced by inspiration. And I think I’ve gotten to a point in my career recently where I’m finding so many sources of hope for innovation and feeling in music that it just encourages me to keep pushing forward with my creations and to keep sharing my stories in the way I feel comfortable doing so.”
As for what is next, Moore Kismet notes, “I’m currently working on a fairly decent sized EP full of songs that lean predominantly on a reimagined concept of my heavy electronic sound that people originally discovered me from. It will more than likely drop early next year and serve as a buffer between UNIVERSE and my next album, which is also in the beginning stages of writing at the moment. This EP will have some songs that sound nothing like that heavier style people liked, but a lot of them were very nostalgic and freeing to write because I got to challenge myself to write something like what I’d used to when I was a little kid barely making it by in the industry, but now with more style and identity behind it.” Moore Kismet adds, “I can’t wait to share more details about it soon!!”
Moore Kismet new EP should be out soon, but for more information on them check out their website: www.moorekismet.com
The programming includes the return of their trademark closing event Cityfox: Transcend, a day/night double-header with John Summit, Turnstile, SG Lewis, 3 nights of Black Coffee, and many more.
Ship Wrek Instagram
It’s that time of the year when many young New Yorkers turn out in festive attire to celebrate. No, it’s not the holidays in New York City, but it is the legendary and iconic Electronic Zoo Music Festival 3.0, which descends on Randall’s Island every year. This year gracing the mega Antheon stage is the Electronic Hip-Hop Dance Duo, Ship Wrek.
We caught up with this fast rising DJ and Music Producer duo of Tripp Churchill and Collin Maguire, do find out what it was like performing at this year’s Electronic Zoo Music Festival. Now, Ship Wrek has played a lot of music festivals, but we had to ask, what does it mean to bring your music to EZoo? They responded by saying, “This year’s EZoo was special because we played the main stage.” As for playing in NYC, they added, “New York has always been such an amazing city to play….Our fans really showed out and the set couldn’t have been more perfect.”
Funny thing about Ship Wrek’s perfect set is that planning is not required. The duo admits, “We don’t really plan our sets. We know our song catalogue and really just freestyle our sets. We think it’s important to play a set as if you’re in the crowd experiencing it. As for their favorite part of their E Zoo set, they say, “Our favorite part was definitely playing our new record “Over & Over.”
Speaking of the new single, “Over & Over,” the guys said, its “one of our favorites so far. We worked with the amazing Clementine Douglas from the UK to recreate a 90s era sound.” They added, “We’ve been working on this song for so long so it’s amazing to see it finally out!”
The duo is also excited about their full EP called Metaphysical, which will be out soon. They admit they are excited not only for the album but the tour, “we’re excited to continue to tour and conquer the world!”
Check out Ship Wrek’s new single, “Over & Over.”
EZoo’s Twitter
“This is how we do it. It’s Friday night and I feel all right. The party is here on the West side,” and that is exactly what legendary DJ Diplo brought to this year’s Electronic Zoo Music Festival. Sampling the 90s hit song by Montell Jordan, Diplo got the party started on Friday night on the east side— of Manhattan a.k.a. Randall’s Island just as the sun was setting. As dusk settled in he took to his DJ set up as the smoke began to fill the Antheon stage.
Starting his set bathed in green lights with forest imagery, he shouted out New York City saying, “New York how you feeling” as he began playing KHIA’s “My Neck, My Back.” Clad in a simple white tee and shades, he mixed “My Neck, My Back” with his song ‘Biturbo” with Raumakustik as the vibe moved from green to red with a digital lava video and solar flares behind him. As darkness started to fill the approaching night sky Diplo’s stage morphed into a purple and blue set and light show as the crowd grew filling up with kids rocking everything from light-up sneakers to shades for the song, “Enjoy” by Misael Deejay.
Diplo then went on to spin “Party Starter” by Matt Guy, “Bussin” from Mikey Barreneche and “Right 2 Left” by Diplo & Mele as well as Nader Razdar’s “Alegria.” His set/ stage changed vibes from deep space to space lava to deep sea and then to a forest covered in flames all to match the song he was spinning. With his horse voice, he admitted to losing a few days earlier, Diplo would occasionally interject a shout-out to the crowd to get them pumped and keep the energy high.
Leaning into a trance state, Diplo played, “Back Once More” by Pajane. He then played “Benz” by Euro Trash, “Brooklyn Bounce” by Mele, and Fisher’s “Wanna Go Dancin’.” He continued on with his own songs with LSD and Sia for “Thunderclouds” and “Be Right There.” He finished this part of his set with “Deep Inside” by Hardrive and a dance mash-up of The White Stripe’s “Seven Nation Army.”
Then the Antheon stage went blue again for Diplo’s and Miguel’s song, “Don’t Forget My Love.” The blue stage faded into beautiful purple flames for Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us” and Diplo’s “On My Mind.” Diplo when on to spin “I’m Addicted To The Beat” by David Kim and Kanye West’s “Power” before closing out his set with his own songs “Revolution” and “Let You Go.”