G-DRAGON 2017 World Tour Act III, M.O.T.T.E Concert Recap

I'm back home now and I just have say that I AM NOT OKAY. I HAVE SO MANY EMOTIONS AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START. I feel like a tortured soul and I'm definitely suffering from concert withdrawal. G-Dragon live was everything that I had hoped for and MORE. He left me speechless and I'm still crying over this man's perfection. I've been listening to him for years and never thought that I would ever be able to attend one of his concerts. He put on such a great show and I am so impressed. I screamed so much I thought my head was going to explode. I'm not kidding you guys I cried when he came out on stage. Real tears were rolling down my face and it was truly a rare and incredible experience.

I attended the G-Dragon ​concert in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday July 27th. I bought tickets back in May and it was the best decision I have ever made. I found out about his world tour through Spotify when I was listening to him on the plane to Texas for Dreamhack. The plane didn't take off yet and I noticed when scrolling down at the bottom it said "upcoming concerts". I used to always google "Big Bang concerts in my area" and nothing ever shows up. I had lost hope a long time ago but I remembered that his new album was coming out soon and it said WORLD TOUR. I SAW SEATTLE ON THE LIST AT FIRST GLANCE AND I WAS LIKE WAIT...ISN'T THAT IN...THE...UNITED STATES!? HIS BEAUTIFUL SELF IS COMING TO VISIT ME!?!?​ I was spazzing out on the plane and was going to start texting people about it but then realized I don't actually have friends who like G-Dragon all that much so I kept it to myself. I was really happy though and didn't care where I had to go or how much money I needed to spend to see this man perform. All I had to do was wait. I signed up for mobile and email notifications for when the tickets would go on sale and I NEVER GOT A SINGLE TEXT OR EMAIL. WHAT GIVES? Good thing I still had some time a few days after the tickets went on sale. Anyways, let's get into it! I should warn you that I am a huge fangirl. Proceed with caution.

This is the front of the Barclays Center! We saw so many girls wearing V.I.P. crown headbands and walking around with glow wands. I was across the street getting a hot dog before the concert started. I was craving a chili cheese dog but unfortunately the stand didn't have any so I had to settle for a regular hot dog. Oops did you want a picture of it? SORRY! I finished it in just a few bites :)

My outfit for the concert went well with the whole M.O.T.T.E. theme! All black and red! I found this shirt on Poshmark for $8 and it is in reference to his one song, "One Of A Kind". I didn't want to buy something expensive before the concert because I had to save my money for the official merchandise. The plaid skirt is from H&M and it's one of my favorites because pleats make me feel like an anime school girl. I always like bringing a jacket when traveling because you never know when it's going to get cold on the plane or bus ride. A jacket can also be used as a blanket or pillow just fyi hehe.

I noticed that a lot of people had these big fans with this adorable character on the front. It's an advertisement for Kocowa TV. On the back it says that you can re-watch G-Dragon's world tour by using a "GDPROMO" code. I think I have to wait until he finishes his World Tour because when I signed up for an account and looked up G-Dragon the page was blank. This fan was on the ground so I decided that it was going to have a new owner. It was nice to use because it was really humid. I was able to stay cool while waiting and posed for photos with my amazing wand that Mana gave me!

I saw this one girl nearby and I noticed that her wand had a pink ribbon pouch! She had such a bubbly personality and unique style. I asked to take a picture of it because I really ADORE the idea of this. It's such a cute way to protect the top of the wand because it has the delicate crystals.

Everyone was crowded around the dividers and I was bouncing up and down so eager to go inside. The security guards told us to "walk slowly" and then released us like a wild pack of animals because that's the perfect way to describe it. All the girls including me started screaming and running toward the open doors. I got my bag checked and the lady said that cameras were not allowed in. Both my Polaroid camera and Nikon had to get locked up at the kiosk. I saw this coming but I had slight hope that I would be able to sneak them in or something. I squeezed through a few people to get in front at the merchandise booth. I stared at all the expensive but amazing things that I could buy and told myself that I could go a little crazy. Everything was priced so high but I knew this was a once in a lifetime kind of thing so I decided on a shirt, hat, keychain, and sticker pack. I was really disappointed to see that there were no wands being sold. I was planning on buying a second one but thank goodness Mana saved the night by sending me one. I got my black G-Dragon bag full of stuff and walked away with a big smile on face. I met up again with Luis to see that he is wearing the same hat I just bought. "Where did you get that!? Did you buy it!?" "No some guy just gave it me." I got SO frustrated and I demanded to know why I didn't get a hat for free??? I just paid $45 for it??? I got over it because we ended up matching and looked super cute together! I wandered around aimlessly looking for our section upstairs. I walked in and G-Dragon music videos were playing on the two big screens. I was full of energy and SO READY for this concert. I sat very far away from the stage but had a perfect view of everything. The seats were really high up and I was scared I was going fall and go tumbling down. I watched all the videos and sang along of course but I knew I had to save my voice for later. Concert was scheduled to start at 9PM but GD was fashionably late and the lights dimmed at around 9:20PM.

GD IS SO COOL. HE IS SUCH A CHARISMATIC FELLA AND EVERYTHING THING HE DOES MAKES ME DIE A LITTLE INSIDE. I was having a hard time staying still in my seat waiting for him to come out for the first song. The intro had a suspenseful beat and my head was spinning. A platform appeared and shortly after beeping noises started. The lights were blinking and the music sped up eventually turning into the beginning of HEARTBREAKER. I never knew that my screams could be so high-pitched. I was screaming but then I started crying because I finally got to see my bias on stage!!! I got so emotional when I saw those dance moves from him that I knew SO WELL. It was really hard for me to believe that any of this was actually happening. It seriously felt like a dream and I honestly had trouble BREATHING. I wanted to scream, sing, and cry all at the same time.

I feel that sitting down during a concert is forbidden so I stood up only to see that everyone around me was STILL IN THEIR SEATS. H E L L O ? ? ? SERIOUSLY YOU PEOPLE NEED TO WAKE UP AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS UNACCEPTABLE. WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE? I was confused about why these people were so unhype. You have no idea how angry I was and I really wanted to throw a fit but I wasn't going to let a quiet crowd ruin my fun. I was the only one standing up on that entire side of the arena. I don't know Korean but I'm totally a pro when it comes to singing GD's songs. BREATHE WAS NEXT! THE TWO SONGS I WAS BEGGING FOR HE SANG RIGHT AT THE START OF THE CONCERT! I ALMOST FAINTED. I'm so happy that he still sings his older songs! I always burst out into tears during A Boy because it literally came out in 2009 and I just miss how simple life was back when I was younger listening to his music. No responsibilities or worries. His concert was a timeline of his solo career where he started from the beginning to present day. He sung all of my favorites. Well, every song from him is my favorite. Obsession, One Of Kind, Coup d’Etat, Crayon, Black, and so on. I swear that during Black I became a female GD because I rapped the last part PERFECTLY. I could hear myself so clearly since I was the only one signing out load. All the songs flowed so well and the transitions were on point. He showed us the flashy, vibrant G-Dragon that we all know and love but also the real Kwon Ji Yong.

Everything went black and a video started playing. G-Dragon walks into the light wearing a red sequin robe and stands in front of the mic. You can tell that he is uneasy and very troubled about what he was going to say. Every now and then you would hear random yelps from the crowd like "I LOVE YOU!!!" and I found it endearing. I finally felt like I was surrounded by the right kind of people. I stood there and listened to him very carefully. He explained how it feels heavy for him when he has to dress up and look good as "G-Dragon". He is afraid to show us who he really is but wants to be more honest with his fans. He doesn't want us to think he lives the good life because he is someone with incredible work ethic and goes through hardships as well. He wants to shine like GD just not with all the shiny things on. This was his first time introducing himself as Kwon Ji Yong.

I was speechless and didn't know how to react because this is was my first time seeing him live. I have watched countless performances from him through a screen and you can't deny the talent that he has. He truly is a leader. I thought that I was missing something at first but then I realized that I've been on this journey too. I can relate to the theme of identity exploration because I was lost for a very long time. GD spoke so openly about his own struggle and it felt so special and personal. His words touched my heart and gives me flashbacks to how I used to feel about myself.

The last bit of his concert was for his newest album and the song that led us into the Kwon Ji Yong portion of the night was Superstar. He was lifted up on a platform and was actually wearing two red jackets. A shorter sequin jacket was draped over his shoulders while he wore a longer coat underneath.

This was the setlist near the end:
★ Superstar
★ Intro (Middle Fingers-Up)
★ B******t
★ ​Outro (Divina Commedia)

​​B******t is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE from the new album. It's so outrageous and makes me feel like a thug but I DON'T CARE. The lyrics are silly and I can't help but to hardcore jam out whenever I listen to it. The live version of this song was LIT. WHERE MY DOGS AT ? QUE PASA ? SAMBA ? ROMBA ? CHA CHA ? LULA ? SHABA SHABA. I mean just the way he said the one part, "WHERE MY DAWWWWWGS AT!?" and how he puts emphasis on certain words. Hearing the song live is very different than hearing the studio version because he switches up the tempo and basically turns it into a sick remix. I enjoy his random outbursts and how skilled he is with FAN SERVICE. This man knows exactly how to hype up a crowd!

The crowd went crazy after ​​B******t ended and GD decided to have a nice chat with us. He sat on the floor for a few seconds and then jumped up to the mic. He held up the stand and walked around the stage so he could let everyone in the crowd shout to their hearts content. THEN OUT OF NOWHERE, "SO, What's sup NEW YORK!?" OH MY GAH HIS ENGLISH. "Having fun?" "YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" "Really?" "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!" "Show me." NOT GOING TO LIE AFTER HE SAID THAT I MELTED INTO A PUDDLE. I screamed my head off and kept screaming even after everyone stopped screaming. He hurried back to the center of stage and told us some really heartwarming stuff. He was worried that we might not "get him" but being in front of all of us made him happy and confident. He said the show was almost over and you could hear how sad the crowd was. He doesn't know when we will get to meet again but he hopes to come back soon. He told us how lonely he felt sometimes because it's only him up there but said it was amazing how (pointed to all of us in the crowd) everyone was here for him tonight.

GD then told us that the next upcoming song was where it would end. "This will be my last song, enjoy." Don't get me wrong, Outro is a FANTASTIC song and it's a genius choice for the end of the show. You don't understand how perfect of an exit it was.

​“In case I don’t see ya
Good-afternoon
Good-evenin’ and good-night”
The screen behind him showed a door and he gave us the peace out hand gesture.

I knew it couldn't be his last song because he didn't even sing Crooked or Untitled yet. I have seen way too many videos of his live performances to not know that he loves to do this. He makes you anticipate what's coming next and keeps you guessing. GD disappeared and all lights were turned off. This should of been a HUGE indication that I don't know...THE SHOW ISN'T OVER YET. The lights stayed off for a good 2-3 minutes and a lot of people started to GET UP AND LEAVE. WHAT!? ARE YOU SERIOUS!? I wanted to throw them back into their seats and yell at them like HOW DARE YOU. I don't know why I was so insulted they just seemed so eager to leave. HE HASN'T PERFORMED THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT AND POPULAR SONGS BUT YOU ARE READY TO SKEDADDLE!??? I couldn't even think straight because I was having an argument with myself and everyone around me in my head. "There's no way he would just leave without singing CROOKED!!!" "I WON'T STAND FOR THIS PLEASE COME BACK OUT AND SING UNTITLED SO I CAN CRY MY EYES OUT!!!" Even Luis who was sitting down next to me said to me, "Dana, it's over." I lashed out at him (sorry luishh I love you ♡), "NO IT'S NOT YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING HE DIDN'T EVEN SING CROOKED OR UNTITLED YET HE'S COMING BACK I DON'T GET WHY EVERYONE IS LEAVING!!!" LOLOLOLOL I spoke so fast and had no chill. I was just really heated because guess what happened? HE SANG CROOKED AND UNTITLED. IN THAT ORDER. CALL ME KATRINA FROM ANIMAL CROSSING BECAUSE I PREDICTED IT. I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

I guess people didn't know that there was thing called an ENCORE. I was loyal and stayed standing till the very end. It's just this fan girl mentality that I really can't stop so please don't get the wrong idea because I'm just playing around. Everyone around me actually got up for Crooked! I was stomping my foot so hard during the one part even though my legs were mush. The leg kick in Crooked is so much fun to do and I couldn't find a gif of it so I had to make my own. It's impossible to NOT dance along during this song.

Once again GD confused everyone about whether the show was ending or not. He lined up with his dancers on stage and acknowledged all the people who were involved in the concert. He gave a bunch of shoutouts to the people he loved. He killed me when he said, "And my boys, BIG BANG!" After seeing GD perform I really hope to see all five of them together on stage. After I died and came back to life I died AGAIN after he said, "AND LAST, MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE" (his English is CUTE) "V.I.P." This fandom ROCKS.

G-Dragon's voice is freaking mesmerizing. My heart aches when I listen to this song. I have never heard anything so perfect before in my entire life. He is not rapping and shows his softer side during this song. It's him in his most vulnerable state. This is the most honest version of himself that he has ever put forward. The song is so simple with only piano and voice.

While singing, he got off stage and started walking closer toward the crowd in the pit. I actually regret not spending the $500+ to be down there and only a few feet away from GD. Did you know that someone at this concert actually got to touch his FACE!? A girl held out her hand with a tissue and GD let her wipe the sweat off. Brb while I pass out. I waved my wand in the air just like how they do with the lighters at concerts. I sang the lyrics along with him and watched him make his way around the area. Even though I sat far away, I could still see everything since I got a good view of the two screens. His voice got shaky near the end and I think he's always on the verge of tears when he performs this song.

I am very pleased with everything that I purchased from the merchandise booth. Concert Shirt, Hat, Sticker Pack, and Mini Glow Wand. I didn't want to lose control and spend a ridiculous amount of money but I think what I got is reasonable. I almost didn't buy the hat but when the guy came up to me to ask what I wanted I blurted out a list so fast he had to repeat the question.

A guy was walking through the crowd outside the concert venue giving out these promotional pictures of GD. I saw him handing a few to a group of girls and I RAN OVER WHEN I SAW THE PICTURES. They are high quality photo cards that are pretty thick and have information about a contest on the back. If you weren't aware GD has a fashion line called "PEACEMINUSONE" and it's fabulous but painfully expensive. He sells headphones and the contest if for those who post about him on social media. The guy had a big stack of these cards and I tried to ask for each version. THERE WAS ONE OF JUST HIS NECK AND I DIDN'T GET IT. I kid you not I was following this guy around making sure I had all the cards. I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T GET THE BEST ONE!? I was so desperate and sad when I couldn't find him anymore. These cards are beautiful and I will treasure them forever.

Back of the shirt! An overview of his World Tour. All stops! I know he won't disappoint any of these countries with his killer performances.

This pack was only $5 and I'm here thinking to myself "HOW IN THE WORLD!?" THERE ARE 17 TOTAL STICKERS IN THIS PACK AND I ONLY BOUGHT ONE. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!? I wish I bought more because they are crazy good quality. If you think about the price of individual stickers being sold in stores sometimes the big stickers with him on it would go for like $3-5 a piece. I searched for this set on Ebay and it's now selling for $15. Only those who go to the concert can snag a deal like this. I need to figure out where I want to put these!

Here's what the hat looks like on! A photo I took before we got on the bus to leave New York. Everyone was lined up next to the bus and I ran over to the other side next to this wall to take a selfie. I'm so annoying???

It felt good to be back home in Philly! While waiting for the subway I asked Luis to take some pictures of my full outfit. Yes, I was wearing the skirt again because I didn't bring a change of clothes. Oh well. 

That concludes my G-Dragon concert experience. I should wrap it up but I still have so much I want to say. First of all, I want to thank everyone who is reading and my entire community for accepting me for who I am. I mention this a lot when I stream but posts like these give me the chance to really tell you guys how I feel. If I say it on stream I usually end up forgetting a significant part. I was being serious when I said that I was lost and didn't really know who I was. I spent many years trying to mold myself into this perfect image to try and impress those who didn't matter. I trusted the wrong people and I let them take advantage of my kindness and generosity. I forgot about all things that I used to love and now I am trying to make up for it in full force.

I am so nostalgic and sentimental when it comes to Big Bang and GD's music. I don't like when people dismiss my connection to k-pop because I don't speak Korean or necessarily understand the lyrics to every song. I don't know any Korean but I do put in the effort to learn what the song is about and what it means to the artist. K-pop has always been my escape and it helped me through the loneliness moments in life. It takes me back to a more innocent time and reminds me of how carefree I was back then. No matter what was going on, Big Bang and G-Dragon would always put me at ease. I grew up listening to them and I hate myself for what I did.

I stopped painting, playing video games, and listening to k-pop. I abandoned everything that I loved. I started changing so much that I couldn't even recognize myself at times. Destructive friendships and relationships were to blame for all of it. I was always so afraid of what others thought about me and would let them dictate my actions and life overall. I was pretending and trying so hard to be someone that I wasn't until I finally snapped out of it. Luis bought me my first 3DS and was the one who encouraged me to start streaming. He has been by my side all this time and continued to support me when no one else did. That is exactly why I chose to bring him to the concert with me. Not just because he is my boyfriend and that I like spending time with him but because he knew how much this concert meant to me. He doesn't even listen to k-pop but agreed to accompany me during the trip and didn't complain about anything. I am lucky to have someone like him in my life. I don't dwell on past anymore because I look at myself now and feel relieved. Here I am now pouring my heart out and blabbing about all the things that make me happy on this website/blog. I have never been so confident and self-assured before. I hid in shame before but now I don't because I am surrounded by all of you who care about me. It's true that I have obsessive tendencies but I have never been so dedicated and passionate about something. Streaming is my full-time gig now and I don't plan on giving up or stopping any time soon. I'm still messy, dramatic, and hyper emotional but at least I'm me. I finally feel stable and that there is some kind of balance in my life.

If you read everything and made it here to the end, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this post because it did get kind of deep. I do a very good job at hiding my emotions and I never really talk about touchy subjects like this on stream. When I do, I cry. LOL. I am always very peppy and energetic on stream. I try to cheer everyone up and make sure that the environment is positive. This blog gives me a chance to show a different side of myself. I'm sure there are some people out there who can't stand my personality but I am comfortable with opening up to you all. I like writing about my different interests and having conversations about what's really important to me in life. I like speaking without regret or fear of consequence. I've expressed that I've been having a hard time dealing with my concert withdrawal. If you couldn't tell from this post, I really respect G-Dragon as an artist. I watched the Big Bang MADE movie the other day and I cried seeing how hard he really worked for his fans. During the movie, there was one part where it showed just how physically exhausted he was. He suffered a heat stroke because he didn't get any breaks like the other members. He has his solo songs and songs with the band so he was constantly singing and dancing. During the performance of BAE BAE he would show up for his part and then leave to collapse back stage. He had so many people around him with fans, ice packs, and water. He laid on the ground and looked like he could barely move but got right back up and appeared TOTALLY fine on stage. It breaks my heart seeing him like that and I can't thank him enough for EXISTING. He is a legend and I appreciate him so much. Most people see this World Tour as the end of an era because he is going to be leaving for mandatory military service. To me, he is the king of k-pop and there's no way people can forget about him in two years. Coup D'etat was released in 2013 and during the concert he said to wait for a special project. He will always be relevant. I look forward to what he has planned for the future. I just can't believe that I was so buried in all my problems during 2015 and lost possibly my only chance to see Big Bang live. I missed out on so much and it took me awhile to catch up but I am filled with joy to have been able to attend one of GD's concerts. It's such a shame because now that I'm older I can actually afford to go to these things. Please make another comeback! ​(╥﹏╥)