You can tell things are going sideways at a concert when an artist lets out an audible expletive that rhymes with “spit.”
It happened Friday, Dec. 5, midway through the first of two sold-out Katseye concerts at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. A wardrobe malfunction at the end of “Internet Girl” caused Katseye’s Daniela to go full pottymouth as fellow members scurried around her to block the audience’s view and quickly fix her outfit.
Daniela, to her credit, emerged beaming and unbothered, and forged on.
But then during the show’s Latin-tinged centerpiece “Gabriela,” she nearly fell trying to walk across chairs before an astute backup dancer caught her.
That time, it was the fans turn to curse.
Daniela, left, Sophia, Yoonchae, Lara, Manon and Megan of Katseye, seen here at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto on Nov. 18 in Toronto, made their San Francisco debut on Friday, Dec. 5 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. (Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images)
Katseye’s highly anticipated tour delivered on its name, “Beautiful Chaos.” The majority of Friday night’s performance was mesmerizing, with knockout choreography and sharp vocals that showcased the two-year-old sextet’s ample talents. But an unfortunate series of technical gaffes made for a disjointed set that distracted from what was supposed to be a triumphant Bay Area debut.
Yet if any group has mettle to overcome obstacles, it’s Katseye. The Los Angeles-based dancers and singers – Manon, Daniela, Megan, Sophia, Lara and Yoonchae – survived a cutthroat online reality program called “The Debut: Dream Academy” serialized in the Netflix show “Pop Star Academy: Katseye.”
Backed by industry heavyweights Geffen and K-pop ruler HYBE (the home of superstar boy band BTS), the show’s goal was to create a global girl group using K-pop methodologies: audition, training and aesthetics. More than 120,000 people applied and only 20 made the cut. On Friday, the winners were onstage, propped up by a sturdy foundation of pop gems – the sublime “Touch,” ratchet “Gnarly” and Charli XCX-penned “Gabriela.”
Daniela, left, Lara, Yoonchae, Sophia, Megan and Manon of Katseye. (Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images)
Since forming, Katseye has emerged as a commercial force –Â and momentum is on their side. In September, its viral denim ad for Gap Inc. racked 400 million views in three days and boosted the San Francisco company’s quarterly sales by 6% from the previous year (and inadvertently inserted the group into the American Eagle/Sydney Sweeney discourse). Katseye also struck a partnership with Mountain View’s Waymo and a merchandise deal with the Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee.
Their “Beautiful Chaos” tour was already 10 shows into its U.S. run by the time it reached San Francisco, so it was surprising to see there are still bugaboos to work out. The hints were noticeable early as members would occasionally glance sidestage and signal adjustments to the production crew. Lara left the stage at one point to fix whatever issue she had with either her outfit or in-ear monitors.
The most egregious moment came after the otherwise sublime “Gabriela.” There was a seven-minute pause with no explanation, no contingency plan, no interstitial video – just dead air and dark lighting that grounded the show to a halt.
Unsure what to do, fans – known as Eyekons – swiped through their social feeds to kill time. Kudos go to an intrepid group in the balcony that started an impromptu “Gnarly” singalong that spread across the venue.
Daniela, left, Yoonchae, Megan, Lara, Manon and Sophia of Katseye made their San Francisco debut on Friday, Dec. 5 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. (Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images)
Finally, after the interminable pause, “Girls Don’t Like” got the show back on track. Two more “Dream Academy”-era snippets followed along with a few soundtrack numbers, including “Time Lapse” and “Flame.”
“Gnarly” came towards the end of the set and both Katseye and their Eyekons were absolutely feral for it. The song’s weapons-grade hyper pop and booty-clapping choreography sent the auditorium into overdrive. The show closed with its first single “Touch” and a singalong to the perseverance anthem “My Way.”
Katseye deserved better. With members from the U.S., South Korea, Switzerland and the Philippines comprising a tapestry of ethnic backgrounds, Katseye wielded its diversity as a unifying superpower. Lara and Daniela took time during the show to recognize the South Asian, Queer and Latinx communities. Sophia took notice of her fellow Pinoys, a few displaying the Philippine flag.
“I can see a lot of people out here that look like me,” she said. “There’s so many people here representing and allowing us to continue to do what we’ve intended to do from the start, which is to represent.”
Yoonchae celebrated her 18th birthday early during Katseye’s first of two sold-out concerts at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. (Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images)
Continuing the feel-good vibe, Katseye complimented the crowd’s energy, started multiple waves, shouted out fans sporting Megan’s trademark pink hair and celebrated Yoonchae’s 18th birthday a day early. They extolled the virtues of Mexican and Filipino food in the city. (Katseye, if you’ve got time on Saturday, grab a tosilog burrito at Señor Sisig for the best of both worlds. Thank me later).
More Information
Katseye: 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. Resale tickets start at $460. Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St., S.F. www.katseye.world
Katseye setlist
Debut
Gameboy
I’m Pretty
Mean Girls
Tonight I Might
Internet Girl
Milkshake (dance break)
Gabriela
Girls Don’t Like
Dirty Water
All the Same
Time Lapse
Flame
Monster High Fright Song
M.I.A.
Gnarly
Touch
My Way
The crowd work was pushing five minutes. It was clear they were stalling for time.
“We’re having some technical difficulties,” Megan eventually admitted. “Bear with us. This is our first tour.”
Yes, technical issues are inevitable and forgivable, but they should also be preventable.
Todd Inoue is a freelance writer.
This article originally published at Technical gaffes knock Katseye off course at sold-out San Francisco show.