{"id":316351,"date":"2026-08-07T21:44:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/316351\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:44:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:44:12","slug":"cortis-first-full-us-concert-in-new-york-best-moments-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/316351\/","title":{"rendered":"CORTIS’ First Full US Concert in New York: Best Moments & Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"

With less than a year on the scene, the five-piece performed like pros at its first full concert in the States for a sold-out show at Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n

\t8\/7\/2026\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"CORTIS<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tCORTIS performs at The Theatre at Great Canadian on August 4, 2026 in Toronto.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC (HYBE)<\/p>\n

\n\tIn under a year since hitting the scene, CORTIS<\/a> has earned a No. 3 debut on the Billboard 200,<\/a> a place on Billboard\u2018s 21 Under 21<\/a>, a Lollapalooza set, a soundtrack single for the Stephen Curry\u2013produced animated film GOAT, a halftime performance at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, collaborations with Juicy J<\/a> and Teezo Touchdown<\/a>, and are now hitting the U.S. on their first tour.<\/p>\n

\n\tOn Thursday (Aug. 6), the quintet consisting of Martin, Juhoon, James, Seonghyeon and Keonho came to the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden for its first-ever solo concert in the States. The show proved CORTIS could live up to that already-stacked r\u00e9sum\u00e9 while pointing to greater promise of what\u2019s to come next for such promising artists.<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter kicking off the Put Your Phone Down Tour in July at the Inspire Arena in Incheon, South Korea, CORTIS\u2019 sold-out New York concert split the night in two. The first half ran through nearly all of the group\u2019s discography, with most songs staged with choreography and impactful visuals across tall LED screens in the background. The second half revisited most of the same tracks a second (and sometimes a third) time, looser and with the camerawork more focused on the guys themselves. The New York date is one of seven North American shows across six cities, all of which are also sold out.<\/p>\n

\n\tFrom a clear comfort level on stage to shouting out New York\u2019s NBA Finals win just feet away from the Knicks\u2019 home arena \u2014 as well as what made us truly want to put down our phones \u2014 here are the seven best moments from CORTIS\u2019 first-ever U.S. solo concert in New York.<\/p>\n


\"Billboard\"Billboard
<\/a><\/p>\n

\tSelf-Correcting Choreo During \u201cGO!\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"CORTIS\"CORTIS
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC (HYBE)\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tYoungest member Keonho needed to minimize arm movement<\/a> after a prior fall caused fractures in both hands and remained mostly seated as the other four CORITS guys handled the choreography. While some K-pop acts struggle to be flexible with stage formations and choreography when members are missing, the members showed their on-stage professionalism, looking seamless as a foursome for the time being. Even when there was a noticeable gap where Keonho would have danced during their first performance of \u201cGO!,\u201d<\/a> Martin quickly self-corrected and closed the gap, while not missing a beat of the sophisticated footwork. It was a blink-and-you\u2019d-miss-it moment, but it speaks to their top-notch technical skills.<\/p>\n

\tA Common Comfort on Stage<\/p>\n

\n\tThe moment CORTIS hit the stage for the opening number \u201cYOUNGCREATORCREW,\u201d<\/a> it was clear the group was noticeably comfortable on stage at all times. From more stylized and choreographed moments to freestyle performances and unscripted audience chats, CORTIS made the entire show look effortless, which can be difficult after rigorous K-pop training.<\/p>\n

\n\tInstead, CORTIS thrived in the unrehearsed (complimenting the crowd for going wild when a lighting issue paused the show with James inviting the audience to sit and catch their breath and Martin leading a quick breathing exercise) and riffing off one another (the members never forgot to involve and individually visit Keonho during songs he needed to stay seated). In fact, the ease with which CORTIS commanded the stage during their NYC debut recalled the same relaxed and natural pace of their BIGHIT MUSIC label mates BTS\u2019 first New York show<\/a> more than a decade prior. The similarity points to how BTS and CORTIS stand as strong models of the artists BIGHIT shapes, with Bang Si-Hyuk & Co. knowing that polishing and spotlighting true musicians is at the core of the company\u2019s DNA.<\/p>\n

\tJames\u2019 Knicks Shoutout<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s been just about two months since the New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA Finals over the San Antonio Spurs, but James made sure to give a shoutout to the champions while chatting with the NYC crowd. \u201cActually, I know New York recently brought back home the NBA trophy,\u201d the 20-year-old told the crowd, eliciting proud cheers from the audience, before he added, \u201cNew York, you guys are champions!\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tA savvy move for him and CORTIS to further connect to a city that\u2019s still reeling from its first NBA championship in over 50 years.<\/p>\n

\tCrowd Connections During \u201cBlue Lips\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCORTIS came into the Infosys Theater at MSG crowd multiple times throughout the show, but the moment that felt the most poignant was when Martin, Seonghyeon and James went into the crowd during \u201cBlue Lips.\u201d<\/a> The low-key, keyboard-driven cut is one of the closest songs CORTIS has to a ballad, with its softer production creating a more open soundscape that allows more personal connections with the crowd. While the guys ran through the theater aisles to wave at and dance with attendees during several of their turn-up tracks, this moment in \u201cBlue Lips\u201d felt like a more intimate opportunity for the artist-fan bond to grow closer.<\/p>\n

\tPutting Our Phones Down During Part II of the Concert<\/p>\n

\n\tCORITS choosing to name its first tour Put Your Phone Down makes for a bold statement \u2014 especially in 2026, when essentially everything is seen through our screens. The group technically only has 13 songs to its name, and performed nearly all of them in the first half of the show, accompanied by choreography and visuals across the tall LED screens behind them. That was for our phones. <\/p>\n

\n\tThe second part of the show included a second, and sometimes third, performance of most of their tracks \u2014 so fans didn\u2019t need to worry about recording clips of their favorite songs to enjoy later. With the guys\u2019 noticeably looser stage presence and more on-screen close-ups, the second half of the show really did feel like we could put our phones down and be in the moment with them.<\/p>\n

\n\tWe\u2019ll be interested to see how CORTIS handles this concept in future shows, when the quintet\u2019s discography is more robust, but perhaps the point is to encourage their fans to put their phones down and away now, to better enjoy concerts in the future.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cMOTION (CORTIS Version)\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJust days after its release and live premiere with Juicy J at Lollapalooza, CORTIS\u2019 latest track \u201cMOTION\u201d<\/a> made its way into the second half of the show. While the Three 6 Mafia star wasn\u2019t on hand for this performance, CORTIS added playful ad-libs to his lines and huddled together to dance as a group, even if no member was singing. The collab is another gem in CORTIS\u2019 small-but-super-strong song collection, and shows the group can pull it off even without its guest performer.<\/p>\n

\tEnding With Mutual Love<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"CORTIS\"CORTIS
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC (HYBE)\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tAs CORTIS shared some final words with the audience, which was filled with the group\u2019s fans \u2014 affectionately known as COER \u2014 leader Martin ensured the entire room felt the love.<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter he ran into the audience to receive and wear a custom-made hat a fan created (see below), the 18-year-old told his band mates, \u201cOn the count of three, we\u2019re going to say \u2018I love you COER,’\u201d with the band\u2019s message eliciting a healthy roar from the crowd. But in an unexpected move, Martin followed it up, telling the theatre, \u201cOn the count of three, y\u2019all are going to say, \u2018I love you, CORTIS,’\u201d which brought out an ear-shattering response.<\/p>\n

\n\tMartin kept it going, telling his members to shout, \u201cI love you, New York!\u201d on the count of three, followed by telling the audience \u201cOn the count of three, I want y\u2019all to say, \u2018Please be back’\u201d with the audience screaming their \u201cPlease be back!\u201d before he even started to count \u2014 showing how much local COER already wanted CORTIS\u2019 NYC return. But ultimately, it was a fun way for both sides to show love to one another, with Martin giving fans permission to express their enthusiasm and excitement in a healthy, controlled way.<\/p>\n

\t


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