Seven-member K-pop group AMPERS&ONE brought the aptly-named “My First” tour to the Regent Theater just outside of Boston last week, drawing a nearly sold out crowd despite a last minute venue change. The group released their first EP last fall, ONE QUESTION, and they were all clearly excited to be playing this music live for their fans. After arriving, fans didn’t have to wait long – with no opening act, the show started right away at 7pm. AMPERS&ONE opened with their single “On And On,” part of their first piece of work released back in 2023 when the group was formed. This was followed up by “Someday” and “He + She = We” before they stopped for a few minutes to talk to the audience.
AMPERS&ONE is still a relatively new group, and with that comes the challenge of not having a ton of their own music. To make up for it, they went on a 6-song run of covers right in the middle of the show. They started with “plot twist” by TWS before some of the members left the stage for the first outfit change of the night. Returning in sharp red and black outfits, the next cover choice was “Good Boy Gone Bad” by Tomorrow X Together. You can’t go wrong with a BTS song at a K-pop concert, and AMPERS&ONE made sure to perform their own rendition of “Blood Sweat & Tears,” which drew a very positive reaction from the crowd. Some American pop songs were thrown in the mix too, like “Sorry” by Justin Bieber and “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars, the latter of which included a fun exercise with the audience to change all the place names to “Boston” as they sang.
K-pop concerts are always high-energy, and this one was no exception. There were some ongoing themes throughout the night, the major one being a friendly competition between the “cutie team” and the “sexy team,” which each featured half of the group’s members. The audience voted with their applause as each group tried to win them over with dance moves and clever comments. Another was a discussion around what a “Boston Pizza” restaurant is and how you won’t find one around Boston (apparently, it’s Canada’s largest casual dining chain). This fun banter continued throughout the night, and AMPERS&ONE did a great job of connecting with their audience and making them feel included.
After one more outfit change, the group returned for their final few songs, which included “Fly,” “Slide,” and “Crazy Stupid Fun.” The “My First” tour is a little over halfway over, but you can still catch AMPERS&ONE as they head out to the Midwest and West Coast. If you’re looking for some coordinated dancing and catchy music, they’re a must see!
GALLERY: AMPERS&ONE at the Regent Theater in Boston (February 25, 2025)
