Concert Review: Korean Soloist WOODZ Brings His High-Energy Rock-Infused Set to Brooklyn on the 'OO-LI And' World Tour

Korean soloist WOODZ wrapped the American leg of his world tour "OO-LI And" in Brooklyn, New York last night at the Kings Theatre. I would be remiss not to mention that this also marks his final performance in America before beginning his mandatory enlistment in the Korean military next month, an announcement he made over the weekend.

Cho Seungyoun (조승연), known professionally as WOODZ, is an artist I have admired for years now, always enjoying his musical releases and artistry, and with this being his first time performing in New York, I knew I couldn't miss it.

Of course, he delivered. WOODZ opened the set with the high-energy track Busted, a b-side from his latest album 'OO-LI', and the energy continued to skyrocket from there. Accompanied by his incredibly talented live band, WOODZ commanded the stage and showcased his unmatched vocal skills in an over-20-song setlist.

WOODZ is an artist known for a discography that spans many genres, from classic rock to ballads, and everything in between. What he doesn't sound like, however, is "traditional" K-pop. While he rose to fame in the K-pop scene and is still considered an idol, I don't think his music fits in that box. He is a rock, hip-hop, and R&B perfomer who also happens to be Korean.

All of this to say, every genre WOODZ covers in his music was showcased in this setlist. He performed his upbeat rock tracks like "Dirt On My Leather" and "Ready to Fight", slowed it down for "Abyss" and "Journey", and brought the brighter pop vibe for songs like "Bump Bump" and "I Hate You".

Every show on this tour, WOODZ has also been performing a cover song. He prefaced by saying that Brooklyn was getting a cover he had never done before, and then had us guess by giving the hint that it was a Christmas song. He then launched into a soulful cover of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas."

A unique aspect of the show that I enjoyed was when he took the time to have the house lights turned up and read signs written by fans, known as MOODZ. He sang Happy Birthday to one fan with a sign stating that it was their birthday, he went down into the audience to take a selfie with another fan, and even accepted a gift, a whale keychain, from another. One fan even asked if they could sing WOODZ's song "Better and Better", and without hesitation, he had the band play the song and handed the fan the mic. This interactive element made the show seem so much more intimate, like we were all just friends hanging out together and chatting. I admire WOODZ as a person so much more after getting to see his personality come through. 

During one of the final songs, "Bump Bump", WOODZ jumped off the stage and ran through the audience, weaving up and down the aisles to greet MOODZ. This is something I've seen other artists do before, but coupled with the time he took to interact with everyone during the show, I could feel his genuine love for his fans.

While many K-pop shows end with a slower, more emotional song, WOODZ chose to wrap up his show with the high-energy song "Ready to Fight", which got the entire audience on their feet and dancing, before he said his goodbyes and left the stage while his band played him off.

WOODZ is set to enlist in the military next month, but when he returns, if you get a chance to catch him on stage, I can not recommend it enough! 

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