psychic fever show review
Psyfe welcomed me to their Paradise on February 8th and I have not left since (thankfully, I’m here rent free).
PSYCHIC FEVER FROM EXILE TRIBE, or PSYCHIC FEVER/PSYFE, are a seven-member J-Pop group from Japan that debuted in 2019 with their EP titled “P.C.F.”. The members’ names are TSURUGI, RYOGA, REN, JIMMY, KOKORO, RYUSHIN, and WEESA. The J-Pop categorization can be a bit misleading when it comes to PSYFE’s discography. The word “J-Pop”, to those unfamiliar with nuances within the genre, may connote bubblegum pop, bright and bubbly music (which PSYFE has proven they can definitely do, with tracks like “BEE-PO” and arguably “Wonder Woman”). However, their body of work encompasses so much more than that. Much like NCT 127, they can pull off any genre. From the pop masterpiece “BAKU BAKU” to the Y2K club anthem “What’s Happenin’”, they can do it all.
They embarked on their first U.S. tour, consisting of six total stops in major cities at the beginning of February. Some cities even hosted after parties, exclusive to only three stops (Washington D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles). We had the privilege of attending not only the Chicago show, but the after party as well. Chicago was a special occasion– we were celebrating REN’s birthday. The Cherry Notes team also had fan frames to look forward to, so it was set to be an exciting day from start to finish. Cancellation scare aside (a water main near the venue broke and we seriously thought the show was going to be cancelled), it was an exciting day. We got to take our fan frames with JIMMY, WEESA, and KOKORO before the show as planned. (I would also like to state, for the record, that Kokoro Kohatsu is one of the nicest and most stunning people I have ever met in my entire life).
As expected, the show itself was amazing. Psychic Fever are phenomenal performers and know how to command a stage. They opened with “TALK TO ME NICE”, which perfectly kicked off the concert– their energy was off the charts. The crowd was reciprocating said energy, and you could feel the relief and gratitude that the concert was not cancelled. Fan favorites such as “Just Like Dat”, “Temperature”, and “What’s Happenin’” were highlights of the audience’s night for sure. PSYFE also had a handful of unit and solo performances that night. JIMMY and WEESA performed both “Perfect” and “SHOTGUN”, KOKORO had a short solo dance as an opener to “Paradise”, we got to see the rap line (RYUSHIN, REN, JIMMY, RYOGA AND TSURUGI) entertain us with “PSYFE CYPHER”, and DJ RYOGA and beatboxer REN made an appearance as well. BAKU BAKU was so beautiful it made Sol cry, which made the rest of us cry. We loved this show so much; I was almost sad to hear “Best For You” because I knew the end of the show was near. “Just Like Dat” was their encore, and it went just as hard the second time. They ended the show with a birthday cake and a rendition of Happy Birthday for our beloved REN. Then it was time to head to the after party.
PSYCHIC FEVER performing “Cold Rain”. The mics are CLEARLY on.
Expectations were high for the after party, and we were just a tad disappointed. We still had a good time, but there were a few things that hindered the vibes, if you will. For example, there were barely any K-Pop songs played that night. The choices made by the DJ had us a bit perplexed. One minute we were singing along to “Love Talk” by WayV, and the next thing we knew we were listening to a random 2000’s song before “Love Talk” even got to the second verse. We also wish they had played more PSYCHIC FEVER songs, besides “Temperature” and “Just Like Dat”...
As for PSYFE’s appearance at the event, they were corralled into a corner of the room for most of the night, (which I understand was for security measures) but it could not have been that much fun for them. I would say that this part of the night is where my only complaints about the entire experience lie.
Looking back, something I noticed about the concert was that it did not feel like this was Psychic Fever’s first time here in Chicago. The way the crowd was singing along to every word, dancing and keeping up with their energy, it felt like watching a group that came back after a year or two’s absence. Not to toot our own horn, but I think it’s safe to say that Chicago has secured a stop on their next tour here in the U.S.
PSYCHIC FEVER is most definitely in my top 5 concerts of all time. The setlist, the passion onstage, the vocals, the OUTFITS– it was all top-notch. The add-ons (VIP, Fan Frames, etc.) also made the experience an even more memorable one. None of us had VIP, but I have heard nothing but great things from ForEVER (their fandom name) that did have it. At their last stop of the tour in Los Angeles, PSYFE had some exciting news to share with their fans. They revealed that they signed a new contract with Warner Music Group, further proving the group’s potential to be a global powerhouse. Secondly, they announced that they would be back soon later this year, and we will definitely be there.
CHERRY SETLIST PICKS
SOL - BAKU BAKU
EM - Hotline
DINA - TALK TO ME NICE
TARA - PARADISE
INGRID - Temperature
