Ningin Video: Following JYP Tour 2009 from Coast-to-Coast

on Thursday, March 12, 2009 5:16PM

I’m back in NYC after following the JYP Tour from LA to OC to NYC — Coast-to-Coast, baby! I’ve finally recovered but I don’t even know where to start. So what do you do when words escape you? Make a video! That’s right, watch the JYP Tour 2009 Highlights while dancing to “Nobody”!

Everyone’s asking me to compare the three shows, so below are my quick recaps of each. You can read more details reviews from Tiffanie in LA, Jinra in OC and Erik in NYC. Plus the FAM girls made their own video recapping NYC.

First up was Los Angeles…
The Ningin LA Team rolled up on the Wiltern to find a huge line going down and around the block. This was quietest crowd of the tour, both outside on line and inside during the show. Don’t know why. Maybe people in LA try to play it cool? Too cool if you ask me. Most of the people outside on line hid their faces anytime someone waved a camera around. At least the performers weren’t shy. I didn’t know what to expect on stage and I was impressed with the show JYP Entertainment had cooked up!

Next up was Orange County, represented by La Mirada, CA…
After driving 2 hours to go 30 miles in traffic, we finally arrived at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. It was smaller than the Wiltern so the stage show was trimmed down, but the enthusiasm of the crowd here overpowered the LA show. Nobody was scared to get up and dance in the OC! I can’t help but think that I saw a better show by the JYP performers, feeding off the energy from the crowd!

As you may have heard, this was the infamous “2PM at Taco Bell” nite. 2PM snuck off to Taco Bell during JYP’s performance and Ningin cameraman Kevin kept calling me to meet over there. But I was taking photos inside and couldn’t hear my phone ringing. Finally Kevin had to come back inside and find me. We rushed over to Taco Bell but were too late! Not only that but Taco Bell had just closed too. I was sad and hungry.

Dance Contestant Penguin Dude!!!

Finally, New York City…
After a few days in California, I gotta say it was nice not to have to drive to the show. 6 Train to E Train to JYP Tour 2009! Like LA, there was also a huge line when I arrived but it was full of camera-friendly people. (Take that, LA!) NYC was also the most diverse crowd. (And take that, LA!) NYC enthusiasm was running high just like the OC show. If you see photos of JYP on stage, it looks like the back of the room has empty seats. That’s because when Wonder Girls said stand up and dance, everyone ran down the aisles to the stage and never sat down again!

Dance Contestant Vamhawj!!!

Once again, we caught 2PM eating at this show. There was a massive amount of Korean food backstage and 2PM made the most of it. You’d think they’d be taking it easy before the show, but no way — those guys can eat! If you watch their performance, you can see how all those calories get burned up. They’re incredibly versatile and talented!

2PM burning off some calories.

Kogi Korean-Mexican food truck! Mashiso-Delicio!

Kogi Korean-Mexican food truck! Mahjiso-Delicio!

Some other highlights of my trip included having coffee with dramabeans.com, eating at the Kogi Korean-Mexican food truck, hanging out with the Ningin LA Team, rubbing elbows with Johnny Dorama of Allkpop, and meeting the ladies of Khype.com — Chor, Christine and Alicia!

Khype helping out at the OC Show!

Special thanks to the Coast-to-Coast Ningin Team that showed JYP Entertainment some love:
Los Angeles: Tiffanie J. Lee, Jessica Oh, Kevin Desmond
Orange County: Jinra Illustrimo
New York City: Peter Chin, Mia Lerda, Jessica Dawson, Lara Visconti, Erik Taylor

Ningin at the OC Show! Jinra, Kevin and David.

The only beat thing is that I missed the afterparty in NYC! While everyone else got to cut loose and hit the dancefloor with 2PM and JYP (Yes, really, in person!), I had to get back and start editing everything we shot. Time management lesson learned. I’ll be better prepared for JYP Tour 2010!