As Wrigley's first K-pop band, Stray Kids leaves its mark on Chicago and concludes ‘dominATE' tour

Chicago Tribune

5 hours ago

Despite the sun having set and a cool breeze drifting through the stands, the tens of thousands of Stray Kids fans in Wrigley Field were just as energetic as they'd been when the band burst onstage two hours before.
'No regrets, I love this feeling / Down on this road call it the social path,' they belted along with the eight-member Korean boy band to 'Social Path,' the title track from the group's third Japanese-language extended play.
Green streamers and flares burst from the stage. The crowd roared, frantically waving around their lightsticks — Bluetooth synchronized electric wands that cast the Friendly Confines in a neon green glow.
Thursday evening marked Stray Kids' Wrigley Field debut, as well as the stadium's first time hosting a K-pop group in its history. Fans from across the Midwest gathered in Chicago for the group's 12th and final U.S. show in its 2024-25 'dominATE' world tour. The group last performed in Chicago during Lollapalooza in 2024.
In front of a sold-out Wrigley Field audience, Stray Kids performed nearly 30 songs, ranging from hyperactive rock bops to nostalgic ballads. The band's musical range and crowd work exceeded expectations, many fans said.
Wearing a 'K-pop dad' shirt, Ryan Linke said the band's 'energy and just how they interacted with everybody' really stood out. The 37-year-old manufacturing safety manager flew to Chicago from South Dakota to take his daughter Kiylie to her first K-pop concert.
'They actually made you feel like you were a part of them during the concert,' Linke said.
Audience members jumped to their feet as the band dove into its first set with songs 'MOUNTAINS' and 'Thunderous.' Through the two unabashed anthems, which focus on self-confidence and brushing off criticism, Stray Kids set a gritty, battle-tested energy for the concert.
With music spanning hip hop, rock, R&B and other genres, Stray Kids has cultivated a rebellious, individualistic style in a genre that sometimes receives criticism for being too formulaic. The band's members are heavily involved in writing their own songs. For instance, Stray Kids' producing sub-unit 3RACHA, consisting of band members Bang Chan, Changbin and Han, helped make the tracks on their 2024 EP 'Ate.' Those include the title track 'Chk Chk Boom,' which the band played twice on Thursday with loads of fans singing along.
Stray Kids also showcased songs from two-member subunits during the concert, ricocheting from punk-inspired hip-hop in 'Burnin' Tires' to desperate, pounding R&B in 'ESCAPE.' The performance also found creative ways to engage the audience's senses beyond just sound: As Changbin and I.N. scrambled onstage for 'Burnin' Tires,' the smell of burnt rubber permeated the stadium air.
Between sets, Stray Kids frequently interacted with the audience, leading call and response snippets from their songs and cracking jokes — member Hyunjin Hwang teased the song 'Domino' with a quip about Chicago pizza.
There were wholesome moments, too. Toward the end of the concert, band member Felix also led the stadium in singing happy birthday to his mom, who was in the audience.
Bang Chan, the group's leader, announced the concert's official end with a deadpan 'The show's over' a little past 9 p.m. But after a fan dance-cam challenge that spotlighted audience members replicating the band's intricate choreography in 'Chk Chk Boom,' 'LALALALA,' and 'Maniac,' the band burst onstage again — this time in Cubs jerseys — for another hour of encores.
The band ended the night with 'Haven,' urging their fans to 'Do whatever you want / Break the mold together.'
It's not just the concert proper that sets K-pop performances like Thursday's apart from other genres, fans said. The sense of community made people feel cared for, said Anaiah King, a 17-year-old fan from Cincinnati.
'I love how we're all just a little community to where we all like the same kind of music — to where we can all just come together, not even knowing one another — and just taking care of one another,' said King, voice hoarse after the concert.
Hours before the doors opened, more than 200 fans had already gathered at Gallagher Way. Many were decked out in red and black, the 'dominATE' tour's colors.
With the temperature in the 90s and little shade, concertgoers socialized, commented on each others' outfits and exchanged freebies — fan-made, artist-themed memorabilia including buttons, bracelets, candy and phone charms.
Dakota Wisdom, 26, came to Wrigley Field from St. Louis at 5 a.m. Thursday for a wristband that would get her access to the concert's pit. This was her first K-pop concert, which she attended with her boyfriend Daniel McNiell. Though she doesn't speak Korean, Wisdom said she loves Stray Kids' music all the same.
'It almost makes me enjoy the music more,' Wisdom said, waving around a blue handheld fan. 'I don't tune in too much to the lyrics while listening to it — just enjoying it as it is.'
Thursday was also McNiell's first K-pop concert. He said he got into Stray Kids because of his girlfriend, but has come to enjoy the music on his own.
At one point, McNiell stopped in front of a Power Breezer misting fan to cool off. He said to beat the heat, he'd been drinking Liquid I.V. and lots of water.
During Stray Kids' Tuesday concert at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., six people were hospitalized because of heat-related issues.
When doors opened at 5 p.m., several blocks surrounding Wrigley Field had been closed off, with throngs of concertgoers trying to squeeze through gates.
Erin and Sydney Wiegand — who wrapped themselves in American flags with band members Bang Chan's and Lee Know's faces printed on them — attended their second Stray Kids concert this month on Thursday. The mother-daughter duo from the Cleveland area previously caught the group at its June 10 concert in Atlanta.
'It's just awesome seeing them live and seeing how they can perform this good right in front of you anywhere,' Sydney Wiegand said.
For 33-year-old Peter Hong of Wicker Park, K-pop in the U.S. has come a long way since he grew up in the Chicago suburbs.
'It's huge and mainstream — I really enjoy it,' Hong said. 'I appreciate that people are also very accepting of it.'
The sheer scale of the audience surprised 17-year-old Emma Lee from Bartlett, who'd come to the concert with her mom and two aunts.
'Wow — there's a lot of people here today,' Lee said while standing under an awning across Addison Street from Wrigley Field. 'That's kind of surprising because it's so hot out. To see Stray Kids, it makes sense.'
And even after the concert, many fans were still riding high from the band's and crowd's energy during the show.
'I'm also very happy right now,' Kielee Linke said. 'Because it's been my dream to see them for a while now.'