Chillin With Dem AOM Crew

So last night was really fun. I had sent in my RSVP for the AOMG launch party that was being co-hosted by Ben Baller and Jay Park and being run by Tastemakers.   

Mr. Park himself. He was wearing a shirt for the event, but that smirk was still there!

Truthfully I was not really sure that I wanted to go to it; I was tired from classes and had not really slept all that well the night before because I had gotten back to Seoul from Busan. But I mustered up the energy and after finishing my Korean Paper Craft class, went back to the room and got ready.  The party was being hosed at The A (Art Nouveau) in Gangman, so it took a while for us to get there from Sinchon via the subway. But when we got there, we were a little confused, because even though we had gotten a confirmation form Tastemakers, we still needed to download a music app in order to get in. The app was free, and as we later found out, not really needed unless you wanted another free drink once you got inside.  

Inside was really cool, when you first walked down the stairs there was a live art exhibit (topless girls in body paint made up to blend into the painting behind them) and a hallway that had graphic art all along it leading to another set of stairs that went down to the dance floor and General VIP section (my section).  In the general area, there were free games that people could play to win Tastemakers swag. I did a hammer strength game and got a beanie and then also did the claw game to win another hat that I later gave to a friend of mine that I met outside in the line to go into the venue.

  There were a lot of people there when we arrived, but like most Korean clubs that I have been to, no one was really dancing; they were all just standing and king of bopping to the music. I kind of feel bad for the DJ, because he was playing some really good mixes and trying to get the energy up in the club. Since no one was really dancing I went up to get some air to meet up with two of my friends and just chilled outside for a while. As I was heading up the stairs to get outside, I stopped while a group of girls were talking picture with the living art models. As I was about to go past them, Jay Park walked by heading to the dance floor area. We made eye contact and then went back to what we were doing. I vaguely remember my only thoughts were that he seemed shorter in person and that he really did get that nose ring a few months ago.

 When we went back in, we stopped at the VVIP table to see if there was any way that we would be able to “level up” so to speak. Unfortunately there were no more spaces left (I later found out that it was just a place for people to have more space if they paid for it, the stars were in the VVVIP section behind the stage). But while we were about to ask the people at the table, I get a glimpse of a person coming down the stairs who vaguely looked like G-Dragon. My friend, who also got a glimpse, and I looked up and saw that it was in fact G-Dragon. He came down the stairs and stood maybe about a foot or two away from me. He looked slightly confused as to where he needed to go/ if he needed to check in or anything, but then his posse showed up and brought him to where he needed to go.  But much like Jay Park, G-Dragon looked smaller in person than he does through my computer screen…but even in real like that boy knows how to dress!

G-Dragon, Korea's Fashion icon and leader of Big Bang. There is nothing this guys has not done

Since we could not get the tickets, we went back downstairs and I met up with a group from my program that came in after I did right at the front of the stage that had been set up in front of the DJ booth.  I found a spot on the wall right at the stage edge and had a great view of the performance. It started off with the Pastegirls, pretty my burlesque dancers that are part of the Tastemakers party package. After the show, Ben Baller came on stage and started the performances. From my spot, I had a great view of g-Dragon, Dara, CL, and the rest of their crews just chilling by the stage drinking, dancing, and just enjoying the performances. G-dragon was so cute, while Zion T. was performing, he had gotten up on the stage and sat down cross legged and started to film the performances on his phone.  But man, the show was sick. We had performances by Zion T., Illionaire, Jay Park and AOM Crew, Dok2, and Binzino. 

Dok2, one of my favorite rappers form the event. I am actually going to see him in a few hours for MU:CON

While all this was going on,  the crowds were pushing to get a glimpse of the stars and to film the performances, but once the show was over and the stars went back to their area to party it out in their own way, most people left and those of us that staid were able to spread out and actually dance to the guest DJs that were there. One of the DJs was actually Justin Beiber’s concert DJ. I actually liked his set because he would play a mixture of American songs that all of us knew by heart and that were fun to dance along to. The only problem was that at the end of his set, the music went a little too electronic for my taste. But we had fun just dancing and having a good time. 

Around 4 am my group was getting tired and so we decided to head back to the dorms. I truthfully could have stayed out longer, but they had the locker for our bags and I could not find my other group from my program in the crowds. But I am actually glad that we left when we did, because I would not have been able to meet Eli and Kevin form UKISS if I had decided to stay downstairs.  We had walked outside and tried to flag down a cab, when we noticed a group of people standing around speaking English. I thought that I had heard a voice like Kevin’s and thought that there was no way that they would be there. But they proved me wrong.  Kevin was wearing jeans and a shirt under a flannel with a beanie (very hipsterish, but it strangely suited him very well) and Eli was there in just jeans and a t-shirt with a backwards flat bill on.

Eli, aka perfection!

"Oppa" Kevin

 Both seemed do chill and normal that it did not really register that I was talking to them until Eli shook my hand and both of them turned to face us and talk to us. We mostly just told them that we have loved their music and that we were glad that they came back from Japan. Kevin even asked us why we were leaving so early (He joked, asking if we had had enough of the dancing and booze), we just told them that we would like to have staid longer, but my friends had class and a test today. They were shocked and said that we were so young to still be students. We argued that they were only a few years older than we were. We even asked Kevin what line he was (like we did not know) and when he said 91, we just laughed and said that we were 93, so there was only a 2 year difference. He just said that he could still call us young and that we should call him “Oppa” (all three of us gave each other the “did-he-just-say-that” look and then laughed). There was an empty cab and since they were not allowed to take picture (we found that out when a group of freaking out fan girls asked before we came up) and we did not want to interrupt their conversation any longer, we said our goodbye and shook hands again. I told them that I was looking forward to their comeback and they told me that I did not need to wait too long and to keep supporting them. 

I fangirled all the way back to school. Dying from Eli feels the whole way (Eli is my bias in UKISS and is one of my ultimates along with Key form SHINee).

This is Key, member of the group SHINee. My Co-Ultimate with Eli

We finished up the night with McDonald’s chicken nuggets. This morning I am still trying to hear everyone else’s’ stories. Some of my friends were able to interact with more celebrities and even got to go to the VVVIP section. They also saw a lot more people than I did. One of my friends saw Justin Beiber, Lim and Min from Miss A, Jo Kwon, same members from Girls Generation and a few members from 2pm.  To say that the Launch Party was the place to be would be an understatement. Even at 4 am, I even missed a lot!