Last month, Travis Japan brought their “Travis Japan VIIsual World Tour 2025” to the US! I was invited to the New York concert on the behalf of Nante Japan. All I can say is that in the space of a few months, the boys have really stepped it up!
This was my third time seeing Travis Japan. The first time was in March 2023 at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington. The second was last October at Sony Hall in New York. This time, their New York show took place in a much larger venue, Hammerstein Ballroom. I didn’t really notice that big of a difference between the first and second times seeing them, but this third time, I felt a shift, for the better.
This being a larger venue, there was more seating options. I was seated this time in one of the boxes to the side of the stage, on a higher level. This enabled me to see quite an expanse of the venue.
One thing I immediately noticed was the stage step up. This time, there was an actual one! The other two times I had see the group was at smaller venues, so stage set up was limited. This time, I felt as if I was seeing a full Travis Japan production, as if I was in Japan.
The show opened with performers from World of Dance, a competition which Travis Japan previously competed in. The performers really got the crowd’s energy going, with a range of dance styles ranging from ballroom to voguing. One thing I was say that I found off brand though was the playing of a KPop song during the voguing segment.
Then, the main event! The stage set up lit up with the names of the boys and and a intro video played. Travis Japan then appeared! They opened the show with “Crazy Crazy.” I immediately noticed that the vocals and dancing had improved since October. They felt more confident and free on stage compared to last fall.
The concert included the song “Love Tag”, for which I really enjoyed the bass and frantic transitions.
“LEVEL UP” came later, which I always found to be quite fun and with an interesting subtext. But the song also now makes be think of the KATSEYE song “Gameboy.” It appears as if the girl group completely copied “LEVEL UP.” The song and its music video are eerily similar to Travis Japan’s. It gets even weird when you realize that both songs are from groups that their respective Asian talent agencies are advancing in the West.
Travis Japan also performed a remixed version of “BO$$Y”, which really upped the bass in the song. I’m a really sucker for bassy song, in case you couldn’t tell already.
There as a costume change, with the boys coming out in white blazers, light wash baggy jeans, and Timberlands. It reminded me of the New York in the 2000s, like something that Usher would wear back then in a music video.
This costume change worked really well for “Tokyo Crazy Night.” This song really strikes a chord with me because I love the city pop influence, and as a creature of the night, I’ve always liked songs that relate to the excitement that nighttime can bring.
“Rush” came later, and whenever I think of the word “rush”, I think of the Troye Sivan song, and then I think of that interview where it was said that Noel looks like Troye. This is a different “Rush” thought, but still similarly sexy. They performed this song behind a transparent screen, and in open shirts, to up the sexiness of the vibe. Then came the flower petals, which had an effect akin to a snow globe.
I will say that I was concerned for the boys after “Rush” when the petals were not immediately cleaned up, as I thought they presented a safety hazard.
As you could imagine, after all this performing, Travis Japan needed a break. During their water break, they had a talk segment and took a photo with the audience.
The petals made their return with “VOLCANO”, a song that plays on the group’s Japanese heritage. I enjoyed the incorporation of the taiko drumming during this song, to give it an extra live dimension.
Travis Japan closed their concert with their debut song “JUST DANCE!” It took me back to their debut, which was really wild because it actually resulted in me making my TV debut on NHK World, something I never imagined for myself. This is a bond between Travis Japan and I, both of us making a debut.
I took an array of photos and videos that night, and they can all be found here on our Twitter count.
