After more than a decade, the Korean pop-rock band CNBLUE returned to Los Angeles for their VOYAGE into X North America tour at The Novo on April 24, 2025.

The visuals and sound of blue waves crashing, smoke curling onstage and a sea of glowing blue lightsticks swept through the venue.

As CNBLUE’s fans, BOICE, cheered, waving lightsticks, a burst of blue confetti filled the air to begin the two-hour show. Right from the start, the band’s energy was high and it never let up. They opened the show with “In My Head,” with lead vocalist and guitarist Jung Yonghwa standing on a raised platform, guitar in hand, ripping through a solo.

Formed in 2009, CNBLUE–made up of vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Jung Yonghwa, drummer Kang Minhyuk and bassist Lee Jungshin–became known for blending rock with K-pop. After finishing their mandatory military service in 2020, the group returned in 2024 with a new album X, kickstarting their VOYAGE into X tour.

During their performance of “I’m Sorry,” Yonghwa yelled into the microphone, “LA, everybody jump” sending fans screaming and jumping in unison. Full of rock-star charisma, screaming a high note, as smoke shot into the air, he ended by saying “CNBLUE forever!”

Jungshin, on guitar, would move across the stage to interact with Minhyuk on drums, both fully immersed in the performance. A couple of times Yonghwa turned the microphone toward the crowd, encouraging them to sing along. Throughout the night, he led the energy with chants and call-and-responses, keeping the crowd engaged.

From performing “Coffee Shop,” the group transitioned seamlessly into “Wake Up.” Fans bounced and clapped along, following a playful call-and-response led by Yonghwa. As he strummed the guitar, the crowd echoed back “wake up, wake up,” while drummer Minhyuk kept a faint beat in the background. Yonghwa playfully competed with the audience, repeating the line in different vocal registers and eventually outsinging them with an effortless high note. Grinning, he declared, “I win,” drawing laughter from the crowd.

Yonghwa channeled Freddie Mercury with a dramatic “Ay-Oh,” leading into a quick snippet of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” Just as quickly, he returned to “Wake Up,” only to blend in the opening riff of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Can’t Stop” then slipped right back into playing a note from “Wake Up” again.

The playful, unpredictable sequence felt like K-pop group SEVENTEEN’s “Aju Nice” performance, where the song never really ends–it just keeps coming back, each time louder and more exciting than the last.

No matter where you stood in the venue, TV screens provided a clear view of the performance. Each song was matched with visuals that reflected its energy and mood, from flashing colorful lights for upbeat tracks to vivid red and blue tones for heavier rock numbers. Ballads were paired with minimalistic visuals and soft blue strobe lights, while smoke gently drifted across the stage, adding to the emotional atmosphere.

Slower songs like “To. My Love” and “Then, Now and Forever,” with Yonghwa on piano, delivered quieter, emotional moments that showcased the band’s softer side. Since “Then, Now and Forever” was a song off of the band’s latest album, Yonghwa took a moment to talk about how this album was something they put a lot of effort into after not releasing an album for three years. The energy quickly ramped back up with high-powered performances of “RACER” and “99%.” During “Cinderella,” Yonghwa hyped up his bandmates, getting the crowd to cheer as Minhyuk and Jungshin took the spotlight for their solo moments.

Throughout the night, the band chatted with the audience about their time in Los Angeles, eating In-N-Out, tacos, açai bowls and, as Yonghwa put it, “lots of K-food.” Minhyuk said, “I have been pretending to be a UCLA student for a bit,” garnering laughter. He went on to say that he and Jungshin walked around exploring “like I belonged there.”
They joked even more about being locals and their love for the city. Yonghwa claimed he was from LA and Orange County, Jungshin said he was from The Grove and Minhyuk got the biggest laugh by saying he was born and raised at The Novo.

“Oh, LA, you have stolen my heart,” Yonghwa said as he started to perform an impromptu acoustic song on the piano. While softly singing, Yonghwa thanked the audience for their love and support, then smoothly transitioned into “Can’t Stop.”

For Melissa Aragones, a recent CSUN communications graduate, discovering CNBLUE in 2016 opened the door to a new appreciation for Korean music.

“Before, I thought K-pop was too bubbly,” Aragones said. “But then, once I gave it a chance, especially with CNBLUE, they opened my mind. I loved their band’s rock style music. So it made me more open-minded. ‘Hey, K-pop is not all bubbly and cutesy all the time.’ They have different genres that a lot of people can tap into. So it’s like a little bit for everybody.”

Cecilia Martinez from Long Beach, who hadn’t seen the band since 2011, was lucky enough to get a signed poster as she left the venue. “Honestly, I was a little nervous cause I was like you know when you haven’t seen somebody in a long time. It was like that,” she said. The last time she saw them perform was with another rock band F.T. Island just a couple of buildings down at the Peacock Theater, which back then was named the Microsoft Theater. “I was excited [and] nervous.”

Martinez’s friend Michelle Linares said it brought back memories from 2011 and she added, “I just love Yonghwa’s energy. It’s always so energetic and it makes you want to be a part of the audience.”

For Murlen Champness, a fan from the San Fernando Valley, it was her first CNBLUE concert and an unforgettable one. “That’s the most amazing thing that they treat everyone the same and how they engage with the audience and you know, the funny parts and it’s a positive thing. So you walk out of a concert just feeling really upbeat and on a high so to speak. And everybody is walking out in the same feeling.”

“Time flies,” Yonghwa said near the end of the show, a full-circle moment from the start of the night, when he told the crowd, “I’ve been looking forward to this night for so long…Tonight is all about you. Let’s make some great memories.” Through a setlist that reflected their past, present, and future, CNBLUE delivered on that promise.

The night ended with “Young Forever,” as pink, purple and white confetti rained down on the crowd. Mid-song Yonghwa shouted, “Thank you, LA,” while Jungshin followed with “Thank you thank you,” a moment met with cheers. “LA, we stay young forever,” Yonghwa said. Minhyuk reassured fans, “I’ll make sure it won’t take as long next time. I’ll come back as fast as possible.”

From Yonghwa’s effortless high notes to Jungshin’s deep bass groove and Minhyuk’s powerful drumming, the trio’s chemistry felt timeless.

As fans filed out, employees handed out posters and photocards of the band–a final souvenir to commemorate the night. No matter how long it’s been, CNBLUE’s music still connects.