Tens of thousands of NCTzens from around the world made significant travel plans and flocked to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on October 6, 2022, to catch a glimpse of NCT 127 in the United States for the first time in a few years. The group's return marks a historic date for fans as they arrived dressed in neon green toting banners, lightsticks, signs, and cowboy hats to boot. 'NCT 127 2nd Tour: Neo City - The Link' is the group's second-ever world tour, and the US leg has only boasted two dates thus far. Fans missed out on their last tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so NCTzens were not going to risk missing out on the rare opportunity to see Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun, Johnny, Mark, Jungwoo, Doyoung, Taeil, and Haechan in the flesh again.

With every seat filled, the energy inside the arena was buzzing and ecstatic, as expected. As the stage screen split into two and revealed the members, adoring fans cheered loudly in excitement as the intro to "Kick It" filled the arena. NCT127 set forth on a series of grueling and challenging performances to offer an unforgettable concert for patient fans, and NCTzens returned their favorite group's energy with triumphant cheers, love, and smiles. Members of the group then expressed their yearning to return to see fans abroad. The feeling of mutual adoration was in the air.

Having gone to numerous K-Pop concerts in my career as a journalist, NCT127's vocal performance at Neo City - The Link LA came in the Top 3 in my All-Time list. With so many powerful vocalists and all-rounded talents that have worked with one another for so long, their exceptional stability and synergy between members were clear to see. Whether it's Taeil and Haechan serving insane harmonies during "Love Sign" or Mark and Taeyong giving a dynamic rap duet in "The Himalayas," the group's all-around appeal is amplified by the fact that they continue to lean on each other's strengths to power up the unit as a whole. Their individual impact is undeniable, but their presence together brought unadulterated joy ringing across the concert hall as the group showcased their journey into their current sound and concept with a whopping 30+ song setlist spanning over several album releases. 

Aesthetics are certainly not missing with NCT127 as the group's fans can readily attest to the fact that each member is a visual in and of themselves, but looks aside- the concert's dedication to keep the focal point of their performances on their talent is what I commend them for most. Many concerts opt to overwhelm with hyper-stimulating visual backgrounds and designs, and theatrics, but NCT127 keeps it simple with HD quality zooms on the members as they do what they do best: dance and sing. Their minimalistic commitment to keeping things simple (an "Elevator (127F)" pun, ha) is their most impactful power in a concert setting. 

NCT127 made sure to make all the fans feel how badly they had wanted to return to the concert circuit globally through meaningful ments, powerful performances, and of course- autographed signed balls! Fans jumped up faster than an NBA player to catch the plastic autographed balls thrown by the members themselves into the audience. With fancams and mementos galore, the memory of this show is sure to last a lifetime for all that attend.

Even after the concert, NCT127 hosted a special "2Baddies" themed pop-up event the next day for fans to attend at the Petersen Automotive Museum, a Los Angeles Car Museum, where they had catered drinks, photo-ops, and a special Q&A. Committed NCTzens waited hours in the heat to get access to the event with some even being turned away due to the volume of fans that attended surpassing the building's capacity.

All-in-all, the group's return stateside was a huge success. NCT127 has done an excellent job finding their distinctive uniqueness despite the hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic. They've since brought their insanely impressive discography of songs to life in the concert setting and continue to make movie-worthy memories with fans across the world. Newark is the next stop on tour on October 13, and fans should get excited because one- they've brought back "Regular (English ver.)" to the setlist for the US leg, and two- there's no simpler way to say it... they are talented and have the showmanship to prove it.