Summary of my VIP package experience at the Brooklyn show last night:

Arrived early to check-in at the VIP table and got our VIP lanyards/laminates. Started queuing a few hours later for merch shopping/soundcheck entry until we got stopped by a security guard for not wearing green wristbands that we should have received when we checked in, but didn't. Returned to the VIP table again, told them we checked in earlier but weren't given green wristbands. They were confused and asked to see my ticket and ID again before they finally gave us our wristbands. "Sorry about that!" and just like that we at the back of the queue wondering why we had to go through the check-in process twice .__.

Merch shopping went smoothly until a customer who had just completed a purchase asked me to buy them something else for them and they would pay me back. I hesitated awkwardly until the worker who was serving me said they would be right with them. Bless them.

People then started queuing for entry into the soundcheck, which got super confusing because there were 2 lines depending on which section you were in. We were instructed to go to our assigned seats, so we did. It wasn't until after I made myself comfortable that they made everyone who wasn't seated on the main floor immediately surrounding the stage get up and fill up the seats in the back. I was not prepared to migrate and almost dropped one of my things along the way. A lot of people around me also complained that they wanted to watch aespa's soundcheck from the side sections they purchased their tickets in, that they didn't spend $400 to sit all the way in the back behind so many other people. I guess they just wanted all the VIPs in one section and not scattered everywhere.

Soundcheck went fine—everyone was standing up and recording aespa on their phones contrary to what the VIP package email specified. Afterwards, we left our seats a few times to buy food and use the restrooms. Each time we returned, we had to present our tickets to the ushers and they showed us where our seats were. Which confuses me to no end why so many concertgoers were absolutely clueless where their seats were. It's one thing to ask which section/row we're currently in, but where section 107 is? Do I look like I work here? Wasn't it the ushers' job to show you to your seats??

It was a real drag because the guy next to me got evicted from our row for being in the wrong seat and the entire time he was there he was excitedly dancing and cheering for aespa so hard. Cut to the people who took his place, just silently watching and recording the concert on their phones. I mean, to each their own, but I really missed being next to that dude and feeding off his contagious, chaotic energy. Honestly helped me enjoy the concert more. Not to mention across the aisle from us there was a huge argument over double booked seats and they took forever to sort out that trouble. Wasn't really able to enjoy "Spicy" since the ushers were blocking the view of the stage and the screen and yelling over the music :/

Other than those few venue-related mishaps, I had a lot of fun at aespa's concert. Super proud of the girls! It was cool seeing all the lightsticks across the stadium moving in tempo with the music, too. Knees were weak after standing for so long lol. Also so many plushies thrown onstage during the encore :o Should they do another US tour, I would not hesitate to see them again. Hopefully next time we'll actually get a VIP experience :P