Going it alone

JUNG Yong Hwa – a member of South Korean boy band CN Blue – proved that he oozes charm and talent even without his bandmates in his two-hour solo show “One Fine Day in Bangkok” staged early this month at Thunder Dome, Muang Thong Thani.

Screams and applause greeted the singer as he emerged on stage dressed in a tartan suit and launched straight into “Without You” and “Cruel Memories”, two tracks from his debut solo outing “One Fine Day”.

Surrounded by effects that created a red and blue firestorm, he continued with the upbeat “Ryu Can Do It” and “Checkmate” as striking 3D graphic scenes lit up the LED screens. 

 “Sawasdee khrub, I’m Yong Hwa. I’m very happy to perform my solo concert in Thailand,” he told fans in surprisingly good Thai, winning over even more young hearts.

Donning a denim jacket, he continued the show with a cover of Oasis’s “Supersonic” and Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name”, rapped on “Mileage” and ended the segment with “rak na jub jub”.

After a brief intermission, Yong Hwa returned to stage in his signature red suit sat and accompanied himself on piano for “Last Leaf”, “Like A Child” and “Energy”. The audience went wild as he removed his shirt and bared his chest for a rock-jazz-dance medley that included “Can’t Stop”, “I’m Sorry”, “Lady”, “Man In Front Of The Mirror”, and “You’ve Fallen For Me.”

Yong Hwa introduced his backup musicians to the audience before wrapping the show with “Goodnight Lover”, as fans showered him with the heart-shaped pieces of paper they hadn’t already pasted on their faces.

He was back on stage five minutes later, this time dressed casually in jeans 

 and a T-shirt and perched on a stool to sing “27 Years”, “Star” and “You”. He picked up one of the heart-shaped slips from a young fan and gave it a gentle kiss, drawing a crescendo of screams from the audience.

He bade a final farewell with “Love Light” and “One Fine Day” and left the stage with a promise to fans that he’d be back soon.