Crowds of ARMY of all ages and cultures formed lines outside the Sun Bowl, trading freebies and gathering at the Glory Field fan party ahead of the first BTS show.
The first BTS concert in El Paso was Saturday, May 2, at the Sun Bowl Stadium, where fans gathered outside the venue throughout the day. The second performance will be Sunday, May 3.
The streetcar filled as soon as it reached its first stop at South Santa Fe Street and East Overland Avenue, carrying riders around downtown and fans heading to the concert.
Fans from Ciudad Juárez who said they crossed on foot in the morning saw many others doing the same. They said a guard joked, “Ándele, ándele, que ya va a empezar el concierto,” or “Come on, come on, the concert is about to start.”
Madeline Espinoza, 25, of Colorado, said she tried to get tickets in Chicago, but they sold out. She came to El Paso alone after her friends were unable to get tickets for the show, but said she plans to collect freebies for them.
Espinoza, who has been a BTS fan since 2013, is seeing the group for the first time. She said she saw all seven members outside their hotel, The Plaza, the day before the concert and while they were out at restaurants.
She was waiting for the streetcar before noon to try to buy merchandise she was unable to get the day before. It’s her first time in El Paso, and she said people have been very helpful.
“People here are so nice,” Espinoza said in Spanish. “They tell you where to eat and where to go.”
Many stopped to eat at the Whataburger or nearby restaurants such as Panda Express and Wingstop.
Food trucks lined Glory Road, and water bottles were handed out. Water stations were also available for fans to refill bottles with water and ice.
Daphne Gomez, of Ciudad Juárez, attended with her sisters and parents after becoming a BTS fan in 2017. She introduced her family to the group, and it will be their first time seeing the band perform.
She said in Spanish that she “never in my life did I think” the group would come so close to her hometown.
The family arrived at 9 a.m. after spending three hours in line crossing from Ciudad Juárez and then lining up for merchandise.
“It’s very emotional because it’s something they’ve always wanted, and we had the opportunity to come,” her dad, Antonio, said in Spanish.
Fans wore colorful, creative outfits in shades of purple and red, many inspired by BTS and K-pop aesthetics.Throughout the day, El Pasoans helped out-of-town visitors with directions, while ARMY members complimented each other’s outfits and traded freebies.
A speaker played K-pop music outside the Don Haskins Center as fans who knew the choreography jumped in to dance.
Morgan Belding, of Killeen, Texas, has been a BTS fan since 2013. She was born in El Paso but moved at age 7 because she comes from a military family.
“I now have adult money, so I can finally go and see the people I’ve loved for so long,” Belding said.
“It feels euphoric, honestly. I’ve been, fan for so long, an ARMY for even longer, so it feels like I’m kind of becoming complete again, doing what childhood me would really have loved to have done when were younger. So I’m excited they’re here.”
She handed out freebies and invited other ARMY members to sign her shirt.
“It feels amazing because I’m a very introverted person naturally,” Belding said. “But just like the energy and the vibes, I think anybody can come here and just meet people who are like-minded, who are kind like them. And it’s a big family.”
Belding said returning to El Paso for the concert she had long hoped to attend felt like a full-circle moment.
“I think the community here is amazing, especially the ARMY community as well, with the purple star,” Bleding said. “So I hope other people just come and see the opportunities that are here within El Paso. So I’m hoping for more concerts in the future.”
Gaby Velasquez may be reached at gavelasquez@elpasotimes.com; @gabyavelasquez on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Fans travel far, find community ahead of BTS concert in El Paso
Reporting by Gaby Velasquez, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
