Earlier this year, FNC Entertainment announced the USA and Canada tour for Korean rock band CNBLUE! The band consists of members Jung Yong-hwa (leader, main vocals, keyboard, guitar, and rap), Kang Min-hyuk (drummer), and Lee Jung-shin (bassist). CNBLUE debuted in 2009 and, over the years, has been involved in various projects beyond music, including acting, participating in entertainment content, serving and completing their military service—all while continuing to work on new music.
It’s been 10 years since CNBLUE last visited North America on tour, and with the 2025 Voyage into X Tour, we (Bay Area fans) were lucky to be on that list! The band planned stops in Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, and wrapped it up in San Francisco during April.
This year, they also celebrated their 15th anniversary together! In 2024, they were busy with their Asia tour “2024 CNBLUE LIVE: CNBLUENTITY” and another summer tour in Asia titled “Voyage into X.” On October 14, 2024, the band released their tenth mini album titled "X", featuring the title track and music video “A Sleepless Night.”
On April 27, 2025, CNBLUE made their long-awaited first-ever appearance in San Francisco at the Warfield Theater. The venue filled with fans waving long glow sticks and the official CNBLUE light stick, creating a glowing sea of blue. As the lights dimmed, anticipation buzzed in the air.
The band opened with “In My Head,” an electric choice to kick off the night. The powerful guitar and drum beats exploded in sync with fans’ screams and cheers, and the band’s on-stage charisma was evident from the start. At one point during the song, a blast of blue confetti shot into the air, heightening the excitement and perfectly complementing the band’s upbeat melodies.
When greeting San Francisco fans, the band asked where everyone was from. To their surprise, along with locals, many fans had traveled from other states just to attend the tour’s limited North American stops. The band also shared how they spent time exploring the city.
“We went to the Palace of Fine Arts, Pier 39, yeah, and we went to the baseball game and met Jung Hoo Lee! They didn’t win that day though, so we have to cheer louder for them next time,” Yonghwa shared.
The San Francisco baseball team hosted the band at a game, where they met MLB center fielder Jung Hoo Lee just days before their concert.
Their setlist included many songs both old and new, including popular hits such as newer song "A sleepless night", "Bad Bad", and "Racer", just to name a few, that really energized the crowd in excitement. A fun highlight of the night occurred during the song “Wake Up,” when the band playfully slowed the tempo, softly singing “Wake up, wake up” and encouraging the crowd to echo it. Fans responded eagerly, matching the soft tone and alternating louder tones. Yonghwa even had bassist Jung-Shin sing his part. Jung-shin led the call-and-response and ambitiously attempted Yonghwa’s high note, causing laughter throughout the venue and delighting Yonghwa.
As the concert slowed down, the band transitioned into ballads. Yonghwa addressed the crowd with a heartfelt message:
“You guys are truly our energy tonight, and your voices give us strength. We are very happy,” he said, smiling with gratitude.
When introducing “Intuition,” the band reflected on the passage of time:
“Now, our next song came out in 2011. Wow, how old were we? How old were all of you?”
The members laughed, recalling being 21 and 19 at the time, then asking the audience about their ages back then.
“You were 16?! What? 10?!” they exclaimed, surprised. Clearly, time has passed, but the nostalgia remains embedded in their music—a time capsule for fans and the band alike.
As the night came to a close, the band shared their final thoughts with sincerity. After realizing how many had traveled from across the country, they were clearly moved.
“You’re not just from San Francisco?” Yonghwa asked in awe as fans shouted cities and states. “And this is your first time seeing CNBLUE?”
Fans cheered in confirmation.
“Wow,” the members said, exchanging looks. “And you’ve waited ten years for us? Wow. Thank you so much for waiting and being here tonight.”
They ended the evening by expressing deep gratitude and promised to try visiting more cities across the U.S., Canada, and South America in the future. CNBLUE’s show was unique and refreshing to watch as they have been musicians for a while now.As true veteran artists in the music world, it's quite clear to see how much they love their jobs as artists and how much they adore having fun with their fans and connecting through many years of music.