Travis Japan’s highly anticipated World Tour 2024 Road to A made its final Asia stop in Bangkok last 14 September, a night that fans are sure to remember. Union Hall came alive as the group dazzled the crowd with a satisfying setlist of new bangers and old faves, their signature dance style, candid humour, and boundless energy.

Bandwagon has been following Travis Japan’s journey since they made the move to train in Los Angeles, captured hearts in World of Dance and America’s Got Talent, and made their 2022 debut. We were even present for their showcase at the YouTube Fanfest in Singapore, pleased that we could get to know them better on Bandwagon’s home turf. So, of course, we had to be there for their first major concert in the region. 

Poised to bring their own brand of J-pop to the world from the start, the group had set out to actively engage with international audiences through consistent global releases and frequent appearances abroad. In fact, it was already their third time meeting fans in Thailand this year alone, after a small fanmeet in February and Summer Sonic Bangkok in August. Still, this solo concert was incredibly special, as it allowed attendees a more intimate chance to connect with Chaka, Umi, Shime, Noel, Shizu, Genta and Machu – the “unique tigers” of Travis Japan. 

A show of support from fans all over the region  

My friend Vicky, who lived closeby, was already at the venue at noon, wanting to get a head start on registering her VIP ticket and buying some tour goods. It was the right decision, as the T-shirts had sold out very early – luckily, she was still able to secure two of them, for herself and her friend.

I met up with them sometime in the afternoon, so we could talk about what we were looking forward to that evening and to grab something to eat so we’d have energy for the show. Vicky’s friend, a fan from Singapore, shared that the hotel she was staying at even played Travis Japan’s music videos at the lobby. It was her third time seeing the group in just five days, having gone to Hong Kong to watch both of their shows there prior to heading to Bangkok, and she said she was looking forward to see how this experience would fare in comparison.  

As we made our way to the venue, we met a young fan who had come to watch the concert by herself and decided to adopt her for the day. We learned that she was still in university and was a first-time idol fan, having first discovered another group, Naniwa Danshi, through the drama My Love Mix-Up!, which eventually led her to learning of Travis Japan as well. We checked out what was left of the goods, took some photos, and waited patiently for the doors to open.

At the waiting area, the floor was filled with not just local fans, but many who flew in from Japan and other neighbouring countries. Bangkok was the only Southeast Asia stop for Travis Japan this time, so fans from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and more did not miss the opportunity to also make their presence felt. 

Thai fans were, of course, out in full force, greeting the group with the immense enthusiasm that has always endeared the country to artists who hold their concerts here. From the moment the opening video lit up the stage, Travis Japan and their fans connected through their matching enthusiasm, creating an electric atmosphere throughout the night.

A roaring performance with the fiercest energy

The group kicked off the night with an explosive performance of ‘LEVEL UP’, the stage backdrop filled with colour and flashing like a video game screen. Fans were then treated to one-two punch of Travis Japan’s biggest hits, starting with their Billboard-topping debut song ‘JUST DANCE!’, followed by a medley featuring the classic ‘My Dreamy Hollywood’. Those familiar with the group competing at World of Dance would recognise this medley, which they performed with light-up canes and fox masks for that extra theatrical flair. 

Each member then took the spotlight to show their individual charms in the member intro rap ‘Unique Tigers’, after which Shime fired up the crowd with a promise, saying, "Let us show you our love tonight," as they all dove into a sultry rendition of ‘Till The Dawn’. This energy flowed through as the boys shed their jackets for the groovy ‘T.G.I. Friday Night’ and fan favourite (including mine) ‘Sweetest Tune’.

During the MC, the group expressed their excitement about returning so soon after their last appearance at Summer Sonic Bangkok, asking the audience who had seen them then, and greeting the rest with a cheerful “Nice to meet you!” The members also shared fun stories from their time in Thailand, where they indulged in local delicacies like green curry and soft-shell crab curry. Machu had everyone sympathising while laughing as he joked about his struggle with getting sticky rice out of its container during one meal. 

A touching moment followed as they unveiled the special banner fans prepared for them, and the boys marvelled at the fan messages in different languages – Noel reads out a message in Malay, “Saya suka TraJa! (I love TraJa!)” and translates it for the rest – as well as the drawings of themselves as tigers in their signature colours.   

ขอบคุณทุก ๆ คนที่มาร่วมกันเขียนข้อความให้น้องๆ กันนะคะ

หากมีข้อผิดพลาดประการใด ทางเราและคุณ @dou13lelinlin ต้องขออภัยมา ณ ที่นี้ด้วยนะคะ🐯💜#TravisJapanRoadtoABKK #TravisJapanBKK2024 #TravisJapan#WorldTour2024RoadtoA https://t.co/x240ZwyzFw pic.twitter.com/NHNm5lLm3E

— ウーwith Tomo🤝🏼☆Taisuke👍🏼 (@AUYAMASHITA) September 14, 2024

Afterwards, Travis Japan revealed one of the night’s biggest highlights: as an exclusive treat for their Thai fans, their very own dance redition of Timethai’s ultra steamy ‘HIT ME UP’, especially choreographed for the show by Shime, Shizu, and Machu. As the song hit the line “I'm gonna make you scream like, ooh-ooh-ooh,” the fans’ screams could also be heard ringing. 

The night continued under the glow of a disco ball, with the group launching into ‘King of the Jungle’, followed by a mashup of ‘Moving Pieces’ and ‘Candy Kiss’. A quick costume change and the boys return in full swing with a succession of heavy beat-driven tunes, ‘99 PERCENT’, ‘Love Tag’, and ‘Lock Lock’, which had me wondering, Do they ever out of energy?

As if on cue, Chaka announced their “last song” of the night, ‘Okie Dokie!’ Another personal favourite, this bright and cheerful anthem was the perfect song to conclude the main set.

Naturally, a few minutes later, the group rushed back out in their tour shirts after calls for “TraJa! TraJa!” echoed throughout the hall – but this time, they entered from the back and drove fans at the GA crazy as they invited them to sing along to ‘DRIVIN’ ME CRAZY’. The boys call on Machu to lead the chant of “ผมรักคุณ (Phom rak khun/I love you!)” before the end of the song, and then moved onto ‘Talk It! Make It!’ as they each made their way back to the stage, pausing to greet more fans along the way. 

Finally, Travis Japan thanked everyone for coming to see them and takes a commemorative photo with the crowd. Leader Chaka rallied the audience once more, to join him and the members in a promise to meet again. “Is that good?” he asked, to which the crowd responded with Travis Japan’s signature affirmation, “さんせーい ! (SANSEEI!)”

A rare opportunity that many hope would lead to more

After the show, I caught up with more fans outside the hall. Tiny, who became a fan after Travis Japan’s America’s Got Talent run, shared her experience: “Oh my god, it was amazing! I couldn’t see things much because there were a lot of tall people in front of me, so I could mostly only hear their voices, but that’s ok, because hearing them live was still so good.”

Fazwin, a Malaysian student currently living in Fukuoka, expressed her joy at seeing the group outside of Japan: “I’m so happy because, you know, we’re Southeast Asian. I had to travel here, but it’s so good to see my friends from Thailand and Malaysia. I wish I could stay longer so we could fangirl more!” She also shared that the message Noel read on stage was actually hers. 

Meanwhile, our Singaporean friend highlighted the atmosphere: “I think this show had the best vibe. The members were especially happy today, and it felt like they were truly enjoying themselves on stage.”

พวกเราประสบความสำเร็จทั้งหมดนี้ เพราะแฟนๆ ที่ประเทศไทยนะครับ ❤️🐯🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/t13wrKSHId

— Travis Japan (@TravisJapan_cr) September 20, 2024

Though it’s becoming more frequent in recent years, it’s still relatively uncommon for Japanese acts to venture outside of Japan for concerts. It’s especially rare for groups under STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, which Travis Japan is signed under, to do this; so even fans of other groups did not miss the opportunity to see Travis Japan in person on their world tour and show their warmest support for the group’s effort to meet overseas fans. 

Vicky was one example. Though mainly an Arashi and Snow Man fan, she’s someone who has always enjoyed showing support for other groups as well, even buying Travis Japan’s CD when they sold it at the local event last February. She said she found the group’s sound and style to be very distinct and loved seeing their unique artistry in person.  

Another such fan shared that while she’d been following STARTO groups for many years, the first time she got to really watch Travis Japan was at the We Are! Let's Get the Party STARTO!! concert, which was streamed online last May. “I think it was around this time that they announced the Thai show? So I thought, I really needed to come. And the concert was really, really good. It’s on another scale. They are truly entertainers!”

When I asked our young companion how she felt, she was shaking with joy. “This is my first time seeing TraJa up close. It’s such a special memory.”

There’s really nothing quite like the way live concerts strengthen the bond between artists and their fans, establishing a shared passion that resonates even beyond the space they have met for that time. As the group continues to grow, we look forward to their return and to see how they bring this joy to even more audiences worldwide.  

Special thanks to STARTO ENTERTAINMENT for the invite.