One of my favorite parts of the concert experience is that the city turns into almost a convention or festival atmosphere. You run into ARMY everywhere, eating, passing by each other on the street. You see ARMY excitedly meeting each other for maybe the first or fiftieth time.

The cities turn the buildings and public works purple to greet you, hotels ask you with curiosity if you’re there for the concert and make sure you know where you’re going and you’re safe. Restaurants have specials for you. The way this band brings people together is special.

Their tour series are so much about seeing concerts from their POV which I love but I do hope one day ARMY can show them what they do for people, reuniting old friends, making new ones, feeling warm on a freezing day, maybe the only fun event a person has the entire year.

As someone who used to despise concerts, never liked to go to them, felt weird and self conscious about singing and dancing in public, BTS shows are one of the places where I know I can do all that and everyone around me is doing the same thing and being in the moment.

So i miss concerts with them. I’m still sad, I’m tearing up as I write this. It’s hard. But whenever they are back I will be there with thousands of ARMY and whatever cities are welcoming them back first. Purple buildings and all.