Japanese rock group ONE OK ROCK has been killing it on the road throughout their short yet extensive 2024 Premonition World Tour. They brought their high-energy yet crazy intimate live show experience from Tokyo to Paris and settled down in Los Angeles at the legendary KIA Forum, where these four maniacs would forever leave their mark on concertgoers’ memories.
The high-energy experience would also happen to be my first time experiencing what could go down as my all-time favorite rock show I’ve had the pleasure of attending. I arrived at the KIA Forum in the heart of Inglewood a few hours before doors would open and already I could tell the heartfelt dedication ONE OK ROCK’s fanbase has for these four incredibly talented members. Some even arrived in the late hours of the night to ensure a good spot during the show’s barricade to show the members their longtime support for them and the community as a whole.
Long lines would quickly wrap around the KIA Forum as well as the quickly selling out merch booths as time appeared to quickly speed up while slowing down all at once. I guess you could say my excitement was getting the best of me as I could only contain my hype levels for so long. I was ready to sing along, dance, and just go crazy with the very friendly ONE OK ROCK fanbase.
The time would finally arrive, doors would unlatch, fans would pour into the KIA Forum and audio tech would begin live sound-checking the band’s equipment while also ensuring everything was tuned and ready to go. Funnily enough, an experience in itself as in the last few shows I’ve attended, all of this has been done in complete silence so it was a happy reminder of yesteryear and smaller local shows.
I couldn’t also help but smile at the fans sitting in the upper bowl of the venue as their excitement could be seen with makeshift lightsticks lighting up the roof of the venue. The energy levels could already be felt leading into the band finally taking the stage to screams of excitement and tears of joy all around me. It was a beautiful sight and one I will not quickly forget. The love and good vibes could be felt from start to finish.
ONE OK ROCK vocalist Taka quickly exploded with energy while providing one of the best vocal deliveries that have entered my ears. This guy is excellent and you won’t easily find a better pop-punk style vocalist out there. The sing-alongs would begin early as Taka constantly roped the crowd into becoming the fifth member of the band as we all sang loud, creating a wall of love pushing over the band as a whole.
Like an extension of their own energy, the crowd at times would be louder than the band itself, pushing the thought into my mind that a band like ONE OK ROCK would feel amazing in a venue like the SoFi Stadium across the way. They have all the makings of your typical yet beloved stadium rock band and have created a larger-than-life performance that also feels like we’re all just watching them have fun in a garage in a suburban neighborhood.
Something I appreciate about ONE OK ROCK’s stage presence from their early Warped Tour days, which the band would joke about during a segment of the show (I still think they’ll be making an appearance at the 2025 Vans Warped Tour), to their 2024 Premonition World Tour is just how interactive they are. These guys feel like longtime friends, easily talking with the crowd, and creating a force for inclusion for every type of fan, whether it be a newcomer or someone from the band’s early start. There was no judgment, only love, and I think more bands and their fanbases can learn a little something.
Throughout the show, ONE OK ROCK would power through “Deeper Deeper,” “Save Yourself,” and “Make It Out Alive,” while also creating an emotional atmosphere with an acoustic rendition of “Wherever You Are” which had tears flowing from the stage into the crowd. This emotional version of the gut-punching track was beautiful to experience and I’m glad the members of ONE OK ROCK are so comfortable letting themselves be so vulnerable.
Throughout the show, the members of ONE OK ROCK would also individually acknowledge how great it felt playing the KIA Forum with bassist Ryota exclaiming that he never dreamed that they would be able to perform for so many people in Los Angeles, and drummer Tomoya giving his love for IN-N-OUT and the Los Angeles Dodgers, which itself got the crowd fired up.
Guitarist Toru would be all smiles as he gave his love for the energetic crowd as he would explain how excited he was to be on such a legendary stage, a sentiment that would continue onto the words of frontman Taka who would also share the love as he went down memory lane jumping between English and Japanese and though I might not speak Japanese, his words could easily be felt and the language barrier would cease to exist.
One can easily tell that their live show performance is built around their fans first, creating emotional memories filled with high-energy antics that could even give Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong a run for his money. The entire night felt like a huge family reunion centered around great vibes and amazing music, with each member getting their time in the spotlight to showcase just how amazing they are at their craft.
Powering through even more of their incredible setlist, including “Wonder,” “Prove,” and “Mighty Long Fall” to name just a few more, vocalist Taka would also channel his inner punk spirit and command a mosh pit into existence, with the crowd all but ready to accept the assignment, as well as multiple times putting himself into the heart of the crowd itself, creating even more life long memories.
ONE OK ROCK would also film parts of a live music video for their song “We All Matter” truly leaving it all on the stage of the KIA Forum rounding things off with an incredible display during “Wasted Nights.”
Everything from their onstage presence to the incredible stage work was perfection. Like I said at the beginning, ONE OK ROCK’s performance at the KIA Forum will probably go down as one of my favorite rock show experiences.
However, the band would not leave without giving the crowd a few surprises that included a tease of their new single and music video for “Dystopia” which is available now to stream, as well as a tease for an upcoming South American and North American tour, which again might or might not include a performance at the 2025 Vans Warped Tour.
In regards to their upcoming tour, once dates are revealed, I would highly suggest making any type of journey to any of the stops closest to you as you will not be disappointed in the slightest with your decision. I know I’ll be attending any future Southern California stops from here on out. So, I’m looking forward to sharing the energy with ONE OK ROCK and their glowing fanbase once more in the future.
