Features
Rain On The Horizon
Before hitting the States, the singer will make a couple of stops in Asia, including at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on May 25 and the Bangkok Impact Arena in Thailand on June 2 and 3.
Rain’s Stateside trek kicks off June 15 at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu and so far includes stops at New York’s Madison Square Garden (June 23), and the Staples Center in Los Angeles (June 30). Shows in Atlanta and San Francisco are in the works, but dates and venues were not confirmed at press time.
Tickets for some of the U.S. shows are on sale through Ticketmaster.
At a recent press conference announcing his first full U.S. tour, Rain spoke about being considered a leader of the “Korean Wave,” a phrase being used to describe the surging international popularity of Korean pop music and TV dramas, and his desire to appeal to U.S. fans.
Rain, who is one of the most recognizable entertainers in Asia and has won several MTV Asia awards, sports an urban style, athletic dancing ability and soulful voice that have translated even to fans who speak no Korean.
The singer was recently voted the most influential person in the world by 2.5 million Time magazine readers in an online poll, besting comedian Stephen Colbert.
His 2006 U.S. concerts at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden and Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, which featured appearances by American artists including Diddy, Omarion and JoJo, were quick sellouts.