Last week, I had the opportunity to see an artist I truly respect, given his resilience in overcoming all the hardships he and his group faced. That artist is Jay B, the leader of Got7. Although I didn’t listen to them when they were first active, I do listen to their new music and solo music, including his, which is why I have reviewed other members’ solo concerts in the past and was excited to review this one as well. Based on what I have seen online, this tour also had some challenges, but I am lucky he added a Toronto stop, and I was able to see him live. I will go into further detail in this blog post as I share my honest thoughts about the concert, the venue, and more. Before you read below, make sure you follow me on social media (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook) as I post more concert/music content! For a preview watch the video below!
About
Lim Jae-beom, better known as Jay B, is from Siheung, South Korea, and is the leader of the K-pop group GOT7. This is now the third GOT7 member I got to see as I saw (and high-five) his Thai group member, BamBam, at his solo concert/fansign last year and took a picture with his maknae (youngest) and Jus2 (GOT7 sub-unit) member, Yugyeom, a few months ago. Jay B is an all-rounder who started as a b-boy and has incredible vocals. After his group left their former agency, JYP, he was continuously fighting to keep their name and group alive. Jay B even educated himself about legalities and worked with lawyers to secure the GOT7 trademarks and rights. Although the members had different solo careers and successes, he was still able to reunite them for a proper album earlier this year, which was filled with great songs! Their old songs are great too and I know he is proud to be the leader look how happy he was performing Page.
Similar to Yugyeom, a lot of Jay B’s solo music is more R&B influenced, and I remember in an interview he mentioned his inspiration was 90s singer D’Angelo, it was clear. His solo music definitely gives a more old-school type of feel, and it is more of a mix of both K-pop and K-R&B. For instance, songs like Cloud Nine and Switch Up (below) have a more sensual modern R&B type of music, while his song Crash (above) gives me more of a K-pop vibe.
Tickets and Venue
The concert took place at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, located at 190 Princess Blvd, Toronto, Ontario. This is essentially the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) with BMO Stadium (home to the Argos, Toronto FC, and FIFA 2026) right beside. Although I never attended a concert here before, I did go here for a special podcast by former Toronto Raptor, Danny Green, after we won the NBA Championships. You can access this easily by the TTC, GO, or by car, since there are several paid parking options nearby. I ended up parking in the same lot I did for BINI and The Rose, since Coca Cola Colesium is a few steps away as well. After the Yugyeom experience, my sister and I definitely wanted seated tickets, so when they released last month, we got seats in the Mezzanine for about $115 CAD. Although it would’ve been cool to do VIP or hi-touch with another GOT7 member, I think the prices were really high to justify. I did think it was interesting that they started to sell a special ticket for people outside of the city to take advantage of, where they can get tickets for the show and a hotel nearby. Personally, for this venue, I am not a big fan because the food options are just snacks like The Theatre at Great Canadian Toronto and are ridiculously overpriced. However, the main reason why I am not a fan of this place is that their lighting kept hitting people in the eyes. I never thought I would recommend people to bring sunglasses to a concert before, but it was getting annoying, and at times, I had to use my phone to watch the concert. The seats were comfortable, and I noticed some people left to go to the GA section for a better view, but I know someone who did that also told me that the lights were also hitting people there too. I also noticed that at times the backtrack was really loud, and at times Jay B was trying to fight it (because he can genuinely sing live).
Merchandise
The merchandise for this show was very underwhelming, maybe the worst I have seen at a K-pop concert. They only had white t-shirts, with one having a maple leaf for Toronto on the back and one that didn’t (regular). The Toronto t-shirt was $57.52 CAD, and the regular t-shirt was $48.68 (not sure why it was so specific, but that’s what it said). They also had a hat selling for $44.25, but I am not sure how it looked because it was sold out by the time I checked out the merchandise. What I did like about the merchandise was that they did have some affordable options for souvenirs and gifts, such as the random photocard pack of 5 for $10 that are tour exclusives, and a random photocard duo for $5. They did have a Toronto exclusive photocard, but that sold out as well. I ended up getting the photocards because they were tour exclusive, and I will be giving one away. I also liked that they had a special Polaroid-type card they were giving out when entering the venue, which was really cool and well done!
Performance
I arrived at the venue around 7:50 p.m., which was fine since he did have an opener that started ten minutes later. This is my first time going to a K-pop or K-R&B concert where there is an opener, and I know the US tour got Tabber, but I was really impressed with this artist! It was my first time hearing about Jiwoo, who is signed under Wavy Seoul, but I definitely want to listen to more of his songs after seeing his performance. He was a perfect opener for Jay B as he had a similar R&B vibe, and he also mentioned that he is from Toronto and is doing his PHD at U of T while still doing music!? Jay B eventually came out around 8:40 p.m. and performed until 10:23 p.m. He performed various of his solo album and GOT7 songs like PAGE (would have been cool to see Hard Carry again), but happy I got to see him perform his solo music! My favourite songs from him are Chosen, Make Me Right, AM PM, Cloud Nine, The Way We Are, Fame, BTW, and Go UP, which I was happy to see live!
I remember Jiwoo saying that Jay B is an amazing singer and dancer when he was opening up for him, and as a fan, I noticed it, but it hits differently when you see him on stage. Although his personality is more chill and laid back, when he performs, he goes all out with his dancing and singing, whether it is upbeat or intimate, he knows how to bring the lyrics to life so fans can truly appreciate it even more live. I will be honest, most of the songs I listed above I liked more after I heard them live, which is always a good sign that the artist knows how to put in effort into their concert. Two songs that were stuck in my head after the concert were cloud nine and Got7’s page. He had a few VCRs and a more relaxed encore stage.
Overall
All in all, it was a solid concert, and yes, things could have been better by the venue, and I did wish he performed Hard Carry. Nonetheless, I am really happy that I finally got to see Jay B live! Fun fact, one of my USC classmates was hesitant about going to the San Francisco show, but I told her I think she should, and she had a great time as well. I think he is worth seeing live, and you will appreciate it if you are a fan of his music or a fan of K-R&B. Let me know what you think if you went to any of his shows on this tour or hope to see him live in the future in the comments below and make sure to follow me on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook) as I post more K-pop and concert/music content!