I met eaJ up close at the WTRSFM Tour in Manila!
My trance snapped when my phone suddenly rang — my colleague (also his Twitch follower) screaming, “ALEX, SI JAE PARK NAGLALAKAD PAPUNTA SA VALORANT BOOTH!” (Alex! Jae Park is walking towards the Valorant booth!) And all I could say was, “I know… he literally just walked past me.”
I’d been casually listening to his solo music for a while and I would sometimes catch him live on Twitch. I was there when things went down for him (it was also the time I found out about who he was before going solo) and the world seemed ready to tear him apart, I stayed a silent listener. I knew he was going through something heavier than what people were saying.
That HITC night was the first time I heard him live. Light rain was falling, but I remember so clearly how Rai (my bestfriend) and I stood in the middle of the HITC crowd, a bit drenched in work clothes, both of us tearing up as eaJ poured his heart out on stage.
After HITC in Manila, every now and then, Rai and I would talk about how much eaJ's performance affected us that night. I mean, who would expect two grown working women to tear up in the middle of a festival crowd, right? But I remember so clearly how we looked at each other during his set at HITC and realized we were both crying. Why? We're still not entirely sure. Maybe it was his undeniable talent, and the fact that it had been so long since a live performance truly moved us. Perhaps it was his words about how his fans had saved him (he said this when he saw a sign that said "Jae, you made my pandemic bearable" and he answered with "you made my life bearable"), or it must be the lyrics of "Castle In The Sky." Or maybe, it's because Rai and I were both in a really dark place then, feeling lost, and every word he sang just hit home.
I’d tell Rai how much I wished eaJ would do an Asian tour, play at a venue like Sky Dome (one of our favorite concert venues), and hold a meet & greet so I could finally tell him how much I love him and his music. Fast forward to this year, September 1st—I got EXACTLY what I wished for. Guess I manifested that one perfectly! --- And from all the yapping (his favorite word) I did at the start of this blog, you'd know how personal this concert was to us (so personal that we bought and booked tickets for the Singapore stop the next day 😅)
As soon as we secured tickets for the concert, Rai and I wished so hard that at least one of us would win a 1:1 meet and greet with eaJ. A few days before the concert, we found out Rai was 1 of the 15 lucky winners of the 1:1 meet & greet. And because she is the most amazing bestfriend in the world — she gave this to me. Yes, I am lucky to have her in my life.
Come concert day, I was so nervous and I didn't even have time to prepare as D.O's Bloom Fancon and eaJ's concert was back to back. All I could remember was to dress as comfortable and as best as I could as I knew I'd be jumping, singing and meeting him right after. We arrived at the venue at around 1:00PM. We went ahead with the strapping and grabbed late lunch. While waiting for the queuing to start, we went around the Sky Dome area to participate at the fan activity area and check out the vibe. Right at that moment, eaJ was doing a soundcheck and as soon as we heard him sing, my mind went black. I was pinching and slapping Rai so hard telling her "he's here! he's finally here!" After that, we decided to kill time in a coffee shop beside Sky Dome and like the old millennials that we are, we didn't notice the time until we noticed a line going inside the dome already. Turns out, the VIP line was already moving and that we missed our spot. We also missed eaJ going out earlier and greeting the fans. 😅
Inside the venue, I noticed there were all sorts of fans. Fans from his band days, fans who met him because of his work with 88rising, those who saw him at the HITC Festival and those who have been his loyal followers on Twitch. To be honest, it was a breath of fresh air because we noticed that his fanbase is quite different to the kpop crowd we're so used to. It really felt like he was finally able to create his own community, his JARS. 😄
@analoggirls Have you ever seen an artist go out before the show and personally asks for energy, says Hi and Thank You to almost everyone? 💖 Our LA Star, @eaJ 🧑🚀💖 #eajpark #wtrsfmtour #wtrsfmtourinmanila ♬ LA STARS - eaJ
A few minutes before the show, eaJ came out and greeted all the fans. Asked for energy, asked everyone to jump and sing and also to thank everyone. I mean, who does that? He's so sweet!
The show had a rough start with his mic not working during the first 2 songs. Nevertheless, eaJ did his part well and hyped the crowd. As soon as he had his microphone working, he went down to the crowd. We thought he was just going to do the usual run around the dome, we weren't ready when he went inside our section and stopped just right in front of me and Rai. Rai even got the chance to hold hands with him for seconds, but that honestly felt longer to me. I was jealous.😝
The show took about an hour and 45mins. It was packed with 20 amazing songs from his "Insomia" EP series, a song he did for Valorant, a few ones he hasn't released yet and his newest album release "When The Rain Stopped Following Me" --- I was so hyped and happy during the whole show that it actually slipped my mind that I was going to meet him later that night.
After the concert and a long wait while the other group perk winners met him first, it was finally time for the 15 of us who won the 1:1 Meet & Greet. We kept asking the staff how much time we'd each have, and they told us eaJ wanted to take his time and have a proper conversation with everyone. That’s when it hit me — I had nothing prepared to say.
In the days leading up to this, I’d joked with Rai about all the funny things I might tell him, but nothing too serious. Standing just two people away, I still had no clue what to say. In my mind, all I really wanted was to say was — thank you. Thank you for everything. For being here. For choosing to stay with us.
And just like that, it was my turn. I was shaking as I approached him. I managed to say a very demure and very mindful "Hi!" (so out of character) and as I sat beside him, I asked if we should have our selfie first. After the photo op, I handed him my (and Rai's) copy of the Smiling in Insomia EP and told him how we ordered 2 and got 4 instead. How that happened, we don't know and he doesn't know either, as he told me that wasn't supposed to happen. 😅 I know he already signed the CD's, but I asked if he can sign them again on the cover as a "commemoration" of that moment (as if the photo wasn't enough, I was just all over the place 😫)
As he was signing the CD's he asked what my favorite song was from the concert and I answered "definitely Car Crash" --- I tried to sound as confident as I could, BUT a few seconds after that I realized I meant to say IN MY CIVIC! It was IN MY CIVIC, JAE! It will always be my all time favorite song. Anyway, the conversation after that was all a blur until I saw my photos ---
After that, I carefully walked down the stage, focusing hard on each step, telling myself not to trip -- honestly, I felt like I was floating. My mind was everywhere. I headed out of the venue to find Rai, and as soon as I reached her, I just gave her a look with a very meek "Bes..." --- she already knew exactly how I felt in that moment.
—-
It’s hard to explain. It wasn’t just excitement. It was this quiet wave of gratitude, like everything had come full circle. Talking to him felt natural, like catching up with an old friend you haven’t seen in years. The first time I saw him live, I was still picking up the pieces of my life (surviving an abusive relationship, learning how to be a single mom, just trying to stay afloat) But standing there that night, actually getting to talk to eaJ, I realized how far I’d come. For the first time in a long while, I thought, I’m okay now. And in a strange way, it felt like he’d been part of my journey too. Not just as someone who saved me through his music, but also as someone whose existence reminded me that healing was possible.
—-
I found Rai with a group of fans and bouncers outside the venue. She was talking to some of the bouncers about how eaJ was and all. They all said that out of all the artists they've worked with, eaJ is by far the nicest out of all them --- and I believe them. Not sure how I can explain this, but I've had my fair share of interactions with foreign artists, and eaJ was just different. He felt like a real person to me, if you know what I mean.
As we were preparing to leave, we heard a small commotion by the Sky Dome entrance and thought "oh, is he coming out?" and true enough, after all the meet & greets, he went out to personally check on the merch and even took the time sell some! Yes, he sold out all the merch. He even signed all the posters for us!
Honestly, everything Jae did in Manila went above and beyond what any fan could’ve hoped for. He wasn’t just there to perform, he was catching up with old friends, sharing stories, laughs, and pieces of himself we hadn’t seen in a long time.
While some might say he’s able to do these things because he's no longer confined by the strict and structured world of K-pop, I think it’s more than that. I honestly believe that he's the kind of person who puts his heart into everything --- nothing half-baked, always sincere and it all comes from a place of deep gratitude.
Definitely one for the books. I will forever cherish this experience.










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