The Strand Theatre on Columbia Road has hosted any number of shows over the decades from operas and rap icons to blues artists, fashion shows, and vaudeville acts. But lately, it has become a popular destination for Korean Pop groups—also known as K-Pop or the Hallyu Wave— as they make tour stops on their way across America.
The genre boasts a large contingent of local fans from all cultures, many of whom regularly perform dances at Boston Little Saigon’s festivals in Fields Corner.
The trend started last November when veteran performer Moon Byul hosted the first K-Pop performance in Dorchester, a well-attended show at the Strand.
This coming Saturday (Oct. 11) will see the group Purple Kiss take the stage at the Strand for a stop on their current “farewell tour” of North America.
And on Thurs., Oct. 30, the K-Pop boy band ‘SF9’ – a group that in previous years had great successes on the international scene – will kick off their world tour at the Strand.
All of which is music to the ears of Melodi Greene, the Strand’s director.
“I am very excited that StudioPAV [the promoters] wanted to come to Boston and that they chose the Strand,” said Greene. “I’m also excited that Leo Presents wanted to come back. I wasn’t familiar with K-Pop and it’s not my thing, but these artists they brought in were great. They really bring in lots of energy and the way the artists interact with their fans is not like anything else I’ve seen in any other genre of music.”
Bobby Gale, a Minnesota-based promoter with Leo Presents who brought Moon Byul and Purple Kiss to Dorchester, was impressed with the venue.
“It was a great looking theatre, and these shows are a music and dance show at the same time,” said Gale. “It’s a mix of theatre and performance. A traditional music venue doesn’t work as well as a real theatre does. We thought it went great last year and got no bad feedback. … When the capacity matches the show, it makes good sense for us.”
For local K-Pop fans, the idea of being able to see a well-known act from South Korea in the neighborhood is a thrill.
Dorchester residents Nasya Eccleston, 17, and Angelina Young, 23, were excited to hear about K-Pop coming to the Strand and they plan to attend the shows. Both are involved in K-Pop-inspired dance groups locally.
“I find it exciting because artists and groups usually skip past Boston,” said Eccleston. Young said she got interested in K-Pop by watching YouTube videos in 2014, and soon enough, her main hobby became dancing to K-Pop music in local dance groups.
“I think it’s nice to have our local theatre have exposure to different cultures and the genres of music they play,” she said. “By having more groups host, it could increase the funding for the theatre and keep it open for future productions. It is quite random to choose such a theatre, but when more popular venues such as the Wang Theatre are booked and so expensive, I can fully support and understand choosing the local one. And honestly, I prefer the Strand.”
This Saturday’s show by the all-girl group Purple Kiss (shown below) is billed as “A Violet to Remember.” The group last performed in the area in 2023 at the Regent Theatre in Arlington but decided to use the Strand this time because it holds more people and provides a nice experience.
“Purple Kiss formed in 2020, so they are a Covid-era K-Pop group and had great success and the success has been dwindling so they’re calling it a day with this final North American tour,” said Gale.
Even more exciting for fans of the genre is the SF9 “Love Dawn” world tour kickoff at the Strand. The boy band has seen commercial success over many years, and though they have passed the height of their popularity, they remain a big-name attraction and present quite the coup for the Strand.
New York City-based promoter StudioPAV, which is bringing the show to the Strand, did not return emails seeking comment on their choice of the Dorchester venue, and neither did SF9. According to the StudioPAV website, they have been bringing K-Pop shows to the United States since 2006 and are one of the premier companies now.
“Today, Studio PAV stands as the most experienced and renowned K-Pop promotion and production company in the USA within the vibrant world of Korean pop culture,” the website asserts.
Tickets for both shows are available at the Strand Box Office with more information at 617-635-1403. Tickets for the Purple Kiss show on Oct. 11 can be purchased online at this link: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/purple-kiss-2025-tour-a-the-strand-theatre-tickets/14520453?pl=Leo
