Fans camp for days outside Tacoma Dome to be first in line for this popular boy band
Yuliana Marquez and Lauren Tibbett were the first to pitch their tents Thursday evening across from the Tacoma Dome. They’re at the front of a linear campground with a singular obsession: be the first in line to see the Korean boy band Tomorrow X Together.
The K-pop sensation is holding a 7:30 p.m. concert at the Dome Tuesday.
Although it’s pronounced “Tomorrow by Together,” fans call them TXT. They’re just the latest Korean boy band to hit Tacoma. Another, Enhyphen, played the Dome on April 28.
TXT’s members — Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and HueningKa — have a growing list of accomplishments. They garnered a MTV Music Video Award, headlined Lollapalooza in 2023 and one of their albums reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
Perhaps more importantly, they have a fervent fan base.
By late Monday afternoon, 163 fans had pitched tents and checked in with Tibbett. But more arrived every minute.
Tibbett greeted them with all the charm and efficiency of a cruise director. She keeps a list of fans, numbered in the order of arrival, and issues them wrist bands. There’s a protocol on who can leave the line on breaks and for how long.
It’s all unofficial, and respecting the queue is on an honor system, Tibbett said. So what happens if someone cuts the line on Tuesday when doors open?
“You would get called out,” Marquez said. “A lot of cussing. Screaming maybe.”
The tight group of four women around Marquez wore expressions that suggested extreme woe would be waiting for anyone who attempted such a transgression.
Tibbett, 23, is from Yakima. Marquez, 22, is from Bothell. Others traveled much farther for the show.
Elley Scanlon, 26, trekked from Kansas City. Diana Corona, 22, flew in from Phoenix. None of the women knew each other beforehand but now are fast friends, bonded by their love of TXT.
“We all have our moments with (TXT), connections to this group and experiences,” Corona said.
All of the women said they have hotel rooms or Airbnbs they can retreat to for showers and other necessities. Earlier, Tacoma firefighters stopped by to check on the women, as have Tacoma Dome staff.
Scanlon said her family didn’t know she had traveled to Tacoma until she arrived in town.
“And they weren’t too happy,” she said. “They don’t know I’m out camping. They just know I’m with a group.”
As if on cue, two staffers from TXT’s advance team strolled down the sidewalk, speaking with fans. The two young men, who declined to identify themselves, said it’s not unusual to see fans line up days in advance.
“They’re a big label,” one said. “They have a lot of dedicated fans, for sure.”
Another fan, Lena Waite, 20, of Tacoma said the tent line is for VIP ticket holders who get to have a chance for a quick meet and greet with the band’s members after the show. Waite, wearing an Enhypen T-shift, and Marquez were making posters for the show. Marquez’s read, “MOA’s love you.”
MOAs are what the band calls their fans, the women said. According to a TXT fan page, MOA is an acronym for Moments of Alwaysness.
“I have been in the fandom since they debuted in 2019,” Waite said. “And they have just meant so much to me and have helped me through so much.”
This story was originally published May 14, 2024 at 10:00 AM.
