South Korean idol Lee Changsub of BTOB delighted fans with his first solo concert, The Wayfarer, in Manila on Saturday, March 22. 

The event, presented by L-Squared Productions PH, was a heartfelt journey through his music and growth as a solo artist.

“What’s up, Philippines! Make some noise!” Changsub exclaimed as he kicked off the night with electrifying performances of “Chivalry” and “Golden Hour.” These exclusive live renditions were a special treat for his Filo Melodies.

The Korean idol expressed gratitude as Filipino fans warmly welcomed his solo show, a year after he visited the country with his group, BTOB, 

“Philippines! Kamusta kayo? Ako ay (si) Changsub Lee. Namiss ko kayo! Salamat po sa suporta,” Changsub said in Filipino.

Sharing his journey as a soloist, Changsub talked about the inspiration behind his concert’s title.

“Grabe namiss ko talaga ‘yung sigaw ng bawat isa. Welcome to The Wayfarer, Lee Changub’s solo concert,” he said as per the event’s translator.

“We started this concert tapos nagpunta ako sa iba’t ibang cities and finally nandito na ako sa Pilipinas,” he added. “Ang ibig sabihin ng ‘wayfarer’ ay traveller. Gusto ko talaga puntahan ang iba’t ibang cities kaya ang pangalan ng concert ko ay Wayfarer.”

The concert’s energy surged as Changsub performed “Saturday Night” and “Stay,” hyping up the audience.

“This is the first weekend we spend in the Philippines and what day is it today? It is ‘Saturday Night,” he expressed. “Saktong-sakto talaga ngayong gabi. I want to dance like Michael Jackson pero parang mahirap.”

He also revealed that “Stay” took the longest time to record, saying, “Medyo madilim ‘yung kanta (Stay). Actually, itong recording ng kantang ito is the longest time when I released songs. Ito talaga ‘yung pinakamahirap.”

He added, “Dapat talaga walang choreography ‘yung kanta ng ‘Stay’. Noong nagprepare ako ng concert, sabi ng choreographer dapat may sayaw ang kantang ito.”

Aside from sharing stories about his songs, Changsub updated fans on his recent activities, including his military service refresher training just a day before arriving in the Philippines. Changsub also shared how he loved eating various fruits as he visited the country.

Adding a playful touch, a special VCR segment humorously "charged" Changsub with "front teeth flirting, belly fat flirting, and singing flirting," to which he was found "guilty of false hope."

Returning to the stage, he performed “Old Town,” “Vain Hope,” and “I Guess I Loved You.” Changsub then commended his Filipino fans who sung along with him in his performances.

“Everyone was singing along to the song. It was very fun,” he remarked. “In every concert, I always do this: I let you sing along with me guys. I have the biggest gratitude as a singer so please sing with me.”

Another treat for his Saturday night reunion with Filo Melodies were live performances of some of his favorite cover songs from his YouTube channel.

“May mga contents na mga cover song na I would sing. Those contents are cover songs that I like. Those songs I will be singing for you live,” he stated as he sang Roy Kim’s “Only Then.”

Changsub also explained why he liked the song and what it meant for him in connection to the appreciation he has for his fans.

“Bakit gustong gusto ko itong kantang ito? Itong kanta kasi na hindi break up song. Ito ang message is that we should not break up. The day if I can't sing anymore would be the day that we break up but syempre dapat hindi ganoon ‘yung mangyayari,” he promised. “Don’t worry!”

An a cappella rendition of PSY’s “Refuge” followed, along with his OST song “Heavenly Fate.”

The atmosphere shifted into full party mode as Changsub energized the crowd with “Bump Bump” and “New Wave.”

“You guys are really good at jumping. Amazing!” he said. 

As fans chanted "Isa pa!" (one more time), he relented, performing “Bump Bump” a second time.

“Bakit gusto niyo pa ng isa? Bakit?” he asked. “One more? Okay. Bump Bump? Let’s go! Put your hands up.”

He then expressed how happy he is seeing fans enjoying his show.

“Nage-enjoy ba kayo? Kapag masaya kayo, sapat na iyon,” Changsub expressed. “Ako rin nag-e-enjoy din ako. Nag-e-enjoy talaga ako. It’s really really fun. We are all jumping together.”

He added, “Noong second version kanina, parang nasa club tayo kanina.”

Changsub ended the night with emotional performances of “As Always” and “33”, dedicating them to his fans.

“The next song is the song I dedicated to you guys. Please focus on every lyric of the song,” he said as he expressed in Filipino, “Mahal ko kayo!”

He was deeply touched by fans memorizing his Korean lyrics. “Kahit Korean language ‘yung lyrics ng kanta, nagmemorize kayo and singing along during the concert. I’m really really really so so so thankful.”

He went on, “With all of you here tonight, I am really grateful to have my concert here in the Philippines tonight.”

The encore stage featured “Macchiato,” a sweet song tribute to his Filo Melodies. Fans reciprocated with a surprise video and heartfelt messages delivered via paper planes, leaving Changsub overwhelmed with gratitude.

“Going on tour for this concert, I am grateful for Filo Melody for their support and love for me,” Changsub expressed. “I am really sincerely happy today. Thank you!”

“I really really appreciate the message of gratitude as well as the video, talaga overwhelming and touching talaga,” Changsub added.

Before wrapping up, he promised to return with new music, saying, “Everytime I do a concert, I always wonder and think about how I can make my concert better and my performances better. Next time, let’s meet again.”

“I come back with various and absolute music as well. Thank you, thank you all for coming tonight,” he added

READ: BTOB’s Changsub shares excitement for upcoming solo concert in Manila

With his final song, “#Run,” Changsub bid farewell. 

“Stay healthy, stay happy and let’s meet again,” he said to his fans. “Next year, and the following year and more years to come. I hope and pray that we will live for a long long time.”