IVE performs at the KIA Forum in Inglewood, California on March 13, 2024. Courtesy Andy Keilen/Starship Entertainment.

OAKLAND — For a group that didn’t debut until after the initial pandemic wave, as IVE has, it’s impressive that the six-member K-pop idol girl group is already selling out arenas on its first tour of the U.S. That held true at Oakland Arena, where Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Wonyoung, Liz and Leeseo performed their first Bay Area show on Saturday night. Thousands of screaming DIVES—the group’s fanbase—turned up to watch the group that only released its first full-length record last fall.

IVE performs at the KIA Forum in Inglewood, California on March 13, 2024.

But it wasn’t just any album, and IVE has already made a name for itself with music lauded by critics and other artists alike. The group’s latest single, “All Night,” features none other than Bay Area favorite Saweetie. And that album sold more than 1 million copies in its first week alone. Oakland marked the second date of the Show What I Have tour, which includes stops throughout North America, Europe, the U.K., South America and Australia, and the sextet showed fans that it is at its strongest together.

The concert’s four acts were broken up into the group’s lighter, poppier material over the first three acts and its edgier, darker songs toward the end. “Think you already know a lot about me?” a visual read before the show. IVE was out to show multiple sides of its music—and image—at the show.

A video wall split to reveal a larger stage with even more LED screens, and confetti rained down before IVE even took the stage. Once they did appear, they walked down a wide catwalk and posed in a line until heavy banger “I AM” began. Wearing matching white outfits with sparkling silver details, all six members showed off their theatrical higher ranges.

A couple of songs later, their harmonies again shone on “Heroine.” This slow burner, as well as the following “Cherish,” were heavily R&B- and hip-hop-influenced, but several other songs like the moody “Blue Blood” and emphatic “ROYAL” (at least this version of it) recalled early aughts alt-rock, of all things. More confetti was fired into the crowd at this point and throughout the night.

IVE performs at the KIA Forum in Inglewood, California on March 13, 2024.

Act 1 closer “ELEVEN,” the group’s first international hit, got the loudest ovation of the night. The song’s existing Middle Eastern flavor was magnified, as was its play with tempo, slowing down before speeding up numerous times. Other than during the subunit segment of the show, all of the songs had all six members switching off lines, such as on sweet ballads “Shine With Me” and “Either Way.” None of the six overshadowed the others, and IVE was at its best when the members’ vocals wound around each other’s.

“Shine With Me” began with the six sitting down and singing into lavender and pink microphones rather than headsets. The stage floor filled with fog while more confetti trickled from the rafters onto the group like snow.

Between songs, the six pointed out fans in outfits they particularly liked, or asked for suggestions on places they should visit in the Bay Area. They mentioned how one of their favorite films, “Inside Out,” takes place in the Bay Area, and said they wanted to visit San Francisco’s Union Square (they better get over to Macy’s before it’s too late).

Pop songs “Lips” and “Mine” were a nice pairing; on the latter they worked the secondary stage, twirling baby blue umbrellas. “Off the Record,” which sometimes sounded like a poppier take on SZA’s “Kill Bill,” was followed by the short individual performances. Gaeul sensually sang Ariana Grande’s “7 rings” while flanked by several dancers and gyrating on the stage in a black outfit. Rei did NIKI’s soulful retro jam “Every Summertime,” which references that artist’s childhood in the Bay Area. Then Gaeul and Rei teamed up for the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” made more playful by the dancers waving their arms around, recalling the Brits’ music video for that song.

IVE performs at the KIA Forum in Inglewood, California on March 13, 2024.

The most unique cover was Liz and Wonyoung tag-teaming Richard Sanderson’s “Reality,” which offered the saccharine goodness of Kermit the Frog singing “Rainbow Connection” while they sat on benches decorated with red, pink and white roses. Leeseo and Yujin then quickly brought the show back to its bombastic levels with a cover of Little Mix’s “Woman Like Me.”

This is also where the performance turned darker. After a horror-like video that actually made some in the audience jump once or twice, the girls returned in shiny black outfits and eerie synth stabs introduced “Hypnosis.” This song included the show’s best use of props—Wonyoung scribbled “Satisfied?” on the mirrored part of an old-fashioned dresser in lipstick—a ’90s-influenced industrial electronic beat, and the best showcase for the group’s two rappers, Gaeul and Rei.

After the heavy dark pop of “My Satisfaction” and thumper “LOVE DIVE,” the sweetness returned with “Kitsch,” which blended the two dynamics into one song. The heavy and dark flow of “Baddie” was paired with bright visuals and the most risqué dancing of the night.

IVE concluded the show with fan favorites “After LIKE,” “OTT” and the kaleidoscopic “All Night”—sadly without Saweetie, who grew up in Santa Clara.

“Having a tour outside of Korea was a dream for us,” they said.

Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.