JYJ performs in New York for global showcase

JYJ performs during the showcase for their first global album "The Beginning" held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, U.S.A on November 12, 2010. [Prain Inc.]

Korean boy band JYJ, composed of former TVXQ members Jaejung, Yuchun and Junsu, performed in New York last week, the first show for the U.S. leg of their global showcase tour.

The group's publicist Prain Inc. announced Monday that the three singers sang in front of some 3,000 fans at the event held at Hammerstein Ballroom on the evening of November 12 (U.S. time).

Over 7,000 fans had gathered at the venue, over twice the number of audience hall can accomodate, to watch Asia's hottest idol singers perform.

"It felt as if we were rewarded for everything we had done to prepare for our worldwide debut," the boys were quoted as saying after the New York show.

The boys' New York showcase was held for free as will their upcoming shows in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Including another stop in Hawaii, fans were originally asked to buy tickets for the tour in America but the show's host cancelled the Hawaii show for the delayed issuance of the boys' U.S. visa and insufficient time for preparations.

When they finally obtained their visas however, the trio were denied P1 visas which would be necessary in allowing them to make monetary benefits off the remainder of their shows so they decided to hold all the shows for free.

Their worldwide tour, promoting their first worldwide album "The Beginning" as a trio, kicked off in Seoul in mid-October and also took place at Hong Kong, Taiwan and Shanghai.

They will perform at Las Vegas' Performing Arts Hall in Planet Hollywood on November 14 and Los Angeles' The Galen Center in U.S.C on November 19.

Fans of boy band JYJ wait in line for the boys' showcase for their first global album "The Beginning" held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, U.S.A on November 12, 2010. [Prain Inc.]

Jessica Kim jesskim@