[fan account][15 fan cams][20 images] Still Raining Tour Las Vegas: OMG, did that really happen? (11/25/2023)
— Written and compiled by Stephe Thornton ^@@^
This is my personal account. If you share it, please do so with a blog post LINK because it’s lengthy and should remain in its entirety. Thank you! ❤️
18 YEARS WITH RAIN.
As our plane from Atlanta to Las Vegas came in for a landing at McCarran International Airport, I was still in complete disbelief. Despite the 4-hour+ flight that Terri and I had just endured, I couldn’t quite believe I was now in the same city as Rain.
After becoming a diehard Rain fan way back in the summer of 2006, I dreamed of seeing those Magic Feet perform in person. But when setting up our Rain promotional site much later (after Ninja Assassin was released in theaters) I put that expectation completely on the back-burner.
You see, when we Besties co-founded Cloud USA in January 2010 (because we couldn’t find a U.S. fan club to belong to except one that was impossible to get in), we did so with the clear understanding that Rain belonged to Korea. We knew the odds were we would never see him with our own eyes, ever. Besides, making sure English speakers had his news, schedules, albums and goods was the paramount mission — it wasn’t about us. With full-time jobs, sick family members to take care of, household expenses that took up our money and home obligations galore, we accepted all of that and went about our business instead of fretting over it.
Terri and I have lived vicariously through all the wonderful domestic and global Clouds and fans who’ve shared their fan cams and fan accounts through the years, and what a glorious time it’s been!
The wheels of our plane touched down. I was jolted back to the reality Terri and I had made happen together with opportunity and lots of luck. I was in Las Vegas for the very first time in my life, and Rain was here too.
FRIDAY JET LAG.
Day 1 consisted of 4 words only.
Sleep.
Eat.
Buy.
Explore.
We darkened our room at the Park MGM, slept off the jet lag for some hours, and then went looking for a good meal and some fun. We prowled the HUGE, crowded, technicolor casino (I won $147.00, yaaaay!) and saw neon signs announcing that homeboy Usher Raymond was in tha house. We had hella-fun finding souvenirs that night along the bright Las Vegas strip, on foot.
A great way to spend a Friday, yes? Yes!
You know what else I was watching for, right?
We all know how Jung Ji Hoon씨 loves to walk around places incognito, yes sir. So, you best believe I was scanning folks with my Rain-Radar for anyone of his stature who could be Rain in disguise, ha ha! But no such luck, aw.
D-DAY.
Saturday — Still Raining Las Vegas concert day — started off wonderfully with texts and phone calls from Asian Cloud sisters, American Cloud sisters, former Cloud USA staff, friends, and Rain fans who had made it to Vegas too. OMG, I was so excited! All of us were there because of Rain, but in more ways than one.
None of us would have ever even met and cultivated our online friendships over the years if it weren’t for him. HE brought us all into each other’s lives. We all found purpose and joy in support of HIM. We’ve been united in Rain for well over a decade, and now we were united face to face at his first U.S. concert tour since 2009.
S-w-e-e-t!
Meeting everyone during the late afternoon at the food court in the MGM Grand was like a dream. Sarah, Dasiey, Jenna, Sheila, Valicia, Tammy, Geri, dear Huhu, Afifa, and so many others! We hugged, shouted, screamed and cried. And talked, talked, talked, talked! And ate and laughed stitches in our sides. Making brand new acquaintances was heartwarming as well! It was one large and amazing Cloudburst, and I loved seeing everyone.
And then it was time for Rain’s concert.
Group by group, we moseyed on over to the MGM Grand Garden Arena and settled in for the time of my life.
THE BAD BOY COMETH.
People packed the arena full. The excitement was so thick and loud, you could cut it. And then the place darkened, the stage came to life… and there he was.
From our seats in the 7th row on the floor, at the stage, Rain looked larger than life.
I could barely stand it, as many of you have discovered by listening to my insane fan cam color commentary. Good grief, I was so out of control. LOL!
Not only did he perform his greatest hits and songs that we knew well, but he also sang songs that I never in a million years thought he’d do live on stage. Like the hauntingly beautiful “You Already Knew” [알면서, al-myeon-seo]. And “Do You Love Me, or My Fame?” with the Drunken Fist dance break that we haven’t seen since what, that 2004-ish TV special?? Wow! I tell you, I just about cried. Including some PSY was great, and those Bruno Mars tunes he covered turned the show into one sexy segment that almost had me on my knees, mmm-hmm. I thought I was ready for “Rainism”, “Familiar Face”, “How to Avoid the Sun”, “I’m Coming”, “GANG”, “Only You”, and all the rest… but I was not.
Our 15-video playlist below!
Sheer longing filled Rain’s rich, compassionate voice as it always had. Aw, I cried. Hearing him sing and speak English with my own ears (and not on a video) was everything I’d ever dreamed of. So was seeing him with my own eyes. Physically, he didn’t miss a beat. The way he performed after a 20+ year career was phenomenal and worth every penny of the price of admission. How does he do that? As my mother used to say while we watched fan cams in her den, God rest her soul, “He sure can move that body.”
After Rain’s 23-song set list was completed, it seemed like the time had flown by although it had not.
With his “Domestic” encore, the Bad Boy had not only cometh, but conquered as well. For several hours, we fan girls and fan boys had all collectively danced with him, laughed with him, applauded him, spent moments with him, and screamed our love at him.
I can only hope, as the final silvery confetti rained down from the ceilings, that we made him as happy as he made us.
OMG, DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?
Terri and I and several in our friend group had VIP tickets, which meant a group picture with the man himself. So, after coming together and basking in the afterglow of the concert as the arena emptied out, we headed on over to the VIP area where said pictures would take place. (HUGE hugs to Terri, and our sweet, lovely Cloud sisters from Hong Kong, Hawaii, and Korea who helped me get around in my power chair and made sure I was warm and all right. I don’t know what I would’ve done without y’all!)
The VIP queue was not so bad and moved along quite well (NO phones or recording devices allowed!) In fact, I sort of wanted it to slow down just a little so I could get control of my nerves. Can you believe that? If I’d been in such disbelief before the concert, just imagine my disbelief in that VIP line. Somehow, I kept powering my chair forward, almost on autopilot. My mind was a mess! My soul, however, was not alone — it carried the memories of 3 lovely Clouds who had passed away before ever seeing Rain in person, BiArashi Glenda, out of Alabama Jessica, and Mommie Lynn. (I got you, girls. I got you with me.)
I heard women screaming in the next room, and suddenly felt dazed and confused, my goodness!
Frantically I prayed, Lord, don’t let me run over his feet. Don’t let me cut him off at the knees or knock him down and leave him bleeding, Lord. Don’t let me pass out and slide to the floor. Don’t let me scream so loud that he runs away. Don’t let the security put me out of the building. Don’t let me do or say anything really stupid—
And then, suddenly it was time. Surrounded by Terri and our dear friends, I powered my chair into the area where Rain waited.
He was wearing his encore show outfit, black slacks and black Still Raining T-shirt. The tallness. The slimness. The freshness. The hand-some-ness, with that black hair slicked back from his gentle, amazing face.
I have seen, saved, and posted thousands of images of this man since 2009 and, I tell you, even the best ones of the bunch PALE IN COMPARISON to Rain in person. He does indeed look like a sculpture, as many journalists and people on the street have said. He’s simply… incomparable. Gorgeous. Or maybe that’s just the Rain Effect, heh heh.
I rolled towards him, but then I stopped. Which hand was I supposed to extend for a handshake? Should I wave to get his attention? Should I wait until he finished talking to the Cloud Executive, or bulldoze up in there? Should I let him have the first word? What was it I wanted to say? What was my name again?
Rain turned and saw me. He smiled.
Before I could take a breath, he walked up to me, bent down, and gave me a warm, appreciative (and completely respectful) hug.
“Thank you so much for coming.” That voice. That VOICE. That hand patting my back so gently.
Was this really happening?!
For a second, I did not move. I couldn’t. But then I returned the genial hug to that muscular arm and shoulder that I had watched perform for years. They felt carved, sculpted underneath my fingers. Unreal. OMG.
I think I said, “Cloud USA will always support you and love you. Forever.”
I think he said, “Aw, thank you.” I’m not sure because my ears stopped working properly then. All I could hear was folks in the room saying, Muaw muaw muaw, muaw-muaw muaw muaw. It was like watching a Charlie Brown special on TV. My brain stopped working properly too, because suddenly we were all in line for our picture and I’ve no idea what happened between that and the hug. I’m just praying I didn’t look or sound like a nut to him, LOL. God only knows.
The photographer was taking pictures quietly and not bothering to give us the cue to pose. Or perhaps, with Rain standing next to me with his hand on the back of my chair, I simply couldn’t hear the guy (that doggone Rain Effect again, bwahaha). There was no way I could just sit there waiting and not partake of Rain’s famous jawline that we’ve all been watching forever, right? So I leaned back a little and gazed up at it quietly so he didn’t notice. Straight up at him. I stared hard. I grinned. It felt glorious.
Only when we received our group pictures the next week did I realize THAT was when the photographer snapped the pics.
Terri, Rain, and everyone were smiling into the camera while Stephe the Goober was gazing adoringly up at the man of the hour. Nooooooooooooooooo!! I was caught! OMG, really?! LOL!
Oh well. It is what it is. The Rain Effect is one hell of a drug. It will keep you in a daze! LOL
I’m sorry that it took this long for me to get my account up, but the second our plane touched down in Atlanta, the flu came down on me like a hammer. With my immuno-compromised self, it was a good 3 weeks before I could even get out of bed. Then came the distractions called Christmas and New Year’s. And then more cancer treatments, and my brother’s surgeries. Arghhhh.
I truly appreciate y’all’s patience. I hope you rang 2024 in right!
WHAT A GUY.
After watching Rain closely since 2006 and discerning his character for so long, I had concluded that, while creative, strong of will and incredibly hardworking, he was also gentle, bighearted, and full of love for his fans. After being in his presence myself in Las Vegas, even for a moment, and watching him with other people though he was exhausted after a long concert, I can now say my earlier conclusion is absolutely true, y’all.
That meet & greet was all about humbly giving more of himself, tired or not.
You want to know what else was extremely thoughtful on his part? Starting this tour by coming to the U.S. first.
In the very early years of his career, he made it to the States for quick performances just fine. But around 2007 and after, he would start a tour in Asia and by the time the U.S. leg of it came around, something would ruin it or delay it or stop it without fail. No bones about it, that always bothered him a lot.
Starting off in the States this time solved that problem quite nicely, don’t you think?
I said all of that to say… this is why I’ve been Rain’s Cloud for 18 years and will be for life. I mean, what a guy. Yes, his sexiness is off the charts. Yes, his voice is one of the most mesmerizing things I’ve ever heard. Yes, his music and movies and dramas and talent are wonderful things to behold. But his character and his heart wrap all of the other stuff up into an irresistible package.
My impossible dream of witnessing Rain the Incomparable Showman live on stage in my own country came true, and then blossomed into something even more incredible. You were phenomenal, King. 👑 And thank you for being so kind. 감사합니다!
I’m so looking forward to the fan cams to come when your tour continues in Asia!
Stephe @ cloudusa.blog / CloudUSA.org
Cloud USA 
Happy New Year, Stephe!
That is soo nice that you got a chance to meet RAIN in Vegas!! I bet that was exciting and a dream fulfilled😊!
I remember when I “briefly” met RAIN in NYC when he showed up at a NYC bookstore (At a Ninja Assasin poster signing)on a whim/unexpectedly. However, I was following him soo much through Cloud USA posts, internet, etc., I was on it and made my there next door in NYC😁! Below is a YT clip from that day.
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Oh, cool! Thanks for sharing that memory!
Stephe ^@@^
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