K-pop fans swarm cupsleeve events at L.A. cafes every weekend

Enterprise into an L.A. boba store on any given weekend, and it’s possible you’ll simply discover a area remodeled by Okay-pop followers, throwing a celebration for his or her favourite musical artist. Life-size cardboard cutouts of gorgeous Korean males greet you by the door. Shrieks of pleasure echo as enthusiastic followers discover the proper memento or the playlist switches to a beloved observe. Keep away from entering into somebody’s picture op by holding an eye fixed out for the streamer backdrops and glamour pictures of the occasion’s idol of honor.

Colloquially referred to as “cupsleeves,” these fan occasions have gotten more and more frequent in Southern California. They started in Seoul and different Asian cities as a manner for Okay-pop followers — principally women and girls — to satisfy others like them in individual, not simply on-line. Cupsleeves get their identify from the ubiquitous rounds of cardboard that hug to-go drinks. At every occasion, followers can choose up a commemorative cupsleeve designed particularly for the event. All that’s required is the acquisition of a drink. Cupsleeves carve out areas of celebration and group in boba outlets — and the cafes are completely satisfied for the enterprise increase.

The money register with cupsleeves on show throughout a cupsleeve occasion at R&B Tea.

(Eric Thayer / For The Occasions)

Followers maintain merch and their freshly sleeved cups of tea throughout a cupsleeve occasion at R&B Tea.

(Eric Thayer / For The Occasions)

In Southern California, there are roughly 10 Okay-pop occasions occurring each week, with most happening in Los Angeles and Orange counties, in accordance with Cali Kpop Weekly, an Instagram account that tracks Okay-pop occasions. “In 2021, they began popping up extra,” says Leanne Yuen, 23, a BTS fan who lives in Alhambra and attends roughly one cupsleeve per 30 days. “Now, there are such a lot of, I can barely preserve observe of them.”

At their most elementary, cupsleeve occasions are an excuse for Okay-pop followers to hold balloon letters and spend the afternoon speaking about their idols. Historically, they’re tied to an artist’s birthday, the anniversary of a bunch’s debut, or the discharge of a brand new single or album.

“These cupsleeve occasions [are places] the place followers can simply come collectively and be themselves and never be afraid to be judged,” says Jane Wishashan, 30, the co-founder of Euphoria Dance, a bunch that curates occasions for Okay-pop fan communities in Los Angeles and New York Metropolis. “I feel it’s laborious generally to exit and put your self on the market as a fan, particularly these days the place individuals might not all the time perceive what Okay-pop is, and simply see what media or society portrays the everyday Okay-pop fan as — you understand, screaming, obsessive fangirls.”

Future Arriaza grips a sticker in her manicured hand throughout a cupsleeve occasion at R&B Tea.

(Eric Thayer / For The Occasions)

Diana Ruvalcaba takes an image of Johanna Koo subsequent to Okay-pop decor.

(Eric Thayer / For The Occasions)

There are screaming fangirls at Okay-pop concert events, after all, simply as there are males who yell, boo and swear at sporting occasions. And but, “fangirls” are those who get pathologized. At cupsleeves, Okay-pop followers don’t need to encounter those that assume there’s something inherently unhealthy in how they select to spend their leisure money and time.

In case you’re a Okay-pop fan residing in L.A., it’s doable to fill total weekends with Okay-pop actions. In the identical February weekend, Euphoria Dance organized a belated celebration for BTS members V and Jin’s birthdays at Pasadena’s R&B Tea, whereas Play KPop Cafe in Little Tokyo hosted a two-day cupsleeve celebrating BTS members Suga and J-Hope. In Norwalk, at Besteas Boba, NCT member Ten acquired his personal party. Followers of the Boyz may additionally rejoice Juyeon at cupsleeve occasions in Koreatown and Fairfax.

The Fairfax occasion occurred at hello82 LA, an 8,000-square-foot area that the Okay-pop content material and e-commerce model opened in December to often host cupsleeve occasions. “We didn’t invent the [cupsleeve] idea,” says Sang Cho, co-founder of KAI Media, which owns hello82. “It’s been round. However we thought, by offering the identical issues the followers would do anyway, we’d be extra related with the fan base.”

Chibi pins on the market in the course of the cupsleeve occasion at R&B Tea.

(Eric Thayer / For The Occasions)

Portraits of Okay-pop stars on a desk at R&B Tea.

(Eric Thayer / For The Occasions)

About 1,000 individuals attended hello82’s occasion for the Boyz, which ran out of signed albums and cupsleeves designed by the group. “Even when these items are out, as soon as persons are there, they’re with their buddies or they’re assembly new buddies,” says Cho. “What’s actually nice about these occasions is that you simply see individuals making lasting relationships.”

Cupsleeve occasions have began to broaden past Okay-pop into different underserved, stigmatized fandoms too. Throughout the identical weekend, at Monterey Park’s Macchiato, followers of the queer Chinese language net novel “Mo Dao Zu Shi” (or considered one of its many variations) gathered to rejoice the birthday of character Lan Wangji. They cosplayed, performed video games organized by the hosts, and listened to the soundtrack from the story’s live-action TV adaptation, “The Untamed.”

The general public on the Lan Wangji occasion had by no means been to a cupsleeve earlier than. Some got here as a result of — in contrast to Hollywood franchises and even anime — there are few organized alternatives for followers of danmei (Chinese language tales that characteristic males in romantic relationships) to collect. Others got here to satisfy fandom Twitter buddies for the primary time in individual.

Caitlin Baul, and Traci Doramal take a selfie with minimize outs throughout a cupsleeve occasion at R&B Tea.

(Eric Thayer / For The Occasions)

Emily Lien, a longtime supervisor at Macchiato first discovered about cupsleeve occasions when the cafe began internet hosting them at each their Monterey Park and downtown L.A. areas final yr. They host two or three per 30 days and usher in anyplace from 100 to 300 individuals, Lien estimates, relying on the recognition of the fandom. “It does assist us to develop our enterprise,” says Lien, noting that there are two different boba outlets inside spitting distance of the situation. “Lots of people in all probability have by no means heard of Macchiato till they attend one of many cupsleeve occasions hosted by the group they comply with.”

Most weekends, buddies Lizette Perez and Patty Wong promote BTS merchandise collectively at cupsleeve occasions throughout Southern California. Like different distributors, they began as followers going to cupsleeve occasions after which determined to start out their very own small companies, designing and promoting merch. When Perez, 35, was laid off from her job after 10 years, she determined to make promoting BTS-themed candles, stickers and T-shirts a full-time pursuit.

Votive candles that includes varied Okay-pop stars.

(Eric Thayer / For The Occasions)

Footage on the wall throughout a cupsleeve occasion at R&B Tea.

(Eric Thayer / For The Occasions)

Perez estimates that she makes 90% of her gross sales at cupsleeve occasions, however she additionally attends to make buddies and speak to different followers. “I can truthfully say I’m pleased with what I’m doing,” says Perez. “I’ve spent a lot time not being completely satisfied or working for anyone else’s dream, or anyone else’s ardour, proper? And it wasn’t mine. So proper now, I’m simply doing me and I’m OK.”

Cupsleeve occasions can value anyplace from a number of hundred {dollars} to over a thousand {dollars} to throw. Fan organizers generally make that cash again with raffles, but it surely’s not assured or anticipated.

“It’s one thing that non-Okay-pop followers don’t actually perceive,” says Wishashan. “Particularly these days, it may be laborious to search out kindness. And so it may be a weird idea that these individuals took the time to make these [cupsleeves] themselves with their very own cash, and now they’re giving them, by the a whole bunch, at no cost to those folks that they’ll by no means see once more? That’s not one thing that I encountered till I got here into this group.”

Shows of merch at a cupsleeve occasion at R&B Tea.

(Eric Thayer / For The Occasions)