Mirror — A Reflection 2.0

THE HONG KONG BOY BAND’S FIRST NORTH AMERICA CONCERT TOUR

WRITTEN BY Maggie Sonto Lo, With edits by Fête Chinoise editorial team
Images Provided by Maggie Sonto Lo

A devoted Mirror fan recently attended the Hong Kong boy band group Mirror’s Feel the Passion North America concert tour and shared her reflections on the band's journey since 2022, highlighting the unifying power of music. This article is in series with an earlier piece published in 2022.

I knew one day we no longer needed to be long-distance anymore — reflecting on the journey leading up to the Mirror world tour concerts in New York City and Toronto, it's clear that it was one heck of a ride filled with excitement, determination, and a real sense of belonging to the Hong Kong community. It all kicked off when Mirror dropped the bombshell that Toronto was on their Feel the Passion Concert Tour map — quite a surprise, I must say! Having been through the ticket frenzy for their Hong Kong concerts, I knew I needed a game plan to snag those tickets.

With some serious planning including lining up my other friends from Hong Kong with their extra MIRO (official fan club membership) accounts, I tackled the advance ticket sales chaos with a step-by-step instruction sheet prepared in advance to make sure I could secure at least a MIRO seat (expecting it to be nice seats). I was able to secure MIRO tickets for NYC however I was devastated when Toronto MIRO tickets sold out in a mere 15 seconds. I was determined to get as close to the stage as possible (I need to get that sweat and COVID from them, that’s how close I NEED to be — it’s “GO HARD OR GO HOME” — Anson Lo Hon Ting.) I had to mention I wetted my pillow that night beside my husband and he was concerned…

On the day of the concert, hundreds of fans from their dedicated fan club gathered outside UBS Arena two hours before the show, handing out their homemade merchandise that they paid out of pocket with the dedication to support individual Mirror members. When I stepped into UBS Arena and looked at the stage where Mirror was going to be just 7th rows in front of me, I couldn’t comprehend the idea that I was there. The vibe at UBS Arena was insane — fans united to celebrate their love for the band. When Mirror hit the stage, I was hit with a tidal wave of emotions, soaking up every moment of their stunning performance. It was a superstar moment for them, and they truly shone!

Back in Toronto, I kept the dream alive and determined to catch Mirror in my backyard. There were front row seats available 2 days before the concert which ‘RUMOURS’ indicates sponsors have finally released extra seats to the public last minute — it was a disappointment as all dedicated fans must have already secured their tickets. (I hope my husband doesn’t see this.) There was this one time that I had 6 tickets in hand because I wanted to ensure I got the closest seats to the stage possible. As you can imagine I had to resell those extra tickets and despite some hiccups with ticket availability, I managed to score an MIRO ticket through a friend, and boy, was it worth it!

Anson Lo, Jeremy Lau, Edan Lui, and Jeremy Lee on stage

Witnessing Mirror's magic for the second time at home was a real treat, showcasing the band's growth and dedication up close. Although Meridian Hall is relatively smaller with less equipment, it certainly didn’t stop us from cheering for them. We truly wish they could have secured a bigger venue as we all have waited for this moment for quite a while — perhaps they have underestimated the dedication of MIRO from Canada! Toronto is the last stop for their world tour and it’s definitely an emotional one, especially for Anson Lo who was holding his tears. They have grown so much and it’s surreal that they have made it to where they are, but at this time I can tell they are all exhausted and ready to go home.

Trucks playing Mirror’s songs and videos outside Meridian hall

Throughout this wild ride, the sense of community among Mirror remarkably stood out. Whether in NYC or Toronto, fans rallied together, showed up two hours earlier along with their dedicated fan club to support the band and each other, and arranged trucks with TV screens to showcase Mirror’s music. Attending the Mirror concerts was a powerful reminder of the unifying force of Cantopop, bringing people from all walks of life together for a common cause and spreading it out to the world, including being on national TV in NYC and Toronto!

In the end, attending the Mirror World Tour concerts was evidence of the power of perseverance, Hong Kong community spirit, and the universal language of music. It was a journey packed with thrills, spills, and memories that would last a lifetime.

Reflecting on the boys’ journey since the incident in 2022, I can tell that each member of Mirror has worked tirelessly to move forward and reach where they are today, to meet and unite the community of ‘WE ALL ARE’ around the world. I met a lot of ‘Sonto’ (name of Anson Lo’s fans) and ‘MIRO’ in this fandom adventure; and last but not least, I am proud once again to declare myself as a dedicated ‘Sonto 2.0’, a ‘DANSON MIRO’ and a true Hong Konger at heart.

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ABOUT MAGGIE SONTO LO

I WAS BORN IN A VERY SMALL TOWN IN ONTARIO, CANADA AND MOVED BACK TO HONG KONG WHEN I WAS LITTLE. OUR FAMILY CAME BACK WHEN I WAS 11 AND I DECIDED TO MOVE BACK AND WORK IN HONG KONG FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. I’VE RECENTLY RETURNED AGAIN AND BECAME A SONTO SINCE FEBRUARY 2021, AS WELL AS MIRO SINCE THEY FORMED.

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