I know, I know, you’re still reeling over the fact that you missed a kick-ass Korean showcase at this year’s SXSW Music Festival. You got the behind-the-scenes hook up with all the goodies from the day’s rehearsals, and now we’re here to relieve your pain (or continue the torture) with some glorious HD photos of the actual concert!
On Tuesday March 11th, while you were at home binge-watching House of Cards, the AKPF team rolled in Elysium in downtown Austin for 2014′s K-Pop Night Out hosted by Kocca and Mandoo Entertainment. The lineup featured Jambinai, Nell, Hollow Jan, Crying Nut, Idiotape, Jay Park, and 4Minute‘s HyunA. The delightfully weird Kiha & the Faces were also on the bill, but had to cancel because of some visa issues (if you’re familiar with them, you understand why we were really disappointed). But Seoul screamo band Hollow Jan stepped up and filled in with style and grace.
The crowd was pretty chill as Jambinai took the stage for their set. The elaborate set up, with traditional Korean instruments like the haegum and geomungo, looked really cool and it was obvious that even people who were not at all familiar with the band were interested. As it turns out, no one was really ready for Jambinai’s set. I don’t think anyone in the audience (myself included) were really ready for the level of badassery that came from this group of unassuming musicians. Even through some pretty disappointing technical difficulties, they managed to shine, and I talked to more than one person there who became fans by the end of the night. The lead singer’s broken English was enough to charm me, anyway.
It seemed like a lot of the crowd there for Jay Park and HyunA were at least a little familiar with Nell, so the energy was lifted a bit leading up to their set. Their interaction with the audience was minimal, which might have served them well, and they had some sound issues, too, but it was a pretty clean show and they sounded as good as you would expect from a band that’s been making the rounds in Korea for quite awhile.
Hollow Jan was by far the surprise of the night. Since they weren’t officially on the bill, and the change was never noted in any promotions for the show, I think some of the crowd was a bit confused. But they came in like a wave! With a crowd made up predominately of k-pop fans, it’s no easy task to win people over to your screamo style, but if there were fans to gain, Hollow Jan gained them. The band told me that their lead guitarist wasn’t able to come, and the guitarist from Apollo18 was standing in. This was a concern for them, having only had a handful of rehearsals with their substitute. Had I not known this beforehand, I would never have noticed. They sounded great and even though screamo is not really my speed, I was so impressed with how gracefully they came in and played their best.
Korean rock would not be what it is today without Crying Nut. A lot of newer bands owe their opportunities to this motley crew of rockers. And hot damn are they crowd pleasers! Much like No Brain, their advantage is a high energy, no-holds-barred live show. No one who sees them can escape their infectious energy and playfulness on stage. It’s so clear that they’ve been making music together for years, and it’s even more apparent that they are in love with what they do. Crying Nut has achieved the kind of success that would give them an excuse to phone it in, but one minute into their performance and you can see that they lay it allllll out every time they play. The thing about a music town like Austin is that the crowd will take what they’re given and send it right back. So it’s no surprise that everyone attending was suddenly REALLY INTO THIS SHOW Y’ALL. Great music, great showmanship, and just great fun.
Another surprising set was IDIOTAPE‘s. I’ve been a fan for awhile, so I knew to expect some hard-hitting EDM, but it seems like most of the audience had no idea what was going on until about halfway through the first song. The lights were down, the visibility of the stage was low, and it made for a real club-like atmosphere. It didn’t take long for the crowd to embrace the dance vibe and start shaking it to the beat. A random festival-goer next to me had just wandered in, and after the set he turned to me and asked about the band, where they’re from, and if they would be playing any other showcases. If this Austin native can randomly fall in love with a Korean EDM trio, I’d say the show was a great success.
Next up was Jay Park! At this point, the crowd got a lot more dense, and the demographic makeup seemed to have shifted to a much younger, much female-er version of its earlier iteration. Knowing that Jay Park is American, I feel like his understanding of the vibe of a festival like SXSW was more palpable. It didn’t hurt that Lady Gaga showed up for a portion of his set. That’s a thing that happened. His set was actually really good, and being a true idol, he had the good sense to shed clothing as the show progressed (see photos for evidence). When he first came out in two shirts, a big-ass jacket, and a hat with a bandana hanging out the back (real fly, dude), it was to be expected. His vocals have never been really strong, and that was definitely true of this show as well, but the entertainment value was high what with some crisp choreography and of course a shirtless finale.
To be honest y’all, I went home before HyunA came on. It was 1 in the morning on a Tuesday/Wednesday and I was tired as hell. I’m not a robot dammit! From some accounts gathered after the fact (and my photographer’s footage), it seems like her set was… expected. The backing track was deafeningly loud and her mic was impossibly quiet. She played her biggest hits to a tee, shook her money maker like it was her last day on earth, and even interacted a bit with the crowd. For a venue like SXSW, I think the showcase might have been better served with Jay Park closing it out (his style is at least grittier than “Bubble Pop”). But the bulk of the audience at this point were hardcore k-pop fans and a few drunken stragglers from earlier shows, so it probably wouldn’t have mattered much anyway.
Being my third year experiencing Koreans at SXSW, I would say that this year’s K-Pop Night Out was the most successful yet. Personally I’m really hoping that they’ll book a few hip-hop artists in the future. Block B‘s Zico is a favorite of mine, and I know people would lose their shit over him. Tiger JK and Tasha would also be a great addition. One glance at the line winding around the block outside and all I could think of was dollar signs for the organizers. You know the drill, kids. Money talks. So look forward to even bigger and better Korean shows at next year’s SXSW festival!
Stay tuned for coverage of the Seoulsonic Showcase at SXSW, featuring bands like Smacksoft, Love X Stereo, Glen Check, Big Phony, and No Brain!
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