The Rock Show

I'm back again. Since I took that extended absence from the blog, I figure it's best to fill you in on where I was. I'm no stranger to Seoul's nightlife; it's a staple of my weekend schedule. I usually end up running around bars and the occasional dance club. But seeing the same people around the bar in one place, and standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers while speakers bang out my eardrums in another, isn't always fulfilling. So one night, we decide to take in a live show.



There are a bunch of concert venues throughout Hongdae featuring everything from rock to reggae. We checked out a spot called DGBD. It's your average smokey basement, with a bar along the wall, space to stand around the top and bottom floors, and a moderately sized stage. Me and Darin got there a little late, so we missed the first act (Chris said it was a girl, punk japanese group, dang). But the first act we caught was well worth seeing.



This is No. 1 Korean. Yeah...that's the name of their band. Not the most creative moniker, but they put on a damn good show. They're this ska band with the most high-powered frontman I've ever witnessed. Not only was this guy flying all over the stage and pumping up the crowd, but he blasted that same energy through a trumpet.



The whole crowd was digging the sound and I'm not sure how many people knew the bands songs, but those guys got us all singing along.

After they wrapped up, a jazzier combo showed up on stage.



This well-dressed quartet goes by the name of Tama & Vagabond. No idea why. They weren't bad, but it was a tough transition going from a guy flying around the stage, to a guy just swaying from side to side. They had a nice, mellow sound though, a guy on the upright bass, and they were giving out free CDs after their set. Oh, and did I mention they had a girl drummer?



She even went off for a while, on a mean drum solo. But the show couldn't stay mellow forever, and the next act REALLY got the blood flowing.



Never, in a million years, did I expect to see a rockabilly band in Korea. And then I saw The RockTigers. But since this is a Korean rockabilly band, they prefer to call their sound, Kimchibilly. This group really put on a show. A pretty authentic sound with style and hair to match. They featured a guy on the upright bass as well, but his bass was just a bit cooler.



I think the majority of the bodies in that club showed up specifically to see the RockTigers. And anyone in the audience who didn't know about them, became an instant fan. People crowded around the front of the stage to really get the full effect. The big sound, the call-and-response, and the hot lead singer. Well, that's if you're into chicks in rockabilly bands, covered in tattoos and a blond pompadour...which I'm sure many people are.

And she gave the crowd as much as they could handle.



Definitely a good choice for the closing act. They gave a couple of encores and even stuck around to take a few pictures with the fans.



Awesome.

I haven't been to a lot of live shows, but that was a pretty satisfying lineup. Since the weather is getting nicer, hopefully I'll get to check out some more live shows, and maybe a music festival or two. 'Til next time.

Rock on