Big Phony with Vovo and Dolly from No Brain, along with Howon Lee
This was the fourth Seoulsonic showcase I’ve seen – I attended the 2012 and 2013 Seoulsonic shows at Canadian Music Week (CMW) in Toronto and last year’s (2014) Seoulsonic show at South by Southwest (SXSW) previously. The organizers have the knack for bringing together different bands/artists that while different, seem to fit and this year’s was no different. Ranging from electronic rock to heavy metal to singer-songwriter to hard rock, the Seoulsonic had your musical taste covered (and probably introduced a few people to new music).
Danny Cho and Steve Yoon from Ktown Cowboys
Hosted by the guys from the Ktown Cowboys (a fun, raunchy bromance that had its world premiere at SXSW, check out our review), the Seoulsonic show was one you didn’t want to miss.
Their music makes me smile, or rather you can’t help but smile with From the Airport as they were quite obviously enjoying themselves up on the stage. But it wasn’t just their smiles that pulled you in. I doubt I lasted half of the first song before I wanted to dance… which makes taking photos more challenging. ^^ But seriously, I would definitely recommend checking them out if you haven’t already. And yes, I bought their CD You Could Imagine right after their set. Their sound seems to effortlessly blend electronic and rock in a way that really works..
I had seen them a couple of days before at the Geeks from Gangnam party and have become a fan. They seemed to take a moment to warm up to the crowd but soon lead singer, Sol, was in his groove and the audience was happy. There is just something about his voice that grabs my attention and won’t let go. I keep listening to the two CDs I bought – Movements and The Solutions so whatever it is, it’s working.
I first checked HEO out after reading a recommendation in Korean Indie and they have a sound that grows on you. You know the kind, the more you listen, the more you want to listen so by the end of the set I was glad that I bought their CD. HEO’s performance style is quiet, not a lot of movement on stage, just good music.
Big Phony with Vovo from No Brain
He played a split set with the first half being his regular acoustic music. If you’re curious about Big Phony, don’t forget to check out our review of two of his other shows (click here). But for me, it was the later half of the set that stood out. In part because it was different from the other sets I’ve seen him play but also because of who stepped on stage with him – Vovo and Dolly, No Brain’s guitarist and drummer, along with Howon Lee on the keyboards. It was a fun set despite some technical issues.
I was blown away by the fun, over-the-top showmanship of Krocodile and Victim Mentality in their show at Karma Lounge (click here for our review) and their performance at the Seoulsonic show was no different. They are so fabulously crazy that it’s just so much fun to watch. I love Kyungho Sohn’s guitar riffs and style – plus how often do you see a guitarist spray his hair with hairspray nowadays. And you can’t top the spandex and lace cutouts. Fun aside, it’s good music and a hell of a show.
Damn, do they bring energy to the stage. I liked last year’s show but this one topped it by a mile. Definitely a fan favourite, YB’s great hard rock had the crowd moving like crazy. There’s a lot of good music coming out of Korea and YB is probably the best pure rock band. Even with a cold, Yoon Do-hyun (윤도현) had a fabulous set. The floor was actually shaking from the fans.
Such an amazing night of great music, it was fun to see this mix of bands and musicians as each brought something different to the show and each wowed the crowd in their own way. While none of them were new to me, it was the first time I’d seen From the Airport and HEO perform live and I’m always excited about seeing bands live, especially that first time. I’ve said it before (and I’ll probably say it again) but live music rocks! I can’t stress how much I encourage everyone to check out bands/musicians when they play your city because you never know when someone is going to reel you in. And come on, who doesn’t want to check out new music?!
My only negative comment on the show was about the crazy cold A/C at the front right corner of the stage. The group of fans and media in this section (which included myself) froze after they turned it on during HEO’s set. It was so cold that Howon Lee noticed us shivering when he was on stage with Big Phony. Beyond my dislike of being cold, shivering and photography doesn’t go well together.
Did you catch the Seoulsonic showcase at SXSW? What did you think?
SXSW Review: Seoulsonic Showcase #Koreanmusic #Seoulsonic #SXSW This was the fourth Seoulsonic showcase I've seen - I attended the 2012 and 2013 Seoulsonic shows at Canadian Music Week (CMW) in Toronto and last year's (2014) Seoulsonic show at South by Southwest (SXSW) previously.
