Seoulsonic – Austin, Texas 2015
Last, but absolutely never least, was the headliner for the night – YB, Korea’s most prominent rock band. Despite Do-Hyun openly admitting he had caught a cold earlier in the day, the band slammed the audience with a killer performance. There was a marked difference in the performance from last year. I think with the change in lyrics back to a blend of Korean and English versus forcing them all into English made the band more comfortable. They were free flowing and it felt like they were back in their own skin. The freedom of expression lead to a heartfelt and powerful experience for all in the room. They had the entire audience (myself included) jumping in unison and cranking on pure rock adrenaline.
YB is back – and the US should watch out if they seriously set their eyes on a stateside debut.
YB on —
It’s my firm belief that if Seoulsonic continues providing this level of talent & quality entertainment at their showcases, they can garner the attention of music execs from around the world and turn the showcase into a yearly must-see event at South By Southwest. The event was put on flawlessly, not a single flare of feedback from the mics and monitors, no technical hiccups, hardly a pause between sets and the staff at The Majestic were professional and efficient.
My only complaint was the blasting air conditioning that eventually froze some of my neighbors in the front of the audience so much they abandoned ship to the back of the venue.
I’m definitely looking forward to the next round of Seoulsonic artists and I sincerely hope that next year they bring the tour to a few more cities around the country. These artists all have their own level of international appeal, and I feel that they need to be shown to a broader spectrum of music fans to really sink their claws into the industry and have a shot at making it here in the States.
The night was perfect, and the bands are all something to check out if you are in Seoul. Until next year, rock on my friends!
