Two-day event to be held in Hongdae, running Thursday to Friday
In celebration of 30 years of South Korean indie music, a special event will be held in Hongdae, bringing together fans and artists to commemorate the milestone.
The "Indie-30 Festival & Exhibition" will be held at ㅎㄷ Cafe (Hongdae Cafe) in Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, from Thursday to Friday, serving as a bridge between different generations of indie musicians and fans to reminisce about the last 30 years of Korea's indie music scene.
Popular local rock bands Crying Nut, O.O.O. and Fishingirls will grace the main stage on the rooftop of the cafe at 6:30 p.m., Thursday.
Taking the fourth-floor stage on the same day, indie musicians Kanghwi, Hannote, Whoopy, Oh Hee-jung, Bennie, Nam Gyu-won, Jang Summer and YouAePo will showcase their unique music and personalities through busking performances.
On the second day of the event, legendary punk rock band No Brain, The Fix and MongDoll will headline the main stage. Indie musicians Uyeon, Do Not Penguin, Namgaro, Jung Suin, Punk Edu Club, Gawill, Pete Jung and OmO will invite listeners to join them on stage with their live performances on the fourth floor.
"We hope that the 'Indie 30th Anniversary Festival & Exhibition' will be more than just a festival, allowing musicians and fans to look back on the history and achievements of Korea's indie music scene and serve as a stepping stone for the future of Korean indie music," an official at M.Y. Music, the event's organizer, said in a press release.
The festival will also feature various activities across the Cafe's multiple floors for visitors to enjoy.
On the fifth floor, a photo exhibition and merchandise with the logos of indie bands will be sold.
The festival's merchandise collection was created in collaboration with 51 musicians. Each artist's team or band logo will feature on T-shirts. They include well-known names in the scene: rock band YB, Jannabi, Guckkasten, Hyukoh, TransFixion, Chang Kiha and Lee Seung-yoon.
On the seventh floor, visitors can watch documentaries highlighting the 30-year history of Korea's indie music scene, while the eighth-floor cafe will offer cup sleeves featuring the names of 100 indie musicians with every drink order.
Admission to the two-day event is free.
South Korea's indie music scene began to take shape with the rise of its first-generation bands in 1996, including Crying Nut and Deli Spice, whose music was widely inspired by Western punk and alternative music.
That year also saw the release of "Our Nation Vol. 1," a split album by Crying Nut and Yellow Kitchen, which became the country's first commercially successful indie record and played a key role in fostering the underground music scene around Hongdae.
Hongdae has since become a hub of Korean indie music, thanks to the area's affordable rent during the 1990s. These conditions fostered a supportive environment where independent musicians could hone their skills, perform for the crowd, attract creative talent and build an underground music scene that has continued to grow despite gentrification and commercial growth of the neighborhood.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
