Additionally, while I am often the only non-Korean at the shows I go to, this was a new height for me. The last time I was at Badabie it was packed. This time.... not so much. I'm pretty sure when I walked in, the ten people in the crowd all went "헐....." ...which in this case is the Korean equivalent to an awkward sigh in America. At least in a larger or more full venue I can hide a bit and not have my white-ness be a problem, but here... I was standing right out in front, making it awkward for everyone. But I enjoyed the show, and everyone really gave their best. Fighting!
My first impression of Circus Bomb was pretty much like this: "Whoa. Rad. Like it. Love it. I totally made the right decision to come here." And it went up from there. These guys have a musical sound that initially seems like a cross between late 90's rock [ala Linkin Park or Staind], but then slides into a bit of blues, while adding some punk elements as well. Additionally, I can honestly say, their show is a bit of a circus. The guitarist being ALL over the stage, pretty much doing acrobatic stunts. As I was editing photos from the show, I thought to myself "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE???" ...and THAT my friends, is the sign of a great performance.
Welcome to the circus that is Circus Bomb:
호랑이아들들 [Sons of the Tiger] describe their genre on their facebook page as "ALL". This, I can definitely confirm. They ranged from blues, to rock, to rockabilly, to Beatles' covers. Essentially, they ranged all over the musical landscape, and they did it well. Clearly the bass player is a badass [he wears sunglasses, even indoors]. I am sad I didn't record the Beatles' cover [theirs or nukie's actually], as that was probably my favorite song by them.
Asking me to pick a favorite song is too brutal... they all stand out.
My plan when I go to shows and film is this: If only recording one song: record the first song. This should be ONE of the songs the band wants to impress you with. Not THE MOST impressive song, but ideally it should give you an idea of what the band will sound like, and showcase a little of what they can do. If recording two songs, first and third or first and last. People hear "Last song" and they want something to remember. I think for nukie, you would need to just film the whole set and call it good. Everything these guys played was amazing and I am SO regretting not getting their cover of Come Together, as I think it is certainly one of the best Beatles' covers I have EVER seen in my whole life [and this coming from a hardcore Beatles fan that used to obsessively WALK OUT when someone even tried to attempt a Beatles' cover. WHY are they better here in Korea? I don't know. I really don't. But they are.]. Maybe two months ago I had a discussion with someone about truly good musicians, and my company mentioned Kenny G and how he made the saxophone cry. Look, I'm American. We hear Kenny G in the elevator, we don't take him seriously. But the reason I bring this up is that this guy, SooJong, that guitar is his best friend and lover. As he was playing, it was like there was no one else in the room, and maybe no air either. You just HAD to watch him. Just. Wow. Incredible. Additionally, watching the bass player stare at his girlfriend until she convulsed into giggles and had to look away was an adorable counterpoint to the complete serious-business of what was going on on guitar.
Pretty much just prepare to have your mind blown:
My main reason for coming to this show was to see Square the Circle again. It has been way too long since I saw them, and that is truly a shame. Being as new as I am to the scene, there are bands that I see or hear of and think, "Well, obviously they have been around a while and are famous already." This was my thoughts with Square the Circle. Everything they play is like perfectly orchestrated chaos. They exude confidence and showmanship that only a band that has been together for some time can have. Seeing them again was one of those great cases where they were so much better than I remembered. I love finding that out. Truly great bands do that -- exceed your expectations at every turn. I should also add, these guys are some of the nicest I have met in Hongdae. It's no wonder that they have such an awesome and truly devoted fanbase. Even though I haven't spent much time with them or at their shows, they have welcomed me like very few have, and for that I am truly grateful. For that, they will always have me as a fan. Lucky for me, they happen to be really great musicians.
Hard to pick a favorite, but for now I'll go with "Goldfish":
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