Korea has a diverse music scene! From K-Pop phenomenons like Psy to girl groups like Producer 101, which contains 101 members! Korea is always making musical noise internationally. When I first moved to Busan to teach English in Korea I was little disappointed I wouldn’t be able to see the icons play so often, as their usual performances are in Seoul, but I soon learned that the Busan music scene is lively, active and within reach. Unlike Seoul, almost all live performances here are free! Whether it be a Korean or foreigner band, you can find live music every night of the week at a bar or even on the street whatever area you are in!
Here are some of my favorite places to watch and listen to live music in Busan:
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music,
busan,
korean bars
After a day of dancing our way around Incheon (See Part One for the full story!), we'd completed our final flash mob performance at Munhak Stadium and collected our tickets for the big concert: Incheon Korean Music Wave 2013. The line-up of 20 of K-pop's best awaited us inside the stadium: 2AM, A-JAX, B.A.P, BTOB, EXO, F.T. Island, miss A, ZE:A, Girl's Day, BTS, B2ST, Boyfriend, Girls' Generation, Super Junior, SECRET, SISTAR, MBLAQ, KARA, T-ara, and TEEN TOP. It was quite an evening...
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things to do in Korea,
korea bucket list,
events in Korea,
cultural experience,
incheon,
music,
music in Korea,
entertainment in Korea,
Activities to do in Korea,
K-Pop
Sometimes in life, and especially while living in Korea, you just have to go along for the ride. In my experience, agreeing to a crazy adventure or event typically seems to work out in my favor, giving me a crazy story at the very least. So, on September 1st, bleary-eyed and semi-apprehensive, my friend and I woke up early so we could catch a cab to the Chinatown area of Incheon. We knew very little of what the day would entail, but the promises of "flash mob" and "free tickets to a K-pop concert" were enough for us to jump right in, hoping the day would exceed our (admittedly low and/or vague) expectations. And boy did it...
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Korea,
events in Korea,
cultural experience,
incheon,
music,
music in Korea,
entertainment in Korea,
Activities to do in Korea,
K-Pop,
PSY,
Weekend activities in Korea
When I first arrived to teach English in Busan, I thought all my free time would definitely be spent on the beach, rain or shine, night or day. However, Busan has a lot more to offer. There are a lot of hot spots to check out at night. One great place to experience city life is the bustling Seomyeon.
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teaching in Korea,
eating in Korea,
what to do on the weekend,
shopping in Korea,
eating out in Korea,
music,
music in Korea,
busan,
Activities to do in Korea,
Nightlife in Korea,
Weekend activities in Korea
I have always entertained the recurring daydream of being in a band and rocking out to a crowd of screaming fans, but I've never actually picked up a guitar. This was because before I could learn how to play music I was preoccupied with questions like: How would I reach out to said fans? How would I build a fan base in the first place? Where would I find a stage? What if I wound up on the streets playing to a disapproving stray cat?
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teaching in Korea,
what to do on the weekend,
music,
music in Korea,
busan,
Activities to do in Korea,
Nightlife in Korea,
open mic,
Weekend activities in Korea
I'm all about the music. I am up for any concert, just ask. With only a month and a bit before I leave (tear tear), lately I've been reminicing about all I've managed to experience while teaching and livng in Korea (Are you ready?). I am amazed at how much I have done in such a short amount of time, especially when I think about all the concerts I've attended. It seems like ages ago, but at this time last year I was preparing to witness Lady Gaga's first and very controvercial world tour stop in Seoul. A short while later I joined happy-go-lucky young Koreans lounging on Nami Island for the annual Rainbow Island Festival with Jason Mraz as the headliner.
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ex-pat life in Korea,
events in Korea,
Concerts,
music,
music in Korea,
fun,
entertainment in Korea,
music guide,
Grimes,
Activities to do in Korea
Coming to Korea is not only about an opportunity to teach, to learn a new culture, to learn about yourself, but it is also the place to start a career. Going through Aclipse and Chungdahm, I met a lot of new people, a lot of folks that definitely taught me something new, especially this guy, Pinnacle. From the first day of being in Korea, he taught me something that I would never forget, how to teach Memory Giga. Pinnacle TheHustler (Jason Waller), was one of my two trainers when I first came to Korea to teach English.
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Korean culture,
things to think about before coming out to korea,
living in Korea,
Korean students,
advice,
music,
music in Korea,
tips,
teaching at Chungdahm,
teacher,
what to do after,
meeting people in Korea,
performer
I live for live music. A perfect night for me consists of a few friends, an awesome outfit, a cold beer and front row standing room at a concert, preferably one with a performer who doles out dance-worthy beats. As soon as I started teaching English in Korea I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Seoul is a hub of fantastic music venues. I snatched up Lady Gaga tickets for the first show of her Born This Way Ball in late April, I aced 'KPOP 101' when my friend brought me to an exclusive taping of Inkigayo in Seoul, I ventured out to Nami Island to dance with Korean hippies and listen to Jason Mraz sing sweet nothings in June and I jumped for joy when I realized I could attend Seoul's Super!Sonic show in August. I originally thought I would have to miss the two day music festival because it was scheduled for mid-week (Tuesday and Wednesday) in Seoul, but I soon realized the Wednesday was not just any Wednesday, it was Korean Liberation Day, so I had the day off and attended my first mid-week music festival at Seoul Olympic Park.
Super!Sonic is the sister festival of Japan's famous Summer Sonic. I missed the festival's first day line-up (due to work) which included The Smashing Pumpkins, Gym Class Heroes, Idiotape, Soulwax and more. As much as I wanted to see The Smashing Pumpkins, Wednesday's line-up impressed me with New Order, Gotye, The Vaccines, Tears For Fears and Foster The People. What was supposed to be another rainy and humid summer day in Seoul turned out to be surprisingly sunny and comfortable. My friend and I spent the day shuffling in an orderly fashion (that's how it's done in Korea) between two stages where bands performed back-to-back sets.
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Tags:
a year in Korea,
things to do in Korea,
seoul,
Korea,
free time,
events in Korea,
Concerts,
2012,
music,
having fun in korea,
Activities to do in Korea,
Olympic Park,
Super!Sonic,
Foster The People,
dance,
Gotye
