Everybody ((still)) Wants To Rule The World, right? –Super!Sonic in Seoul–

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 arrived 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.

Music keeps me sane, and especially in Korea where you can sometimes feel a bit out of place, concerts remind me that (as corny as it sounds) we’re all in this MAD WORLD together. When I burst into song upon recognizing the familiar lyrics to my favorite Foster The People ballad, I was amazed that all the Korean fans were singing right along with me, and not just the chorus, they were belting out each lyric with passionate perfection. Just last spring I watched the same band rock out in downtown Boston, and I have to say the Korean fans proved to be the more enthusiastic bunch. They weren’t afraid to dance and show the band how much they loved their music. Although many of the bands confessed it was their first show in Korea, I am quite certain due to the lively and devoted Korean fans it will not be their last. If you’re in Korea next summer make sure to check out Super!Sonic, I promise it will be a perfect day in the land of kimchi: Grab some music-loving friends and your umbrella and raincoat (just in case) and enjoy a few cheap beers paired with an authentic collection of dance-inducing acts. Oh, and most importantly, get right up there in front of the stage. You WANT TO RULE THE WORLD, doesn’t EVERYBODY? (Tears For Fears references there, sorry if you didn’t catch them.)