It is the beginning of summer in Seoul. On a weekend, people from the city flock to Nanji Hangang Park, a perfect space to seek shade under the trees as the spring breeze still lingers, with scenery that breaks the concrete horizon.<\/b>
\nSEOUL, SOUTH KOREA\u2014It is the beginning of summer in Seoul. On a weekend, people from the city flock to Nanji Hangang Park, a perfect space to seek shade under the trees as the spring breeze still lingers, with scenery that breaks the concrete horizon.
Tents were set up all over the park\u2019s grounds, and its green carpets of grass were replaced with colorful mats and rugs. People brought their bikes, scooters and skateboards, while others carried picnic baskets.
On the weekend of May 21, the park was host to the city\u2019s version of Coachella, and we discovered every Korean musicophile\u2019s top secret: the Greenplugged Seoul Music Festival.
It was a celebration of (and testament to) Korea\u2019s massive local and independent music scene. It was an epic experience with four major stages and three minor sets located all over Nanji Hangang Park. On its eight straight year, the two-day Greenplugged festival featured a total of 65 artists in an all-local lineup.
On each end of the park are two pairs of main stages, the Sun & Earth, and Moon & Sky, respectively. It took a short walk to get to each end, and in between the main venues were a skate park and playground where you can enjoy people-watching. The Busking and Wind stages were also in the middle of the park, and all you had to do is follow where the music is to find them.
There\u2019s a reason why indie music is big nowadays. With the world of pop saturated with auto-tune and repetitive melodies and nonsensical lyrics, there is a global demand to experience familiar yet uncharted sounds, a collective craving for music that focuses on mood and poetic songwriting.
And although we didn\u2019 t know more than half of the artists playing, nor understood less than half of what they were saying and singing, we let their songs flood us with emotions. We immersed ourselves with a smiling and enthusiastic crowd with only music uniting us with its creative chords and beautiful beats.
Artists who busk or perform on the streets, who are widely seen in Seoul\u2019s collegiate areas like Hongdae and Ehwa Womans University, also got their own stage at Greenplugged.
Wind stage
Super loved the K-indie Wind stage, a small open auditorium that focused on the acoustic genre and provided chill vibes all afternoon. At the Wind stage, you may gaze at the faraway queue of cars that traveled east, while the Han River flowed toward the opposite direction. It also offered a space where the performing artists can engage with their audience easily.
20 Years of Age had a five-piece live band behind him. For each song he performed, he taught the recurring harmony to the crowd. And to make the people burst into laughter, he even instructed them at which lyric line to cheer. His set was light and cheerful\u2014and the crowd did not refuse any of 20 Years of Age\u2019s requests.
He sang the catchy melodies of \u201cLet\u2019s Walk, I\u2019 m in Front of Your House, \u201d \u201cRoller Coaster\u201d and \u201cI\u2019 m Your Peter Pan.\u201d While the audience chanted the lyrics back to the artist, and he ran to them and shared fist bumps and high fives.
For YEIN, there is nothing more important than the mood her music plunges its listeners into. Her voice is like a mermaid\u2019s enchanting serenade, it is magical and heavily influenced by classical sounds straight from a vintage French film.
The rookie sang a cover of Emily King\u2019s \u201cDistance, \u201d a wistful and romantic song, and a perfect representation of her serene voice. Her original \u201cRose of Sharon\u201d was performed to a bigger audience too.
TAEK quickly followed his fellow On the Record artist YEIN\u2019s performance. The Future R&B and electronica artist released his five-track EP a day before the festival and the crowd got to hear its tracks \u201cSend Me to the Galaxy\u201d \u201cLiar\u201d and \u201cWe\u2019 re Always Together.\u201d
Picnic stage
In a more intimate but relaxed stage, YOONCELL puts us all to shame with her being a modern Renaissance woman. The medical doctor and assistant professor recently took on the music scene as singer-songwriter. However, she needs to be more comfortable on a live stage, because her modest and sweet voice is one that needs to be heard by many. YOONCELL\u2019s songs all have happy melodies that go perfectly with her calming vocals.
1415 then swooned the audience with their love songs\u2014each line that they sang felt like a serenade. Every track by this pop-rock acoustic duo had a dreamy touch and was accompanied by sweet but imaginative guitar licks. They played their entire \u201cDear: X\u201d EP along with a cover of LANY\u2019s \u201cILYSB, \u201d that got people swaying during their entire set.
The songs \u201cLovable, \u201d \u201cSpring is Coming, \u201d \u201cMiracle, \u201d \u201cParadise\u201d and \u201cDraw the Line\u201d are all romantic in nature. Its melodies are not complex yet entirely captivating with its jazz undertones. 1415\u2019s first EP has thematic songs and is nothing short of paradoxical\u2014it is sweet yet nostalgic; it feels infatuated but fearful of love.
Main stages
We also loved the performances of acoustic balladeer Yu Seong-woo and soulful contemporary rapper Junggigo as they turned the atmosphere into a sweet party under the smelting sun on the first day of the festival, while DEAN closed the Sky stage with a bang on the second day.
It was the first concert where the alternative R&B artist played his most recent collaboration with Syd of The Internet, \u201clove.\u201d The crowd unsurprisingly went crazy for the song. Psychedelic screens and lights matched his diverse set list, with a mix of party, R&B, hip-hop and pop tunes that created a night to remember. He sang \u201cWhat 2 Do, \u201d \u201cCome Over, \u201d \u201cBonnie and Clyde, \u201d \u201c21\u201d and \u201cD (Half Moon) \u201d for the Greenplugged festival-goers.
Wherever you are, indie music has the same charm, and witnessing South Korea\u2019s music at its grassroots will make you love the global phenomenon that is K-pop all the more.<\/p>\n

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