The last time I was at Hongdae, I promised to return more often. And the last time I was here early this year, I listened to heavy metal music. And last weekend, I listened to heavy metal...and a lot more.
When you mention 'Hongdae', everyone immediately knows what you're referring to: young crowd, lots of restaurants and bars, food stalls on the street, lots of indie artists and street performers, and a lively night scene! And this area is always full on Friday and Saturday nights! Trying exiting from the Hongik Station on a Friday or Saturday night and you'll know what I mean.
And last weekend, Rodfest continued on with its 2014 rock concert series. Last spring, it was held at the Yes24.com concert hall near Hapjeong Station. This time, it's at the V-Hall, which was near Hong-ik University Station.
(Diablo on stage)
Rock bands billed for the Rodfest Vol. 5 were Manixive, Gwamegi, Method, Crash and the Diablo. As always, the audience mostly consisted of university students who just wanted a night away from their classrooms and away from their textbooks. They were there in the middle of the V-Hall banging their heads, screaming with the rock bands and running around in circles just letting steam off from the stressful life of being a university student.
Thanks to the K-Performance Supporters team of the Korea Tourism Organization, I had my dose of Korean indie rock scene again that night right in the middle of where it should be enjoyed, Hong-dae!
After the rock concert, I moved around that small park a few meters from Exit 9 of the Hong-ik University Station (Line 2). At this time of the night, it was full of performers, singers and craftspersons who were selling their art works on the street.
(If you sing, they will come)
(They're queuing for a KRW1,000 caricature from this artist)
The atmosphere that night was more fun than any street festival organized by the Seoul city government. In Hongdae, you don't need to promote or invite people to come. Everyone will just show up and listen to you sing, rap, perform, or do magic. Why? Because this is Hongdae!
(Beatboxing for a crowd)
(Nail art on the street)
Here, be it inside a concert venue where heavy metal was rocking the crowd, or outdoors, where artists performed live (and without the need for make-up or back-up dancers like those manufactured performers on TV) for everyone who wanted to listen, the atmosphere is very friendly and fun.
(This guy wants to give free hugs)
(The girls and a clown)
So, if you're fed up with your boring neighborhood, you know you can always head down to Hongdae in Seoul, the center of the indie spirit and underground club culture in Korea.
(Midnight snacks!)
(Night shopping!)
And don't forget Exit 9 on your way out. Have fun!
If you ever pass through Hongik University Station (or Hongdae Station), especially during the weekend, you will have to watch where you're going; eyes on the path and not on your smart phone. This place is crowded, especially on Friday nights! Last year, on our way to the 2012 Yeosu Expo, we had to board our Adventure Korea bus that was waiting for us at the Hongdae Station. It was a Friday night and passing through that station was crazy! It seemed that the parties at the clubs in the Hongdae area spilled out into the subway station! Ha-ha-ha!
And this week, when I met up with an old friend Andrew, whom I haven't seen in months, I passed through the Hongik University Station again and relived that memory. But this time, I was willing to navigate the crowded areas because, one, Andrew and I had a lot of catching up to do, and two, the Seoul Fringe Festival was going on!
Every summer, the Seoul Fringe Festival gathers more artists and performances to be enjoyed by the crowds. And after a few minutes of walking from the subway station, we already saw a couple of street performances while we were on our way to finding a restaurant where we wanted to chat and, of course, to stick to the Korean tradition, drink! Soju, that is.
We paused to listen to a few bars of some songs being sung by the performers, who were surrounded by an audience intently listening, or taking videos and photographs.
This is what I like about the Hong-dae area. There isn't a shortage of artists. I would have wanted to take a look at some performances in the theaters, but the Seoul Fringe Festival website does not provide enough information about the locations of these theaters.
Chatting over soondae keupjang beukkeum (explaining the dish makes me drool again. Ha-ha-ha!), which has soondae, tteok, veggies, red pepper paste and a few garnishings cooked over low fire, Andrew and I argued as to who between us gained more weight since the last time we met. Ha-ha-ha! Well, I guess, with this dish, we could always find some excuses if we both did. And to make us even fuller at the table, the ajumma dropped a cupful of rice on the hot plate, mixed it with the red pepper paste and what ever was left of the dish and instantly turned it into a more appetizing hot refill of reddish rice with sliced kim and a few veggies. And there went our diet. Ha-ha-ha!
So, to walk off our heavy tummies, we roamed that part of the Hong-dae area full of bars, cafes and restaurants, next to rows and rows of shops selling clothes, accessories and everything else, and ended up in a coffee shop to chat some more.
(At first, I thought it was an exit to a subway station!
But it was an entrance to a club!)
That night, I decided I have to return to Hong-dae and explore more of it under the daylight. I figured, if I had more time, I'd be able to discover the other corners of this popular place, see more street performances and take more colorful pictures.
And perhaps, also find reasons why I should visit this place more often.
