A few Saturdays ago I hit up Club TA in Hongdae. I had never been there before, but a friend clued me in on a musical event being hosted there by the folks of Speakeasy. Live music sounded good to me and since the disastrous St. Patrick’s day event over at the Wolfhound I was keen on actually hearing some live music instead of just anticipating it.
Club TA is in a building right by Club FF and GoGos in Hongdae near the 7-11 and close to the infamous TinPans. Cover charge was 10,000Won. Down a quick flight of steps delivered us into a wall of sound. We’d arrived right in the middle of a performance. The yelps of the lead singer stung my ears with the added electric zing of feedback. The drummer worked overtime even though her face belied the effort. She was serene and angelic with only a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. Meanwhile her compatriots jumped about in contortions of musical masturbatory glee. They sure were digging themselves. Yes, they were.
The light show swung wildly from drowning the stage in ethereal blues to piercing shafts of red that cut through the dark. All while a spotlight stayed on the drummer. People crowded the bar, guzzling plastic cups of cheap beer given away free with every ticket. Cigarette smoke stung my eyes but I endured, drink in hand. Waiting for the Space Boyz to hit the stage.
Speakeasy, the folks putting the shindig together, call themselves a cultural project that aims to provide residents of Seoul with an innovative and inclusive meeting place. The bash at Club TA was the first event of 2010. The line up consisted of:
Arne Von Brill
Space Boyz
Mineri
Bedroom States
Lights and Noise
Oriental Lucy
At midnight the Space Boyz hit the stage and rocked the house. You can check out the videos!
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE: www.speakeasyseoul.com
- NB2 Hip Hop in Hongdae (kissmykimchi.com)
