Summer rock festivals star-studded

K-pop

Published: 30 May. 2010, 20:34

Summer rock festivals star-studded

Clockwise from above left, LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack, Corinne Bailey Rae and Hoobastank are just some of the world-class artists set to take the stage at this year’s Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival and Jisan Valley Rock Festival. Pentaport pictures provided by Yescom Entertainment, Jisan pictures provided by Nine Factory

Massive Attack, Hoobastank, LCD Soundsystem, Muse, Pet Shop Boys, Kula Shaker, Corinne Bailey Rae and Diane Birch are just some of the world-class artists scheduled to perform in Korea this summer at the country’s two major annual rock festivals - Pentaport and Jisan Valley. And the ever-evolving lineup, which includes some overlapping headliners, indicates you may no longer feel obliged to book airline tickets to Japan for the annual Fuji Rock or Summer Sonic festivals.

The Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival 2010 gets started with LCD Soundsystem, a Grammy-nominated electro-punk rock band, and Hoo-bastank, an American rock band best known for its 2004 hit “Reason.”

The initial lineup announced by festival organizers last Friday also includes Brit-pop band Air Traffic and Japanese visual rock-influenced band Dir En Grey, as well as Korean acts such as the Kim Chang-wan Band and the band Hot Potato, which is led by signer-entertainer KimC.

The festival, which is the nation’s first outdoor rock festival and is celebrating its fifth year, is scheduled to take place from July 23 to 25 at Incheon Dream Park, a newly-established park that spans nearly 82 acres. Over the three-day festival period, 70 musicians and DJs from Korea and abroad will be playing day and night on three different stages.

Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival is one of Korea’s two major outdoor summer rock festivals.

The Jisan Valley Rock Festival 2010, to be held July 30 to Aug. 1, will feature a handful of British artists. Massive Attack, an experimental trip hop duo; the Pet Shop Boys, an electronic dance music duo; and Corinne Bailey Rae, a female singer-songwriter, are making their first appearances in Korea. The lineup also includes Muse, a three-member alternative rock band; and Kula Shaker, a psychedelic rock band. Also scheduled to perform are Korean artists such as Broccoli Neomajeo, a modern rock band, and DJ Soulscape and Galaxy Express, an emerging indie rock band.

MNet, the event host and a major cable TV network, says that the star-studded lineup was made possible through its official collaboration with Smash Corporation, a Japanese music promoter that produces the Fuji Rock Festival. This year the Japanese festival will be held in the same period as the Jisan festival; the two festivals will share some artists.

Jisan, launched last year, earned a reputation as an “eco-friendly festival.” It is held at a ski resort in Icheon, Gyeonggi, that is less than a two-hour ride from Seoul by car. It’s slogan is “Go Rock, Go Green.” Last year, participating musicians included Oasis, Basement Jaxx, Weezer and Patti Smith.

Music fans going to either festival may book rooms in nearby lodging facilities, commute back and forth between Seoul and the festival venue or camp on-site for a fee. Visitors to the Jisan festival also have the option of booking a room in the resort, which requires a membership.

The Jisan festival has confirmed the participation of 34 domestic and foreign artists and the final lineup will be unveiled in June. Pentaport will release a list of additional artists in the same month.

*The Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival 2010 will be held July 23-25 at Incheon Dream Park. A day pass costs 88,000 won ($74), a two-day pass is 132,000 won, and a three-day pass is 165,000 won. The first 2,000 people to reserve tickets will get a 20 percent discount on three-day passes. Camping costs 10,000 won per person per day.

For more information, visit www.pentaportrock.com.

*Jisan Valley Rock Festival 2010 runs from July 30 to Aug. 1 at Jisan Forest Ski Resort. A day pass costs 99,000 won, a two-day pass is 143,000 won and a three-day pass is 176,000 won. Camping costs 15,000 won per person per day.

For more details, call (02) 3443-9969 or visit www.valleyrockfestival.com.

By Seo Ji-eun [spring@joongang.co.kr]