Boogie night will set dancing shoes afire

Features

Published: 25 Sep. 2003, 04:13

Boogie night will set dancing shoes afire

The night is young in the club zone near Hongik University, the neighborhood better known as Hongdae by those who yearn to dance, dance, dance.
The last Friday of each month is known as Club Day, and a 15,000 won ($13) ticket gains you admission to 12 clubs clustered in the area.
On Club Days, the streets of Hongdae, west of downtown, are jammed with thousands of people looking for a boogie night. You can distinguish a Friday night in Hongdae from rush hour on the Seoul subways by the dress: The Hongdae crowd will probably be wearing halter tops and tattoos, instead of dresses, suits and ties. Tomorrow, the last Friday of September, Club Day gets even more wild, with the introduction of the Road Club Festival.
While most festivals in the city generally wrap up by 10 p.m., the Road Club Festival marches on till dawn. On top of the usual Club Day, the festival offers concerts and exhibitions by the avant-garde artists nestled in the area.
Shirley Hong, the festival organizer, brims with confidence. “This will be the biggest festival that Hongdae has ever seen,” she says.
A street concert launches the festival in the club zone at 6 p.m., with guest performers like Big Mama, a pop group of four large-bodied female vocalists. Other Hongdae-based bands will perform hard rock and jazz. An outdoor rave will follow the concert in nearby parking lots, featuring the loquacious deejays, DJ Unkle and DJ Sunshine.
Those who prefer Latin rhythms to the techno beat will appreciate the live salsa and jazz from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. From 6 p.m. to 4 a.m., a medley of club-related gear will be sold. Partygoers can check out clubbing accessories and costumes designed by more than 200 local artists. Another offering is a tattoo and graffiti display, running from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the parking lots.
Club Day really starts to heat up at 10 p.m., when the pilgrimage to any of the 12 clubs boasting earsplitting techno beats begins. Club fever continues until 6 a.m. All you have to do is put on your dancing shoes and come out and play.

by Chun Su-jin

To reach the Hongdae club area, take subway line No. 2 to Hongik University station and use exit No. 6. If you are taking the No. 6 line, get off at Sangsu station and use exit 1.
Facing Hongik University’s main gate, from the entrance, turn right and walk until you reach a three-way junction marked by a Buy the Way convenience store. The cluster of clubs is just a few blocks away from the store.