Southern California punks to rock Seoul

Times change, but some things remain the same. No matter where you go, parents hate the music their teenage children listen to.
A father screaming upstairs for his child to turn down the music so he can hear himself read the newspaper is a time-honored scene. Spiked hair, pierced body parts, tattoos: Parents despise what teenagers think is cool.
But who really has the heart to turn down the stereo when it’s playing the Offspring, made up of four guys from southern California: Dexter, Noodle, Greg K and Atom.
The loud, prankish band that, along with Green Day, spearheaded the mid-’90s pop-punk revival is coming to Seoul for a show Saturday at Olympic Hall, inside Olympic Park in the Songpa district in southeastern Seoul.
The high-school buddies from Orange County started their band back in the ’80s. They released their debut album “The Offspring” in 1989, but hit the big time with the 1994 album “Smash,” which sold several million copies in the United States.
That album rocketed them to worldwide fame and spawned anthems like “Come Out and Play” and “Self Esteem.”
The band’s continuing success is driven by their ability to come across as cool Cali pranksters, even though all the members are well into their 30s.
They’ve varied their sound slightly over the years ― introducing elements of hip-hop, for example ― but the band has stayed true to the ethos of never going soft. Their fans like the Offspring because they can always count on the music to be loud and fun.
Their latest album, “Splinter,” does see them adopting a more serious approach, mixed in, of course, with the requisite standing-up-to-the-man rebelliousness that’s central to punk rock.
Korean fans especially will know the band for their tune “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),” which shows up frequently on music channels and other entertainment television programs here.
Who wouldn’t love the video for “Pretty Fly,” with that dorky dancer wearing an oversized gold chain around his neck? It’s a pity that fellow won’t be joining the band on stage.
The band’s music provides a perfect backdrop to riding on bikes or skateboarding ― kind of an updated and funkier version of what the Sex Pistols, the seminal British punk band, were doing back in the ’70s. So for people in search of friendly chaos, and music that rocks without being heavy metal, the Offspring show might be a good option come Saturday night.

by Lee Ho-jeong

For more information on the concert, including tickets and how to get there, log on to www.interpark.com or www.allaccess.co.kr.
Ticket prices range from 60,000 ($51) to 77,000 won.