Rock band YB celebrating 20 years with a concert series
Nevertheless, the band has survived the K-pop-dominated music market and recently launched a series of concerts to commemorate its 20th year.
“I never imagined that I would keep playing music in the name of YB for the past 20 years,” Yoon, 43, said at a press conference on Tuesday at Ilchi Art Hall in southern Seoul, after performing a couple of songs with his band mates. One of the songs, “20 Years,” was composed especially for the anniversary.
Yoon began as a solo singer in 1995 but immediately formed a rock band with the musicians who performed with him for his first show in the same year and released an album in 1997 under the name Yoon Do Hyun Band. The band was renamed YB in 2006 and has been one of the longest-running rock bands in Korea.
“Rock music still falls into the category of minor music in Korea, but I still root for junior musicians who wish to make rock music, and I’ll keep making music for them,” Yoon said.
Despite the hostility toward this genre in the domestic music market, the band said it can keep going after receiving positive feedback when performing in and outside the country, including in the United States.
“We did busking in the streets of Sindorim yesterday, and I realized why I’m doing music,” Yoon added.
The “20 Years” concert series will be held at LG Arts Center in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul, from Oct. 15 to 18, and the band will go on a nationwide tour after that.
The band’s hits include “I Will Fall in Love” and “Still You,” but it is most well-known for “Oh! Pilseung Korea,” which was used as an official chant for the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. The song also brought nationwide stardom to the band.
BY SUNG SO-YOUNG [so@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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