Se So Neon, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon send crowds into frenzy at Pentaport Rock Festival

Music & Performance

Se So Neon, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon send crowds into frenzy at Pentaport Rock Festival

Published: 04 Aug. 2024, 14:54 Updated: 04 Aug. 2024, 16:10

Rock band Se So Neon performs on Aug. 2 at Moonlight Festival Park, Incheon. [INCHEON PENTAPORT ROCK FESTIVAL]

Fans of all rock music genres gathered through the summer heat at Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, held from Friday to Sunday at Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon, to listen to a variety of rock acts, ranging from Korean artists like Se So Neon, Parannoul, Silica Gel and DAY6, to overseas acts like Kim Gordon, Jack White and Turnstile.

On Friday night, U.S. punk artist Kim Gordon's abrasive guitars were heard on the left, while the soaring serenity of Korean indie band Se So Neon were heard on the right. One crowd was screaming at the top of their lungs to blistering riffs, while the other was singing along to beautiful melodies.

Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival traditionally tended to lean toward the heavier side of rock, but the festival has expanded its lineup to take on more indie and pop acts as well over the years.

The festival was selected as one of "Korea's Finest Fests" by the government this March as well, prompting the festival to attract a more diverse pool of guests and build up its overseas appeal.

The attempt to bring down barriers between different genres was evident from the festival's stage placement.

2024 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival [INCHEON PENTAPORT ROCK FESTIVAL]

The festival placed the two main stages — the KB Kookmin Card Starshop Stage and the Hillstate Stage — in close vicinity to let the crowd enjoy the different performances of its bands across various genres, rather than making them choose which band to see over another.

In between the stages were venues for food and beverages, and the crowd was seen moving back and forth to see one band after the other. Voices of people with different music tastes discussing the performances over beers and cold noodles were heard among the Japanese math rock band toe's rhythmic jam sessions and the Korean indie band wave to earth's airy ambience.

While metal acts like Sepultura and Remnants of the Fallen rocked out, Korean indie acts like Broccoli, You Too?, Chudahye Chagis, Goonam, Se So Neon and more provided a subtler vibe. Overseas acts like singer-songwriters Girl in Red, Yuta Orisaka and Taiwanese rock band Fire EX. were part of the stages as well.

Singer-songwriter Parannoul performs on Aug. 3 at Moonlight Festival Park, Incheon. [INCHEON PENTAPORT ROCK FESTIVAL]

“I wanted to see Se So Neon,” said Matias Cabrero, a 42-year-old engineer from Argentina. “I saw them on YouTube and I wanted to see them live.”

Se So Neon rocked the crowd on Friday with loud guitars and drum flourishes, but also guided the audience through serene songs like "Nan Chun" (2020). The crowd sang along to the song, with the band's vocalist So!YoON! grinning often throughout the performance.

So!YoON! eventually ran out into the audience while performing the song "Midnight Train" (2020), busting out a noise-riddled guitar solo in the middle of the crowd to thunderous applause.

Audience members invited on stage during rock band Turnstile's performance on Aug. 2 at Moonlight Festival Park, Incheon [SCREEN CAPTURE]

U.S. based punk rock band Turnstile upped the ante the same day, when it made the explosive decision to invite a vast number of audience members onto the stage for its last song "Holiday" (2021). The band is known for inviting the crowd onto the stage like punk bands did in the 1980s, but normally this does not happen in large festival settings in Korea.

“This is so beautiful, thank you so much,” said Turnstile vocalist Brendan Yates. “Let’s shake this whole place up."

Bigger names drew the most crowds, but Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival held an audition titled “Super Rookie” in June before this year’s festival, giving a platform for smaller bands to step on stage at the rock festival as well.

Rock band Far East Asia Tigers performs on Aug. 2 at Moonlight Festival Park, Incheon. [INCHEON PENTAPORT ROCK FESTIVAL]

Winners of the audition, rock bands Lif, Asadal, OurR, Dayangsung, Moher and Far East Asian Tigers were given the opportunity to perform with other smaller acts on the Global Stage, a dome shaped enclosure where smaller bands could perform in front of approximately 600 people.

“I’m looking forward to singer-songwriter Yeonjeong’s stage,” said 29-year-old Lee Seo-in. “The festival has given the opportunity to highlight smaller bands in Korea, and I’m satisfied with the performances I have seen so far.”

Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival has a good track record of keeping up with the domestic rock scene, but has often been criticized in the past for lacking the ability to invite meaningful foreign musicians compared to other rock festivals.

2024 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival [INCHEON PENTAPORT ROCK FESTIVAL]

Audiences reacted differently to this year’s lineup, with the festival drawing buzz by inviting legendary veteran acts like Kim Gordon, Sepultura, Jack White and more.

“It would be nice to see the festival reach out to more overseas acts,” said Lee. “I want to see more Western artists like this year."

Kim Gordon, who fronted legendary 80s U.S. rock band Sonic Youth, was one of the names that the Korean rock festival pulled in from overseas this year.

Rock musician Kim Gordon on Aug. 2 at Moonlight Festival Park, Incheon [GYEONGGI ILBO]

The 71-year-old veteran performed a fusion of electronic, industrial and punk music with hypnotic visuals on stage. Her subtle actions were met with an animated crowd. Screams emanated from the audience at the end of every song.

When the vocalist picked up the guitar, the ecstatic crowd began chanting her name repeatedly, upon which the singer burst into her new song "The Believers," surrounded by flames jetting out in front of the stage as she performed the song.

"Thank you so much, and please drink some water," said Gordon as she wrapped up her performance. "We love you, thank you," she said as she stepped off the stage with the crowd chanting her name behind her.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]