This year was my second time going to the Pentaport Rock Festival. The first time I went was in 2018, but after that the birth of two more children and a global pandemic got in the way of attending again. This time around we went for the full three days. It was hot, sunny, sweaty, and actually much more crowded than I remembered it being. It was a fun time overall, though. This post will contain a few reflections on some memorable aspects of the festival this year—the bands, the food, the venue, etc.
the bands
새소년 (Sesoneon)
I first discovered 새소년 at Pentaport in 2018. I was really stoked on their sound back then. I listened to their first album on repeat for months after that. They inspired me to start playing electric guitar again, actually. Back then they were a relatively new band, and since then all but the singer have been replaced. I hadn’t kept up on them since binging on that first album, but they were the band I had been looking forward to seeing most.
Their set was really fun, and it was interesting to see how their sound has evolved. Apparently they have been playing at Pentaport every year since their debut there in 2018. Perhaps playing for these large, high energy crowds had an influence on their aesthetic. They seemed louder overall, and maybe a bit rowdier than I remember them being. I would describe their set as having a “larger” sound and presence than how I remember them from six years ago. I really liked what they played, but if I am being honest, I kind of miss the understated vibe they had when they were younger and still a three piece. They had a certain charm that I really fell in love with then. I think that I am too attached to their original sound to objectively review their set, which really was great, actually. I realized too that while I was out of the loop, they really became quite popular. The crowd that came to see them was massive! I was really stoked for them about that, and you could tell they were too!
The only thing about their set was that the mixing was kind of off. Where we were in the crowd, it was all kind of garbled, but I noticed that as we made our way toward the back it improved somewhat. Even so, it still felt kind of smudged together in a way. I don’t think this was the band’s fault. Overall, the festival had sub par audio quality, which I well mention later in this post.
미역수엄 (Seaweed Mustache)
We didn’t get a chance to watch too much of Seaweed Mustache’s set, but we were curious about them so we made a point to pop in for a bit. They played during the heat of the day, which in some way added to the intensity of their set. I had never heard them before, and actually I don’t listen to much metal these days, but for a metal band they kicked ass. Even though we didn’t stick around too long (because we were a little beleaguered by the heat) it was refreshing to get a taste of that kind of music again—especially live. I also couldn’t pass up the opportunity to find out what kind of band had such a cool name.
추다헤차지스 (Chudahye Chagis)
For me, 추다혜차지스 was the highlight of the festival. I actually didn’t recognize her name, but 추다혜 was one of the members of SsingSsing—which is one of my favorite Korean bands if only for their being so uniquely what they are. 추다혜차지스 is a similar fusion of rock and traditional Korean music. It really is a treat, and they really stood out among the rest of the festival lineup.
First of all, I just love their sound. I love pansori-type vocals over groovy, funky, laid back guitar, bass, and drums. What was also special about their set to me was that they didn’t have any pre-recorded backing tracks or samples. That sounds like a minor thing, but so many bands have pre-recorded string sections, background vocals, or whatever else they play along to fill out the sound. There is nothing wrong with that per se, but sometimes it feels like you are just listening to their album being played through loudspeakers. I think what bothers me about that is it makes the performance feel sterile and too rehearsed—it feels like it is just something that you are watching happen rather than happening along with it. Another way to put it is that it feels like it eliminates the chance for the performance to be affected by that particular time, place, and the people present. Which is ironic, because that is sort what makes live music worth going to see in the first place (to me at least). 추다혜차지스 stood in sharp relief to that trend of pre-produced live shows. They were tight and they sounded great, but more importantly they sounded…alive. Their music has so much spirit anyway because of the way it revolves around 추다혜’s pansori virtuosity, but being completely live just makes it all the more engrossing.
They also have really good stage presence. One thing that I dislike about a lot of live shows is how bands tend to talk to the audience. I generally dislike a lot of talking on stage, but I also just don’t like it when bands try to look cool or talk to the audience in an overly friendly way. 추다혜차지스 had a lot of audience involvement, and they would talk a little here and there—not too much—but it did not feel falsely personal or pretentious. Perhaps it has something to do with 추다혜’s background in traditional Korean performing arts, but her comments on stage have a kind of humor or playfulness that is characteristic of things like 탈춤. She herself has a certain amount of gravitas being the virtuoso that she is. Even if pansori is not your cup of tea, it is hard to not respect and marvel at someone who does what she does. Not to mention that she wears a peculiar head dress when she performs. If not her appearance then her lilting melismas will totally arrest your attention.
브로큰 발렌타인 (Broken Valentine)
I don’t really know anything about Broken Valentine, and had not heard of them before seeing their set. They are not really my style, actually, but they kind of nail their genre. What was most memorable to me about them was how they were so humble and grateful. The bassist mentioned in-between songs just how much they appreciate being there and how grateful they are for all the fans who made it possible for them to keep doing their thing over the years. He also was just really stoked about the festival in general and expressed so much positivity about all the other artists. I mean, he really laid it on thick, but it felt totally genuine and heartfelt. It was actually kind of moving!
파란노을 (Paran Noeul)
I don’t know a whole lot about 파란노을 either, other than that they mostly make electronic music, and that they have somewhat kept their appearance secret. From what I understand, their appearance at the festival was a something of a special occasion, and their shoegazey set as a whole band is a bit different from what they normally do.
Unfortunately, they also suffered from the festival’s wonky audio setup. During the sound check they seemed to be frustrated with the engineers and stagehands. It was really hard to hear the vocals and distinguish between the different instruments a lot of the time. It was all smudged or blurred together like it was for some of the other bands. From what I could hear, though, it was pretty nice. I remember watching them play one song, and the highs all clashed and made this shrill, woolly, static wave that totally eclipsed everything else. The engineers in the tower were just turning knobs, and you could hear it in real time. In trying to fix that cacophony, at one point you could hear the cymbals quickly decrease in volume and cut out before going back way up again. I imagine that must have been really annoying to the band, and they did appear to be quite peeved, actually.
I don’t know if it was because they were having a hard time with the festival staff, but they had kind of a standoffish attitude that was a bit off putting and stood out from the overwhelmingly positive attitude all the other bands seemed to have. For example, at one point the singer was trying to play a 태평소, and after a few attempts at trying to make it produce noise he just threw it on the ground. Toward the end of the set they were also throwing some other equipment around. I have never really liked this cliche of smashing guitars or whatever else on stage. It just feels wasteful and arrogant to me, and also just… cliche.
Even before all of this senseless destruction, they had kind of a weird attitude that didn’t sit well with me. Like I mentioned already, so many of the other bands were totally stoked to be there and seemed so grateful and appreciative of all the people who came out to the show in spite of it being the peak of summer. 파란노을 didn’t seem that stoked, and kind of came off as doing the show almost begrudgingly. When they first came out, they read a safety announcement from their phone that the organizers probably ask all bands to read or mention during their set. It is just a reminder to drink water and get help if you are feeling nauseous or dizzy, etc. Other bands mentioned all this casually between songs, because, yeah, it was hot as fuck out there, and most people are not used to spending the entire day out in that extreme heat like that. I was really unimpressed by the way 파란노을 came out and read the announcement from their phone in a flat, annoyed voice then tossed it aside. I don’t know, maybe if I was younger I might relate more to the rebellious youth persona they seemed to be going for, but it just came off as arrogant and self-absorbed.
I remember at the time thinking that their set would have been better suited for a time slot after sundown. They came on right before the sun was setting behind the buildings, so the sunlight came at them and the rest of the audience from extreme angles.
Girl in Red
I don’t know anything about this band, really, and had never heard of them, but their set was really fun and energetic. Their sound is a bit on the poppy side of the rock spectrum, at least to my taste, but they put on a great show. They really radiated positivity. Everyone seemed to dig their vibe. They came on the main stage just as the sun was setting behind the nearby apartment buildings, so maybe we enjoyed their show more because of the long awaited relief from the heat.
Jack White
I hadn’t heard Jack White’s solo stuff, and hadn’t really listened to The White Stripes much since I was in high school, so I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised, though, because his set turned out to be pretty much what the doctor ordered.
His style is such a nice blend of folk, blues, and punk rock. It really hit the spot for me that night. We also had gotten a good buzz going, and the sun was fully set, so we were feeling pretty nice around the time he came on.
One thing that I liked about his set was that he basically just played for the full 90 minutes straight. He didn’t really make any innocuous comments in between songs, didn’t tell us his life story, or anything like that. He just jammed the whole time. There were a few songs that he played with a slide on what looked like some kind of resonator or hollow body guitar with a little bit of overdrive on it. The results were very tasty. Now I want to start playing with a slide again!
Plus, Jack White just has such a nice voice, and he uses it in interesting ways. He can do these sudden high pitched squeals and squeaks that really add some texture and variety to his songs; not to mention character and intensity.
One thing that I also liked about his set was that it wasn’t just a live instance of his records. What I mean is, some of his old songs with which I am familiar, like We Are Gonna Be Friends or Fell in Love With a Girl were not played in a way that tries to emulate the original recordings. He has played those songs countless times since they were recorded, and you could tell that they have grown with him over the years. This is no to say they were wildly different, but that when he plays them… he plays them, or rather, plays with them. They feel like living creatures in a way. This is what makes live music special, and I was overjoyed that he closed the night with such a candid and colorful set.
이상은
The last set the we watched on the last day of the festival was 이상은. Incidentally, her performance was the only one that moved me to tears! Usually I get choked up pretty easily. I was a bit surprised to realize on the last day that I hadn’t had an emotional reaction to any of the other performances. One reason for that might be that I am most familiar with 이상은 and have listened to her stuff more (and for longer) than I have the other bands. I saw her perform once before, but this was the first time seeing her do a full show of her own.
I think what was so moving about her show was that she is so incredibly humble and sincere. She seems totally unconcerned with trying to look cool or even with trying to impress anyone. I got the impression that more than anything she is concerned about her performance being genuine. I had sensed that a little when I saw her perform last year. She comes across as being rather modest and almost unsure of herself. I don’t think this has to do with a lack of confidence, however. I think it is because she really cares about making the performance special. It seems like she is concerned with being present and sensitive to the dynamics of the place, the audience, and everything else that would affect the performance. She must have sang all of these songs millions of times, and the audience has all heard them millions of times as well, but even so, she seems to resist just singing the songs and having her performance be just another time everyone in the audience hears whatever songs she plays. This is not to say that she is all experimental on stage or anything like that. I think it has more to do with her attitude than anything. At some point she mentioned that she is so grateful for all of her fans supporting her throughout the years; that she felt like she has come such a long way but that she still has so much growing to do. I think that sums it up pretty well. Even if you go and see her play and she sings all her familiar songs in a familiar way, she does so with so much heart and spirit that you feel included—like you are sharing those songs with her. It is hard to really pin down what made her show so intimate, but whatever made it that way made me tear up for nearly the whole performance.
She closed with 언젠가는—according to her, she pretty much always does. Even though I have heard the song a million times, it hit me a different way. The lyrics meant something new to me that time around, especially these lines (which I have translated here):
In our youth we forgot we were young,
When we were in love, love seemed so commonplace,
But looking back now
We really were young and in love
Of course, the original Korean lyrics are more interesting than my hasty Anglification. I really love the sentiment behind them, though, especially the nuance they have being worded the way they are in Korean. There is something kind of melancholy about looking back and feeling almost proud of your younger self for being so inexcusably young—for being so passionate and predisposed to loving. The realization being that “nothing gold can stay,” more-or-less; that living and loving is really all there is to it, and now that you have done more of both, you can do neither as freely and wholeheartedly as you could when you were so immersed in the novelty of experiencing love and life for the first time. That is my somewhat philosophical take on those lyrics. I am not sure why they hit me that way during that particular performance, but it felt good to have a nice little cry to conclude our weekend at the festival.
The only thing is, the notoriously-not-a-rock-band idol group started their set on the main stage right as 이상은 was in the middle of her final song. It really annoyed me that they wouldn’t wait just a few minutes for her to finish and that the festival grounds were setup this way in the first place. Under ordinary circumstances, having some other band come in with an energetic opening song like that could really kill your finale—especially if it was a heartfelt ballad. In that moment I felt like that overlap didn’t do any damage to 이상은’s performance, but rather it made this idol group feel even more out of place. In some way it kind of added to the dramatic effect of her finale, because the title of the song she sang, 언젠가는, means “someday,” and is a kind of farewell lament about time (depending on how you look at it). Having this idol group stomp all over her finale made it feel really ironic and almost kind of funny. I walked away wondering what she must have thought about it.
the festival itself
the good
It takes a lot of help and cooperation from a lot of people to pull off a big festival like this. There were so many volunteers, cops, firefighters, and paramedics working to keep the peace and to keep everyone safe. I am really grateful to all those people for coming out on that exceptionally hot weekend so a bunch of folks could enjoy some loud live music.
Related to the festival being safe is the fact that it is rather family friendly. This time around we didn’t bring our kids, but there were many families there with kids of all ages. There is a dedicated tent section where you can set up a home base, which is nice if you are bringing kids, because the more kids you have the more stuff you will also end up bringing.
It is also cool that the tickets are totally free for seniors. I don’t know why they decided to do that, but I thought it was a nice gesture.
What was most impressive to me, though, was the generally positive attitude the bands had. So many performers came out to play with such fun-loving and grateful attitudes toward the audience, other bands, and the festival itself. It is inspiring to see, and it makes you feel like you are part of a little community in a way.
the not so good
My first impressions of the venue in 2018 were not great. The stages were too close to each other, and so there would be occassional interference between bands playing at the same time. This has not changed at all, which was a little bit disappointing. In general, the sound quality was not fantastic. For some bands it as downright terrible. At the time I thought that maybe it had something to do with the fact that many high rise buildings had been erected around the perimeter of the festival grounds. Sadly, the problem is apparently much more serious than that. I have heard that since 경기일보 (Kyeonggi Ilbo; KI) took over, they fired all of the old staff who had run the festival for years and instead hired some private contractors to work the sound and lighting. I am not sure if this is true or not, but this decreased audio quality is just one of the many things long time Pentaport-goers have criticized the festival for since being taken over by KI.
Many feel that the festival has become less of a rock festival, and more of a cash grab and publicity opportunity for the Kyeonggi Ilbo and Incheon’s tourism authority. For example, on the last day of the festival, one of the acts on the main stage was a K-pop idol group. Definitely not a rock band, but they drew a huge crowd of idol worshippers, so from the organizers’ point-of-view putting them in the lineup was a great idea. There is a major culture clash between the rock festival crowd and the idol scene. On that day, the picnic area was completely inundated with empty picnic blankets left there just to reserve the spots for other idol-ers.
In 2018, I was really peeved by the festival requiring that everyone sign up for a Kona card in order to make payments at the festival. And the best part was, their system was complete shit and flat out did not work! We ordered some ice cream for our daughter, and while we waited for the payment to go through it all melted. They kept this payment system until last year, then finally gave up on it apparently. Being able to pay in cash this time was nice, but some of the prices were a bit absurd.
One other thing that really bothers me about Pentaport is that they are really strict about what you can bring in with you. It used to be that you could only bring in a few unopened 500ml bottles of water per person. They now allow you to bring an unlimeted number, which is sensible because the festival is always held at the hottest time of the year—and it was damn hot. The best method is to just bring some large empty bottles or a reservoir/bladder and fill them up in the fountain (which is also the best way to stay cool out there).
I noticed this year that they started using reusable plastic dishes at all the vendors, which seems nice at first, but then you realize that all of that plastic will just be trash eventually too. I wish they would just use compostable paper and faux plastics instead. They also operated several cooling zones in the form of large coach busses you could sit in for a while to enjoy some AC. The problem is that these just constantly blow out exhaust, so everywhere you went outside of the stage area smelled like diesel fumes.
The lack of shade is always kind of a bummer—and the weird promotional VIP seating sections they setup are really just insult to injury. What is also frustrating is that the security guards will get on your case for just sitting in the grass because it is a designated “standing zone.” There is really nowhere else to go, and so for these guys to run around and tell people to stand up in mostly vacant areas of the lawn seems ridiculous to me.
the food
I usually have pretty low expectations of festival food. We always bring a little something from home at least for the sake of saving money. I was pleased with some of the things we tried (even though they were probably overpriced). On the first night we had vegan tacos which were actually really tasty. I think the best thing we had, though, was the 김말이국수, which is a famous favorite at Pentaport. Basically, it is noodles with 김 (laver; “nori”) and kimchi in cold 동치미, which is a kind of “water kimchi.” It was so refreshing and energizing! I just wish that we had not waited until the last day to try it! It is pretty much the perfect food for a summertime festival.
The beverages were pretty mediocre, but still enjoyable for their being cold drinks in the sweltering August heat. The highballs were wildly overpriced, but worth it to a point to get a good buzz going. The beer available was basically just Cass, which even for a somewhat snobbish beer drinker like myself was enjoyable after being in the sun all day.
Flags
I always enjoy seeing all the flags people bring into the festival. It’s also fun to see familiar ones from other festivals. Here are some of the one’s I remember from this year:
- 불여우단 등장
- 지속가능한 덕질
- 퇴사
- 통일
- Pride flag
- American flag with Jack White’s face on it
- 락페의 민족
- One guy had a flag with (presumably) his name on it. I can’t remember the name, but we tried to find out who it was by searching on the internet, but couldn’t find anything. Whoever it was seems to have just been reppin’ himself out there.