Block Occasion gears up for third – and closing – yr of music & arts pageant

By Jon Dunbar

Jamie Finn, the principle organizer of Seoul’s Block Occasion pageant, swore that final yr’s version can be the final one, however right here we’re, dealing with one other impending Block Occasion this yr.

“Final yr was so enjoyable that, despite the fact that I swore it was the final one, I wished to do another,” he instructed The Korea Occasions. “At the same time as we did the final one, I used to be planning to maneuver down south. Ninety-five p.c of the work for Block Occasion is finished remotely so I believed, fuck it, let’s give it a go.”

After final yr’s Block Occasion, Finn moved to Busan, which is a fairly good excuse to cease operating a pageant in central Seoul — Haebangchon and Gyeongnidan, to be exact. However it’ll be again this Sept. 21 and 22.

“Our goals with Block Occasion are to place Haebangchon on the musical map and throw an enormous celebration that options as lots of the native creatives as potential,” Finn mentioned.

He admitted that the space issue hasn’t brought about too many difficulties in organising the third version of the multi-venue pageant, which incorporates a strong lineup of musicians, in addition to numerous different entertainers and artists.

“It will have been good to have extra nose to nose communication with the venues, the shortage of which in all probability slowed us down a bit,” he mentioned. “And I didn’t get to place up as many posters in Seoul. However the distance has not been the difficulty.”

There are a couple of dozen taking part venues, with 11 listed in a pretty neighborhood map designed by Charity Lynn depicting the mountainside space laid out on a big dragon. The venue record consists of neighborhood landmarks like Phillies, Casa Amigo, Southside Parlor, Pet Sounds, Boogie Woogie, Rabbithole and KYLDN Social Membership and Rooftop, in addition to newcomer Dialogue.

“Nowadays I largely try to cling on to the final little bit of sanity I’ve attempting to prepare this pageant,” Finn mentioned.

The musician lineup of this yr’s Block Occasion is, as common, an excessive amount of to simply comprehend. It brings collectively the perfect of the Hongdae scene with native neighborhood favorites, each Korean and overseas, representing nearly each style apart from Ok-pop.

“As the principle booker of the pageant, the lineup is made up of stuff I get pleasure from,” Finn mentioned.

He mentioned he’s particularly trying ahead to Playbook, a aspect undertaking of Kim Min-soo from Silica Gel, in addition to Sombra, an digital artist who’s coming over from Japan, and Lee Min-hwi, an award-winning people artist who debuted in 2011 within the notorious duo often known as Mukimukimanmansu.

“I’m additionally trying ahead to getting drunk and dancing to Maddyxp, who performs proper earlier than my DJ set to shut the primary day,” Finn confided.

He’ll DJ as “DJ Jamie,” having solid off his former DJ identify, Scouse Ramen.

“I ended calling myself Scouse Ramen as a result of I acquired uninterested in having to elucidate it to folks,” he mentioned.

There are roughly 100 music acts performing, however Finn admitted he would not have a precise quantity.

“It is onerous to gauge the precise quantity as we’re bringing in teams of performers,” he mentioned. “We have now roughly 100 musical acts taking part in, although. If you embody drag queens, comedians, wrestlers, DJs, artists and extra, I believe we round 150 complete individuals. Most likely extra…”

He additionally mentioned he is particularly excited in regards to the non-music lineup Block Occasion gives this yr, persevering with its profitable experiment in increasing into different arts final yr. This can embody Crash Landed, Dragdrinkplay, White Lies Burlesque, Professional Wrestling Society, Seoul Gamers, Seoul Metropolis Improv, Busan Comedy Membership, Assssssdog comedy, Home of Hex and Ataraxia pole dancing, in addition to two magicians, Omid and Jiwan.

“I am a little bit of a geek for magicians,” Finn confided.

There may even be a mini model of Hechyeomoyeo, the exhibition that manifests as a landslide of artists, which can be at present operating an exhibition in Busan. Paintings might be displayed on the taking part venues.

“As corny because it sounds, I am very excited to see all my associates there,” Finn mentioned. “Block Occasion once more falls on my birthday so I will be simply comfortable to celebration with everybody and dance to Pop Ents.”

Block Occasion can be collaborating with Chillhops Brewing to launch a branded beer, the Block Occasion Lager, which might be out there at taking part venues.

“We wish folks to wander round and discover one thing sudden. Possibly you got here to see a sure indie band however you ended up on stage dancing with a drag queen, otherwise you had been shocked by a magician, otherwise you acquired lined in sweat by a wrestler. We wish that factor of shock. And we managed to attain that final yr, and hopefully this yr too,” Finn mentioned.

“The one actual change for Block Occasion this yr is we now have extra phases and an excellent higher lineup.”

After launching the pageant in 2022, Finn admitted that the strain is mounting for the third version of his brainchild.

“The factor that has been essentially the most troublesome has really been simply the truth that that is our third yr,” he mentioned. “I believe whenever you get to that stage, and when you begin to develop a bit of little bit of a fame, folks have increased expectations. Not simply the ticket patrons, however the artists, the venue, everybody actually. Individuals cease speaking to you such as you’re a bunch of associates simply attempting to throw a celebration and begin performing such as you’re knowledgeable enterprise operation. Which I assume is a praise, in a manner.”

This yr, the music pageant panorama of Korea, and even Seoul, has been extra crowded than ever. Finn remarked that he is unaware of any competing festivals on the identical weekend as this yr’s Block Occasion, however the weekend after, there are about eight.

“That is wild,” he mentioned. “The pageant scene in Korea goes by a little bit of an explosion, which is nice and unhealthy. Like, all of the bands are getting paid, and that is an ideal factor. Plus there’s much more range in lineups now, which was frankly missing in music festivals right here. The unhealthy is that, ultimately, there’ll come a degree the place there are simply too many. And there aren’t sufficient festival-going folks to go round. The identical factor will occur that occurred in 2010 when the pageant market turned overly saturated, and most of them ended up closing consequently. I like festivals — I have been to about eight this yr — and I want it was extra. So in the interim, it is nice. However, we’ll see how it’s in a number of years.”

He added that there will certainly be one fewer pageant although. “I am not fucking doing this once more,” he mentioned.

One-day tickets for Saturday are already bought out, and tickets for Sunday solely are 45,000 gained ($34). Two-day weekend tickets price 70,000 gained every.

Go to blockpartykorea.com or comply with @blockpartykorea on Instagram for extra info and to purchase tickets.