We’ve been super hyped about JOSEON for a while now, so when we got the chance to check out their show at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles on May 31st, we jumped at the opportunity. And boy, are we glad we did! It was well worth the cross-country drive. (Okay, maybe we didn’t drive cross country, but getting from one side of LA to the other in Friday work traffic certainly feels that way)
For those who don’t know, JOSEON is a Korean group, “putting people onto K-rock, K-Pop’s ugly stepsister.” Their music is genre-blurring, taking inspiration from the 60s to the 90s and from artists across genres. If you want to read more about their inspirations check out our recent interview with them because this is all about their live show!
For a smaller act, JOSEON’s stage presence echoes that of seasoned artists. They knew how to work a crowd and hype up the El Rey on a Friday night. We loved their energy and interactions on stage throughout the set. You can tell they sincerely enjoy performing. We were lucky enough to be close to the barricade and we can’t wait to look back on this show when JOSEON has made it big and say we knew them when.
And of course, we have to talk about the songs too. They played some tracks off of their latest EP YOUTHiNASiA, including ‘EVERGREEN’, a favorite of theirs and ours too! We love their sound and the vibe it created at the El Rey. It was just what we needed to unwind after a long work day and even though we were tired from being real adults, JOSEON was able to pick our adrenaline right back up. A major part of that adrenaline was seeing an all Asian band on stage, honestly. For those of us who grew up not seeing ourselves represented in these concert spaces, bands like JOSEON are making all the difference in terms of representation, and we love it. Talk about closing out AAPI month with a bang!
Not to give you FOMO or anything, but this was one of those “you had to be there” type performances. We wish we could transport you back in time to JOSEON’s show, but alas, we can’t. You’ll simply have to take our word for it when we say that JOSEON is an act you must see live. If you get a chance to catch them near you, take it! We promise you won’t regret it.
If you start streaming YOUTHiNASiA now, you’ll be ready for whenever they play near you so get to it! We wanna hear all your thoughts, so let us know in the comments below or drop us a line on our socials. We’re always buzzing about something on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JOSEON:
INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE
