Weezer rocks! (and Rivers did not lie hahaha)

Weezer Prepares Surprise for Fans

American rockers Weezer will perform for the first time in Korea at Jisan Valley Rock Festival, Icheon, Friday. / Courtesy of Yellow Entertainment
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

For American rock band Weezer's first ever performance in Korea at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival this Friday, frontman Rivers Cuomo is preparing something special for Korean fans.

In an telephone interview with The Korea Times, Cuomo revealed that he's been to Korea twice but never had a chance to play here.

``I'm super-excited to play in Korea for the first time. I love Korea. I have so many Korean friends but I've never had a chance to perform there. So this is just going to be great. I'm having a special guitar made, with Korean colors and imagery on the guitar. It's a special guitar just for this show. And I want to sing a song in Korean, too. I was trying to find it online but I only know the melody. Maybe it should be a surprise,'' he said.

Cuomo, vocalist and guitarist, along with drummer Patrick Wilson, bassist Scott Shriner and guitarist Brian Bell, will be headlining the Jisan Valley Rock Festival in Icheon, Friday evening.

Weezer was formed in 1992 in Los Angeles, and they released their self-titled album in 1994. Since then, the band has released six albums that have sold more than 8 million in the United States alone. Their hits include ``Buddy Holly,'' ``Undone (The Sweater Song),'' ``Island in the Sun,'' ``Pork and Beans'' and ``Say It Ain't So.''

It's been nearly 17 years since the band was formed, and Cuomo says Weezer has continued to play the music they love, even if it is not considered very mainstream.

``We want to be just happy with our music. I think it has a very useful sound to it. Our style hasn't changed that much since we were kids. We're still doing the same thing, playing electric guitars and drums. We're not trying to be like heavy metal or macho or anything. I think we'd rather be witty and cool,'' he said.

Weezer has remained popular not just in the United States, but also overseas. Cuomo thinks the band's fun, feel-good songs translate well around the world.

``Weezer is all about uplifting and sing-along melodies that make you feel good no matter what language you speak or understand, so maybe the Weezer songs are easy to like for people in Korea even if they don't understand all the lyrics right away. I think they are good karaoke songs,'' he said.

Cuomo, who graduated from Harvard University at the age of 35 in 2006, has always cultivated Weezer's geek rock image through cool songs and memorable music videos. Who can forget the Spike Jonze-directed music video for ``Buddy Holly'' showing the band performing in Arnold's Drive-In from the popular `70s sitcom ``Happy Days''? The video won several MTV Video Music Awards, including Breakthrough Video.

Weezer has continued to work with Jonze (``Being John Malkovich'') on music videos including ``Island in the Sun.'' Cuomo says Jonze is a genius who comes up with the ideas for the videos, although ``he is just possessed when he is directing on the set.''

``For example on the video for `Island in the Sun,' we're on the set with these dangerous animals. I was supposed to be playing with a bear and it's supposed to be extremely dangerous and could kill me if it wanted to at any moment. But Spike kept on saying, 'get in its face and play with it.' But the animal trainer was right behind Spike and he was saying, `no, don't get in its face!' He's just a mad man and just really goes for it,'' Cuomo laughed.

Weezer is currently finishing its yet-untitled seventh studio album. The band is planning on performing some of the new songs in Korea.

``We're really taking our time and have written some incredible songs. We've worked with some great producers here in America. I just think it's a fantastic album. These songs are so good I can't wait for people to hear them,'' he said.

Tickets for the Jisan Valley Rock Festival are available on ticket.auction.co.kr (1566-1369) or ticket.yes24.com (1544-6399). A three-day pass is 165,000 won, for two days 132,000 won, and one day 88,000 won. Visit www.valleyrockfestival.com or call (02) 3444-9969.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Lenka is a sweetie

Singer Lenka Brings Pop Music to Pentaport

Australian singer Lenka will perform at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, Sunday.

/ Courtesy of organizers

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Indie rock groups will dominate the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival this weekend, but up-and-coming Australian singer Lenka will bring her brand of fun pop music to lighten things up.

Lenka has been attracting attention for her debut album ``The Show,'' and perky, cheerful songs that have been featured on U.S. shows like ``Ugly Betty,'' ``90210'' and ``Grey's Anatomy.''

In an email interview with The Korea Times, Lenka said she loved having her songs appear on her favorite television shows.

``I love it! Especially `Ugly Betty' because I'm a huge fan. Having been an actress, I really get a kick out of my music being used to enhance the emotions of a scene,'' she said.

The pretty 30-year old singer used to be an actress in TV and film back in Australia, and was also the host of a children's morning program Cheez TV. She was also a member of electronic-rock band Decoder Ring, appearing on two of their albums.

``I was an actress all through school and for a few years afterwards, and I loved it, but I had an urge to do something where I had more creative control. I tried visual art and then realized that singing was the perfect career where the entire project was in my creative control. And I still get to perform so it's kind of like acting,'' she said. In 2007, Lenka packed her bags in Sydney and moved to Los Angeles to start a music career. Last year, she released her debut album, filled with optimistic and fun pop songs and thoughtful ballads.

Lenka, who writes her own lyrics, says the songs deal with her own personal experiences and ``feelings of trying to figure life out.''

``Usually I write (songs) when I'm a bad mood of some kind, sad or angry or confused. Also observing my friends and what they're going through can be inspiring. Sometimes it's just quite simply a melody that won't leave me alone and I have to get it out,'' Lenka said.

One of the most popular songs off her album is ``The Show,'' co-written with American singer-songwriter Jason Reeves.

``It was really fun writing with Jason. We'd never met, so we were trying to get to know each other while we wrote that song, and we both happened to be in this mood where we felt our lives were crazy and out of control. So we came up with the metaphor that life is like a show. The whole song was written in an hour and a half! My quickest ever,'' she said.

The quirky music video for ``The Show,'' which shows Lenka flying around, also helped bring her to the spotlight. ``The concept was written by the director, Moh Azima, and we worked on it together too. It's supposed to be the `invisible hand of fate.' I just loved that interpretation of the song. I was really excited about doing the harness work because I love flying and acrobatic stuff. But, it was actually quite challenging and painful hanging in that harness for 3 days,'' she revealed.

Lenka is excited about performing for the first time in Korea at Pentaport on Sunday. ``We really try to bring to life the energy of the album. It's probably more energetic at times actually! I also get into decorating the stage like a kids' play. We have fun with it,'' she said.

Other acts at the Pentaport, which runs from Friday through Sunday, include Deftones, Galaxy Express, NoBrain, Cocore and Sogyumo Acacia Band.

Tickets are 50,000 won for a one-day pass, 70,000 won for a two-day pass and 90,000 won for a three-day pass. For English and Japanese booking, call (02) 783-0114. Visit http://ticket.interpark.com or www.pentaportrock.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

that girl' from Boys Over Flowers

Actress Koo Hye-sun Reveals Artistic Side

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Fans may still remember her as the feisty and cute Jan-di who captured the heart of F4 leader Jun-pyo in the hit drama ``Boys Over Flowers.'' But there's more to Koo Hye-sun than just acting.

The 24-year-old Koo has not only released a novel ``Tango'' last April, but is also showing her artistic talent in a solo exhibition at Gallery La Mer, Insa-dong.

With a sweet smile, Koo shyly admitted she greatly admires Italian master Leonardo Da Vinci.

``Some might laugh, but my role model is Leonardo Da Vinci. One of my favorite teachers gave me a book `Think Like Da Vinci.' I was influenced by it. Reading the book made me realize that even if we're not geniuses and have our shortcomings, we can still accomplish a lot in our lives. This gave me more confidence,'' she said in a press conference at the gallery last week.

The exhibition features around 40 of Koo's illustrations. Some of the works may be familiar for readers of Koo's first novel ``Tango,'' about a young woman's bittersweet love. It is also the title of a song by Ryuichi Sakamoto, which inspired Koo's writing.

Koo said she draws every day for one or two hours in her studio at home. Aside from illustrations for her novel, Koo has also done artwork for singer Gummy's fourth album.

``I want to share my works with everyone. I hope everyone can come and see my exhibition,'' she said.

Koo does show a talent for drawing, but to have a solo exhibition of her works may seem premature.

The repetitive swirls of blue ink on white canvas can get old fast, especially when the entire room is filled with similar works. Koo's small, delicate ink illustrations show a great attention to miniscule details.

Aside from drawing and writing, Koo said she is also writing a script for a full-length film. She has written and directed a short film ``The Cheerful Caretaker,'' which was included in the Busan Asian Short Film Festival.

At the exhibition opening, heartthrob actors Lee Min-ho and Kim Jun, her co-stars from ``Boys Over Flowers,'' met Koo to show their support.

Proceeds from the exhibition will be donated to the WITH campaign. The exhibition runs through July 7. Visit www.gallerylamer.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

kimchi meets vegemite

Kimchi Meets Vegemite in Exhibit

sculptor Choi Jin-ho and Australian artist Robert Liddicoat
/ Korea Times Photos by Cathy Rose A. Garcia
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

``Kimchi Meets Vegemite'' may sound like an unusual title for an art exhibition. Featuring works by Australian artist Robert Liddicoat and Korean artist Choi Jin-ho, the exhibition combines the distinct styles of each artist's home country. While everyone in Korea knows what kimchi is, vegemite may be unfamiliar to those who have never been to Australia.

``Vegemite is this distinctively Australian paste. It's like a paste you put on to bread. It's salty and tastes a bit like strong soy paste… So Jin-ho came up with the name (of the exhibition). It's very Korean and very Australian. Their works are completely different styles, two different mediums, two different cultures, and yet they kind of work together,'' explained Mary Jane Liddicoat, Robert's daughter and Choi's wife.



Somehow the quirky title works for the exhibition, featuring colorful Australian landscapes alongside stone sculptures of the imaginary creature ``haechi,'' at Samtoh Gallery, Daehangno.

``His paintings also work well with Jin-ho's interpretation of modern contemporary Korean sculptures. He's been doing the `haechi' since 2002 or 2003, even before Seoul City decided to make it its symbol,'' Mary Jane said.

Liddicoat, who started painting when he was 10, has always been fascinated with color. ``I've grown up in this wonderful period of history of art in the 21st century where there are so many different styles. The thing that has persisted in my work is color. I've explored it in all its forms, realism, impressionism, post-impressionism and abstraction. I've explored color in those different forms,'' he told The Korea Times at Samtoh Gallery last week.

Based in Australia, Liddicoat and his wife started coming to Korea in 2001 to visit his daughter and grandchildren. Since then he's been here almost 13 times. His trips to Korea have had a profound impact in his work.

``First it was the marketplace, there's nothing in Australia like that. The fruits and vegetable stores, the colorful hanbok and even the colorful clothes of the ajummas. Another is the autumn forests, which change from yellow to red to orange to purple. It's an extraordinary blast of color that I've never experienced before. We don't get that in Australia. It just blew me away,'' he said.

The vivid colors of Korean landscapes and dynamic market scenes have inspired Liddicoat's paintings which have been featured in previous exhibitions in Seoul. However, this current exhibition is mostly Australian landscapes and the geometric abstract paintings.

The colorful abstract paintings were inspired by the tiles and mosaics Liddicoat saw while traveling to Jordan and Syria. ``I developed these paintings in 1989 or 1990, when I was visiting Mary Jane there. They were inspired by the Middle Eastern architecture, tiles and mosaics inside. I only discovered these paintings again last year, and I sent photos of it to Mary Jane, and she liked it,

Interestingly enough, Mary Jane said that many Korean viewers thought these abstract works were influenced by the Korean `bojagi' or traditional wrapping cloth,'' he said.

The exhibition runs through July 8. To go to Samtoh Gallery, get off at Hyehwa station, line 4, exit 2. Turn right at the KFC, and turn right at the first corner. Visit www.isamtoh.com or call (02) 3675-3737.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Miffy!

Meet Miffy at Hangaram Design Museum

Miffy, the beloved Dutch cartoon rabbit, will meet Korean fans through the “Miffy at the Museum” exhibition at the Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul Arts Center. Shown here is “Miffy Mondrian” (1997).

/ Courtesy of Hangaram
Design Museum

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Miffy, the iconic little rabbit from the Netherlands, gets closer to Korean fans through the ``Miffy at the Museum'' exhibition at the Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul Art Center.

Created by famed Dutch artist and illustrator Dick Bruna in 1955, Miffy has delighted generations of children throughout the decades.

Miffy is originally known by her Dutch name "Nijntje," based on how a toddler pronounces the word for little rabbit, ``konijntje.'' Bruna has authored 30 Miffy books in addition to almost 100 books for other characters. His books have been translated into 40 different languages, and have sold 80 million copies worldwide.

Miffy is beloved in the Netherlands, and in Bruna's hometown of Utrecht, there is even a Nijntje Little Square, named after the character.

Bruna had hoped to visit Korea for this rare exhibition, but could not make it due to his age (he turns 82 years old next month) and the long travel time from the Netherlands.

The Seoul exhibition begins with a brief introduction of Bruna and how he created Miffy. As the story goes, in 1955, Bruna and his family were on vacation in Egmond aan Zee, when he started telling stories about a little rabbit who lived in a garden to his one-year-old son. That rabbit became the inspiration for Miffy.

Bruna used a minimalist style in creating Miffy, using only a few lines and sticking to six basic colors: red, blue, yellow, brown, gray, and black.

Visitors can see the evolution from the original sketch of a toy-like character to the adorable Miffy we all know and love.

Also on display are Bruna's works as a graphic designer and illustrator for his father's publishing company, A.W. Bruna and Zoon. These postcards, book covers, posters, and other materials were originally part of the ``2000X Dick'' exhibition, which was shown in Netherlands. These works are being shown for the first time in Asia.


Miffy (2002)Another section shows original pencil sketches and prints of Miffy that provide insight into how Bruna brings his initial ideas to paper. Even now at 81, Bruna reportedly continues to work six days a week

Miffy is not just a book character, but a popular design for toys, stationery and other items sold around the world. Organizers asked Korean artists and designers to incorporate the character in their artworks and designs for the ``Miffy the Artist'' section. The stylish Miffy lamps would be a cool item to light up anyone's home, while the wall mural is definitely an eye-catching work.

``Miffy 100 Plus 100'' features white molded Miffy dolls as designed by artists, designers, brands and celebrities. Here you can find Miffy in a traditional Korean hanbok and a Bruna-inspired Miffy made of Swarovski Crystallized Elements. One doll is even modeled after weightlifter and Olympic gold medallist Jang Mi-ran.

In ``Miffy Play,'' kids will have fun playing with the interactive multimedia works. Two walls are filled with Miffy books, along with computer screens showing animated shows.

For ``Happy Birthday Miffy,'' children can hold up cake- or gift-shaped pillows in front of a camera, and watch themselves on a big screen as Miffy and other characters pop up.

There's also a puppet show featuring Miffy and friends for children to watch and learn. Children can also learn to draw the cute character.

The exhibition is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is closed on July 27. Tickets are 15,000 won. Visit www.miffyartist.com or www.sac.or.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Botero

Fernando Botero Brings Latin American Flavor

Picnic

/ Courtesy of National Museum of Contemporary Art Deoksu Palace

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Looking at Colombian artist Fernando Botero's paintings and sculptures, it's easy to conclude that his subjects tend to be overweight.

However, Botero, who was in Seoul for the opening of his exhibition at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Deoksu Palace, insists he does not ``paint fat people."

His style of creating plump figures arises from the importance he gives to volume, inspired by the style of Italian masters like Botticelli and Rubens.

``My stylistic goal lies in expanding scale. By doing so, I can increase the space to allow for use of more color and I can better convey the sensuality, richness and voluptuousness of form that I wish to express," he said.

But more important than the rotund forms is his use of bright colors and themes depicting the richness and diversity of Latin American life.

``My paintings show the diversity of life. All of these themes are universal, and I hope Koreans can relate to this," Botero said.

Born 1932 in Medellin, Botero gained fame for his distinctive and vivid artworks portraying Latin American life, and is widely considered one of the living masters of modern art.

On display inside the museum are 89 paintings from Botero's personal collection. Three large bronze sculptures, ``Cat," ``Seated Woman," and ``Reclining Woman" can be found around the Deoksu Palace grounds.

Divided into seven sections, the exhibition shows the diversity and depth of Botero's works throughout the decades, from still lifes to his latest ``Circus" series.

Botero has been doing still lifes since the 1950s. The exhibition includes paintings of fruit, flowers, and musical instruments. One of the most striking is the ``Flowers (Triptych),'' a series of three large paintings in yellow, blue, and red. Botero's works usually have these three dominant colors, which are also the colors of the Colombian flag.

Famous paintings by masters like Rubens, Velasquez, Cezanne, and Picasso are given a Botero-esque twist. Botero reinterpreted famous pieces like Goya's ``Duchess of Osuna,'' Rubens' ``Peter Rubens and Isabella Brandt,'' and Velasquez' ``Infanta Margarita Teresa of Spain in White Dress.''

His works depicting Latin American people, culture and everyday life are dripping with affection and warmth. Many of the paintings are based on Botero's memories of growing up in Colombia, hence the scenes of families at home, dancing, bull fighting, and streets and landscapes with Spanish colonial era structures.

In Latin America, including Colombia, Catholicism is the dominant religion. Religious figures are present in Botero's paintings, such as ``Sleeping Cardinal,'' and ``The Seminary.''

Botero's ``Circus'' series is fairly new ― he started painting them in early 2000. He painted gaudy circus performers and animals with a satirical edge. ``Seated Clown'' depicts a clown with no makeup on, sitting pensively while waiting to perform.

``Having set out in search of forms that exist solidly in a changing world, Botero has the ultimate goal of moving beyond the dimension of giving simple pleasure to the viewer and into changing that viewer's understanding,'' said Liu Jienne, curator of the National Museum of Contemporary Art.

Admission is 10,000 won for adults to 4,000 won for children. The museum is closed on Mondays. To get there, get off at City Hall station, line 1 or 2, exit 1 or 2. Call (02) 368-1414 or visit http://botero.moca.go.kr.

To complement the Botero exhibition, a series of lectures on Latin American art, literature and music will be held at 6:30 p.m., July 16, 23 and 30 and Aug. 6, 13 and 20 at Heungkuk Life Insurance building, Gwanghwamun. Latin American films such as ``Motorcycle Diaries," ``Buena Vista Social Club," ``City of God," and ``Pan's Labyrinth" will be screened at Cine Cube, Aug. 6-12. Visit www.cineart.co.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

fall out boy

Fall Out Boy Excited to Perform in Korea

Fall Out Boy gets ready to rock at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival, Icheon, June 24. / Courtesy of Yellow Entertainment

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

American rock band Fall Out Boy is gearing up for their first performance in Korea at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival, Icheon, June 24.

Pete Wentz, Fall Out Boy's bassist and lyricist, appeared apologetic to their fans in Korea for taking such a long time to perform here.

``I got a lot of emails (from Korean fans) asking us when we're going to get there. We're really excited about our first performance in Korea. We're looking forward to go and see our fans this summer,'' Wentz said in a phone interview with The Korea Times.

Wentz will be joined at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival by the rest of Fall Out Boy: vocalist and composer Patrick Stump, guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley.

Wentz and Trohman formed a band in Wilmette, Ill. in 2001, later joined by Stump. In one of their early shows, the band asked the audience for name suggestions. One fan shouted ``Fallout Boy,'' referring to the sidekick to Radioactive Man on ``The Simpsons,'' and the name stuck.

Little did the band members know how much success they would achieve in less than a decade. From their breakout album ``From Under the Cork Tree'' in 2005 to their latest hit ``Folie a Deux,'' the Grammy-nominated band has sold millions of records around the world.

Wentz still doesn't know how all the success happened.

``I would've never imagined this when we started. We tried it out in the United States, and we ended up all around the world. To be honest, there's no secret. If I had one, probably I wouldn't tell anybody… But, there's no secret. It just happened,'' he said.

Fall Out Boy's sound has always been described as pop-punk or emo-punk, but they stand out from the crowd with their witty and relevant lyrics. Wentz explains Fall Out Boy's fun sound and lyrics come naturally.

``It's secret. I don't know how we come up with the idea or the words. It's a kind of essence. It's just spit out. Patrick just goes through it and takes the parts from relevant parts. There are a lot of parts I don't know. The truth is if you know what you're doing it's going to be fresh and fun. You don't even have to try,'' he said.

The late pop superstar Michael Jackson has always been a big influence on Fall Out Boy's music. A year ago, they even released a punk rock cover of Jackson's classic ``Beat It,'' featuring singer-guitarist John Mayer.

``We did a cover of `Beat It' a long time ago. Actually, I don't think the cover is better than the original. We were just paying tribute to Michael Jackson. It's really sad that Michael Jackson left this world,'' Wentz said.

Aside from Fall Out Boy, Jisan Valley Rock Festival will also have big names like Oasis, Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Asian Kung-fu Generation, Patti Smith, Priscilla Ahn and dozens of Korean bands during the three-day event. It will be held at Jisan Forest Resort, Icheon, July 24-26.

Tickets are available on ticket.auction.co.kr (1566-1369) or ticket.yes24.com (1544-6399). The three-day pass is 165,000 won, two-day pass is 132,000 won, and one-day pass is 88,000 won. Visit www.valleyrockfestival.com. For bookings in English, call Yellow Entertainment at (02) 3444-9969.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Wouter Hamel to Serenade Fans in Seoul

Dutch jazz singer-songwriter Wouter Hamel will perform Aug. 30 and Sept. 6 at the Waterside Stage, Olympic Park, southern Seoul.

/ Photo by Esmee Burgersdijk

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Rising jazz star Wouter Hamel will once again serenade Korean fans with his romantic tunes in late August.

Hamel first charmed fans with a mesmerizing performance at the Seoul Jazz Festival last May.

This time, Hamel's concerts on Aug. 30 and Sept. 6 will be held outdoors at the Waterside Stage, Olympic Park, southern Seoul. Only 1,000 seats are available, creating a more intimate setting for the artist and fans.

The Dutch singer-songwriter is considered one of the hottest ``it'' guys in the jazz world. His music has an up-tempo swing beat and seems to blend jazz and pop effortlessly.

Hamel won the Dutch Jazz Vocalist Competition in 2005. He was quickly noticed in the music scene, scoring nominations for the Deloitte Jazz Award and Edison People's Choice Award.

In 2007, he released his debut album``Hamel,'' which received critical acclaim and commercial success not just in Netherlands but other countries. He won the prestigious Dutch Silver Harp award and a Gold Disc award.

His sophomore album ``Nobody's Tune,'' now available in Korea, was produced by Benny Sings, a sought-after producer in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Japan.

With his boyish good looks, deep vocals and charm, it's no wonder Hamel had Korean female fans swooning during his performance at the Seoul Jazz Festival. Organizers noted with surprise how many ladies ran up in front of the stage and shouted Hamel's name, something not normally seen in jazz concerts.

His up-coming concert will include pop-jazz tunes like ``Breezy,'' ``Details,'' ``In Between'' and ``March, April, May.'' Hamel will be accompanied on stage by a five-member band, namely bassist Sven Happel, drummer Jasper Van Hulten, percussionist, Gijs Anders Van Straalen, pianist Pieter de Graaf and guitarist Rory Ronde.

Hamel's concert is part of Private Curve's ``The Artiste Vol. 1: Love'' concert series. The new concert emphasizes the artistry of performers who inspire and motivate the audience.

Tickets are 88,000 won. A free glass of wine is available for ticket holders before the concert. Call (02) 563-0595 or visit www.privatecurve.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr