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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
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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
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