Since 2006, Incheon has hosted one of Korea’s premier rock events. Ten years is a long time, especially in Korea when some festivals struggle to attract crowds and stay relevant. It’s now firmly entrenched in Songdo, at Pentaport Park—a far superior venue than where it was previously located and easily accessible by subway. The first Pentaport back in 2006 had a huge indie rock line up (Franz Ferdinand, Placebo, Jason Mraz, and the Black Eye Peas) but it seems the theme for this year’s party is good old-fashioned rock. For some, checking out groups who were big sellers in the ’80s and ’90s might not appeal, but for others, it’s the perfect way to celebrate one decade.
Korean icon Seo Taiji is making a rare appearance at a festival, and having seen his awesome set at ETP Fest in 2009, we can say he knows how to put on a show. From his time in legendary metal group Sinawe, as leader of hip hop trio Seo Taiji & Boys, through to his solo work that encompassed metal, rap, electronic, he has literally seen and sung it all. Despite his new album, Quiet Night, dropping last year, he is sure to mostly deliver tunes from his vast back catalog. Germany’s Scorpions are still going after 50 years, a feat that seems beyond comprehension, but they too have a new album to go alongside legendary tracks like “Rock you Like a Hurricane” and “Winds of Change.” ’80s metal always seems to pique peoples’ curiosity in Korea, but it will be interesting to see how well they’ll fare. In saying that, one needs to only look at the recent awesome show from Paul McCartney to know that age is nothing but a number. The Prodigy, brain child of DJ/producer Liam Howlett, in many ways still look and sound like they did in the ’90s—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing! Surprisingly, a lot of people are truly amped to see their show. They have been releasing new music and touring pretty constantly since, but can they still shock and awe like they used to?