Seeing Far East Asian Tigers in Jeonju
Last weekend, at the Jeonju Ultimate Music Festival (JUMF) held at Jeonju University, I saw Far East Asian Tigers — Geukata, as fans call them. A band I’d only known by word of mouth. Even on record, the lyrics of songs like “In Shaking Time” (흔들리는 시간 속에) and “Meet Again, Again” (다시 다시 만나) were so good that I had high hopes for the live show… and it went far beyond them. I fell completely. Since the concert I’ve spent the entire weekend collecting Geukata YouTube content and every story about them I could find. Watched their past Pentaport set all the way through, twice. At Pentaport it was too hot for me to go early enough to catch them (I arrived at 6 p.m.), and watching the footage now I do regret it a little.. though maybe it’s precisely because I missed them then that the shock in Jeonju hit so much harder.
Before heading over to their stage, partly to charge my phone — and since it was raining hard — I left my charger plugged in at our picnic mat and shuffled over empty-handed. My friend was at the next stage watching redoor (리도어), so I settled in alone near the slam zone. I wasn’t going to slam, but if you stand near the slam zone the air actually circulates, so it’s less stuffy ^^ (survival tactics of a rock-festival veteran of 10-plus years). Anyway, from the very first song, “Smell of Rain” (비냄새), they took off at a dead sprint, and from that point on I pretty much lost my mind. Right behind me was a guy joyfully singing along to every single song; right in front of me, someone bouncing like a coiled spring ㅋㅋㅋ and thanks to those two I think I enjoyed the show even more.
I was just soaking it all in — I’m so happy, this is so fun~~ these kids are good~~ — when near the end they played “In Shaking Time,” and wait, why am I suddenly crying? Can you cry to music this exuberant? Have things been hard for me lately? Why are these lyrics landing so squarely on my heart??? The music soared, everyone around me was bouncing with joy, and there I was in the middle of it all, sobbing my eyes out. And those tears felt so cleansing. I felt like I could enjoy music the way I did as a teenager again, without a single thought in my head — and I was so grateful to have that back. No, forget grateful — I’m just so happy right now, so thankful for this exact moment. The moment I was meant to meet Geukata wasn’t last year’s Busan Rock Festival, and it wasn’t this year’s Pentaport. It had to be right now, this very moment, on a rainy night in Jeonju.
Up through this year’s Pentaport, I think I was watching festival stages through memories of the rock festivals I frequented in my teens and early twenties. That was fun back then. Ah, this is kind of exhausting now. Hey kids, that’s not how you slam — back in my day~ (kept strictly to myself). But watching Geukata, I realized the “romance” I was feeling wasn’t the kind that arrives by summoning old memories — it was romance being planted anew, right now, in the present of August 15, 2026. And that feeling moved me more than anything else.
Back home, I looked into the years Far East Asian Tigers have lived through. A leader, Myung Ji-su, who tried again and again to get onto the Pentaport stage, who grew gloomy every summer when Pentaport season came around, who through years and years of lineup changes held graduation ceremonies for departing members to protect the band’s identity; who finally stood on that stage as a Pentaport Super Rookie, and within three years grew the band into one that fills the daytime slot on the biggest main stage; a band that still pours every ounce of passion into even the smallest venues; a drummer whose scrappy hand-drawn tiger character became the official slogan towel; a youngest guitarist who sits in a corner reading a book in his headphones while the rest of the band plays in a mountain stream like little kids; a bassist who roams the stage playing a bass covered in his young daughters’ doodles. How could anyone not love this band?
I simply couldn’t wait until the Busan Rock Festival in October, so I hastily arranged a trip to the Gyeongju Golden Carnival. I had originally promised a close friend we’d go see a DJ set at Gukilgwan (국일관), but this overflowing feeling left me no choice — I’m going to have to see Geukata again in September. I’m already thrilled just thinking about seeing them again. Bought the Ginchijeon slogan from the Eoheung Shop (어흥샵) and even the T-shirt from Musinsa — fully equipped. Just you wait, September. Eoheung!!!