EPIK HIGH in NYC!!!
So, OMG, best night of my life so far was their concert!
-Meet and Greet in Secaucus, NJ
The autograph signing was awesome, of course, but it was much hotter in Secaucus where the signing was! Thankfully the bus stop was really close to the Verizon wireless store! Epik High were sneaky and came in the back entrance to the Verizon wireless store lol.
I got into the VIP line for having Verizon wireless service (a lucky coincidence lol). Unfortunately we couldn't really see them through the window like the people in the general line D:. But I made some friends in the VIP line!
When it was time for us to go in, it was so exciting! I was planning to say something to them, but by the time we got in I was speechless because I was meeting my favorite band ever! We got in and I had them sign my "Map the Soul" book :D. It was funny because Tablo was saying "Wow, some of you guys have weird names!". Then some guy came up whose name was David and he was like "Your name is boring. That's my brothers name" lol. When he saw my name he was like "Jenny from the block?" :D.
He was so cute in person!! Again, I was speechless so I was like ":D" and then I was like "Thank you!" to Tukutz (who speaks no English basically) D:. I was so nervous that I forgot to take a poster so I had to get one of the girls working there to go back in and get me one lol. I also didn't take any pictures lol.
-Map the Soul tour-Epik High, Fareast Movement, and Kero One
-In the line and before the concert
We got there at like 3:00, which was 3 hours before the doors opened and the line was already wrapping around the building! Luckily one of the girls that I had met in the VIP line the day before had friends that had gotten in line at noon and we joined them! It was a pretty awesome line party lol. Apparently Tukutz came in a taxi later, I wish I would have gotten a picture! We made an agreement that when we went in some of us would get merchandise and some of us would save a spot for everyone. I went to go buy merchandise, but everyone was so crowded together that I couldn't get to our group, but it was okay. Unfortunately before the concert even started it got so hot that somebody passed out! Finally they started with Kero One
-Kero One
He was good, and I'm really glad that he was the show starter this time because a lot of people said he didn't get very good reception in the other venues because he went between Far East Movement and Epik High which were both very high energy bands. Also, I'm pretty sure that most of the people were either there for Far East Movement or Epik High so he didn't get as good of reception as he could have. He had a jazzy feel and the girl singing with him was really good, but it kinda didn't fit with the other two acts of the night. He also went sort of long for an opening act...
-Far East Movement
Okay, so I had barely heard of these guys before concert night, but they were AMAZING! They came out in spacesuits and although their theme (from the year 3008, come back to 2009 to save music in the future) was kinda cheesy, they were so awesome! I need to buy their CD! Everyone was going crazy for them and all of their songs were catchy and upbeat. They threw some stuff into the crowd, but I was afraid to go near it since everyone was fighting like crazy over it lol. Seriously, though, these guys were awesome and if they came anywhere near my city I'd probably go see them again, because of their awesomeness.
^So you can see their DJ in the back lol.
-Beatbox DG
OMG, this man is AWESOME! I know I use that word so much. Okay, this man is HOT. He should never, ever be allowed to wear a shirt. Plus this was the first time I've heard beatboxing live and OMG most of the time I couldn't believe that it was him making the sounds! He seriously beatboxed "Sexy Back" which was pretty much the most awesome thing ever. Then when he started beatboxing "Cipher", Epik High came out there with him! BTW, he beatboxed to most of Epik High's songs too and I was like "Whoa, this guy is really good!" Looking forward to hearing more of him!
Wish I had gotten a pic of him that wasn't incredibly blurry! *kicks camera*
-Epik High and MYK
Okay, I am super biased but I loved them best of all. Tablo came out and was like "People were asking us whether this was some kinda multicultural conference" because there were so many different kinds of people there. They all were super energetic despite the fact that only Tablo and MYK speak English lol.
They played a lot of songs from their new album, which were all so freaking awesome (because that album was the shit!)! They sprayed the crowd with water multiple times because we were all being burnt alive in there! It was so worth it though! We were jumping and singing along and OMG, I love them so much more now even if that is impossible because I loved them so much before!
Tablo talked a bit about depression in Korea and how people who get help are looked down upon as having some sort of mental disease and how "One" was written about depression. They they did half of one in a sort of acoustic balladish version with MYK on the guitar.
They did a lot of their really popular songs after that like "Love Love Love" "Fallin'" "One Minute, One Second" and "Flow". So much love for all of them. Everyone was really excited for them and you could tell that Epik High were all giving it their all. They left the stage, but were called back on for an encore! They played "Free Music", in which Mithra did an extra verse in Korean! Then Tablo was like "MYK has a poem he would like to share with you all" and MYK started "Map the Soul Worldwide version". Most of the fans knew his part and he looked so surprised and randomly stopped to hear us rapping to it. So cute! I love this guy as well. They finished up with "Fan", which was a perfect finisher to the show!
OMG, seriously guys, I love them so much. I loved them so much before, but I love them so much more now. Really, these guys are doing this for the music and for their fans and you can see the dedication and all the work that they put into establishing their independent label and just making great music when they perform. I really really hope that everything is paying off for them and I am so so glad that they put in the effort of coming to the 'states to perform for all of us! I've never seen an Asian band give this much love to their international fans and I am so incredibly grateful for it. I would spend every penny and every hour driving to NYC or even flying to Cali to see them again!
Left to right: Mithra Jin, MYK, Tablo
During "Free Music" and also the only good pic I got on my camera
Left to right: Kero One, MYK, Tablo
A super crappy pic of DJ Tukutz, he was in the back most of the time and thus not in any of the group pics I took that were semi-passable.
Here's a news article on the concert as well!
http://www.thesource.com/2009/05/epik-high-irving-plaza-concert-recap/#more-9176
Alright guys, if you read that, I give you so much credit lol. Lots of spazzing in there!
Also, Saturday at AB was awesome people, awesome times! Even though I did have to take that 2 AM bus with the disgusting bathroom! Totally worth it! ♥
BTW, leaving this public just in case I link it to an Epik High fan community lol.
Also, finally changed my layout and friends banner, check it out!
http://risako.livejournal.com