The Most Awesome Festival Ever...JISAN!
All I can say about Sunday is...wow...
Jisan Rock Festival was so incredibly fun...and I almost didn't go, believe it or not. Anyway, let me start from the beginning...
Originally, I had plans to go on Friday. Arirang said that I would only work Monday through Wednesday (and yes, I did double-check) so my friend Linda went ahead and bought our tickets and reserved our seats on a bus. I was excited. We were going to see Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World and Weezer. But then on Monday, I talked with my manager and there was a change. They needed me to work through Friday. So, I called Linda and told her what was going on. She was able to sell my ticket to someone else, but I still had to pay for the bus ticket.
I was upset, but told myself that it was too expensive and I shouldn't go anyway. Didn't stop me from being slightly depressed.
Saturday night I went to dinner with Linda and Kristen and heard all about the festival. I had been thinking about going on Sunday, since a band that I really liked was playing then. But I still hadn't decided since I didn't really have the money, especially since I'm still not 100% sure when I'm getting paid. Then, Linda did an awesome thing. She handed me an envelope, told me to take it and go to the festival since she knew I really wanted to go and I probably wouldn't get another chance like this.
After, hugging her and almost crying, I got excited. I was going to the Jisan Rock Festival. I was going to see Asian Kung Fu Generation and Oasis...until I got a sinus headache and a fever about two hours later.
I went home early from a friend's birthday party to try and sleep it off. But it unfortunately it got worse throughout the night and I didn't think that I would be able to go to the festival. I got up at 8 am after getting maybe 2 or 3 hours of sleep and talked to my mom on the phone. She gave me some advice and after a couple of hours, I felt well enough to attempt going to Jisan. I still had a bit of a headache, but I was determined to suffer through it.
Two hours, one subway and two bus rides away, I arrived in Jisan...in time to face a 20 minute walk from the bus stop to the festival up hill. I got there, bought my ticket and called my friend Kyung Joo, who was already there. After about five minutes of confusion (she thought I was calling to say I wasn't coming...I was actually calling to find out where she was...) I headed in and located her. We got to the big top stage just in time to see Asian Kung Fu Generation. While there, we located our other friends: Kwang Sun, Hye Won, Ah Nah, Ji Won and company. I sat down to enjoy the music (and all the free drinks they snuck in...Hye Won's manager even managed to bring in tequila from the bar they work at...). They played "Reraito" which made me extremely happy...
A couple hours later, we were all having a good time. By that time, our friend Tae Woo, who plays in a band with Kwang Sun, showed up bringing more snacks and drinks.
So...you can basically imagine the jolly mood that everyone is in by later in the afternoon. There was just something about being out in the mountains, sitting on a blanket in the grass, enjoying good rock music and drinks with your good friends.
After AKFG, Patti Smith played. And while I admit that I'm not nearly as politically-minded as she is, I really got into her performance. She often raised her guitar to the air, shouting that it was the only weapon of war that we needed. All the Koreans really loved it when she declared there was no need for nuclear weapons and that we needed to work together to create a better environment for our children and the future. (Course, the Koreans sitting on my blanket were all a little drunk, by this time...thus the enthusiastic agreement...) And everyone knew the words to "Gloria" and "Because the Night". I think all the guys with us kept shouting, "We love you ahjumma!"
After that, we went to eat some dopboki for dinner and get some more cigarettes. Tae Woo and I had an entertaining conversation about the future of his band, Phonebooth. He promised they would be playing at Jisan next summer and were hoping to go to the US, as well, before they all head to military service in a year. He also said I could be their unofficial PR person (mainly because I'm writing a couple of articles about them...)
When we got back to the blanket, Jet was playing. Kyung Joo and I ran to get some drinks for the group and headed back. Tae Woo then had the great idea to put me up on his shoulders...and apparently I was "inhibited" enough to say yes. The first attempt didn't work out and I got dropped on my head. I wasn't going up again because I was incredibly embarrassed after getting the attention of everyone in our area, but he promised not to drop me, and we got someone to spot behind me.
So the second time I got up and didn't get dropped. It was fun, but after a few songs my legs were aching so I went back down. Tae Woo told Hye Won in Korean that I was heavier than I looked...and I understood it and told him to shut up... Then we all started dancing like crazy when Jet started playing "Are You Gonna Be My Girl". Hye Won was definitely a bit gone by this point...^_^
We had about an hour in between Jet and Oasis, so we headed up for more drinks and some chill time from all the singing along and dancing around. I hung out with Kyung Joo and Tae Woo and a friend of his that plays in another band showed up. His friend was cute, so I talked to him as we headed back to the blanket.
Oasis was awesome...everyone knew all the words and was singing along. They didn't even mind that Liam Gallagher forgot the name of the festival (at least he remembered to thank fans for coming to their concert in Seoul in April). Tae Woo and I had fun singing to "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back in Anger". They ended the set with a rendition of the Beatles "I am the Walrus" which was followed by a giant firework display. Great ending to a fabulous festival.
The rest of the night wasn't as fun as the actual festival, but still good. We went to a pension that some friends of Hye Won's had reserved and crashed there for the night. I ended up staying up until 3 am talking to Kwang Sun and our friend Jae Ho. I almost went out and drank more with Tae Woo and his friend (really wish I had now...) but I was kind of tired.
Great festival made better by being there with great friends. We're planning to book a room at a hotel or resort next year and going for the whole weekend. We're all excited to see who next year brings as guest...
And now for some videos that my friend, Jae Ho, made of the festival. One is "Wonderwall" by Oasis, and the other is just a video of the whole 3-day festival. (I'm in both...^_^) And some clips from the festival on Youtube, so you all can enjoy it too!
Click to view