New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ HBC Festival Official Website) - The Haebangchon
Music Festival, or HBC Fest. Held twice a year since 2006 it now attracts in excess of over fifty live performing acts spread over ten venues. Always expanding, the festival is a local neighborhood initiative guided by the wise head of Lance Reegan-Diehl who has been the central organizer since day one. The festival is considered as 'a gift' from the local businesses who want to thank their regular customers and also invite other people, who normally wouldn't venture down from Itaewon, to sample the delights offered in Liberation Village.
The May fest is always a positive introduction to the hot and busy summer months it's always been an incentive to get out and forget about the long winter, and this year it should be no different. With warm weather and good music going on all day, the festival has quickly become one of the most anticipated events on the summer's music calendar.
When it first started back in the summer of 2006, the festival pulled together around twenty bands in three bars, some of whom are still on the bill for this May's festival. The three bars, Phillies, Orange Tree and Ssen (now defunct), have been joined by the VFW (2007), Jakoby's, HBC Caf� (both 2009) and Pita Time (2010), the newest venue to, give patrons a great diversity of choice; even more so when you consider that Phillies now opens its basement for a late night performance that goes on long into the early hours.
The list of performers is always changing and this year is no exception. There are always new acts and new faces and this is what makes HBC Fest special. Looking down the list of this year's performers I can see five acts that played in the first event, while a lot of other acts have played at least once, and many have come back to play in new or different bands, or on their own as a solo musicians. As people come and go, the festival constantly seeks to find new talents and new experiences.
Here's a list of some of the performers who have already confirmed they will be playing:
Lance Reegan-Diehl Band All star show , The Two Guitars , Andrea Quartarone - From Italy, Catania , Kenji Onzuki - From Japan, Tokyo , Johnny Red , Darren Mullins
Micheal Flanigan , Solitaire Love Affair , Trippin' Billies , We Need Surgery, Trevor Clements and the shoot first beat poet's, John Valentine, Simon and Kerry , Matthew Dewey ,
Ozzy Stu , Jennifer Waescher , Like A Fox , G.T. Arpe , Angry Bear , Kimchi cowboys
The festival's influence is now spreading beyond its borders. Itaewon's bars, Rocky Mountain Tavern, Stompers and Roofers, are also taking part by hosting bands which will have played at the festival during the day. It's all part of an all day initiative to keep Seoul rocking!
This year, as an extra incentive for all those not lucky enough to get on the bill, there'll be a Guitar Hero Championship in The Orange Tree; with a small admission fee you can get the chance of winning a beer or two, plus half the entry money.
Also, to celebrate the fine musical talents of the performers over the past four years, Lance, who also owns DEELEEBOB Music Group in Haebangchon, has arranged for a compilation CD of songs from performers through the years. The CD will be released in the second week in May. Don't forget to pick one up, along with a HBC Fest official T-shirt, on the day.
This year's Haebangchon Music Festival will take place on May 29 and will kick off at 3pm. While places are limited there are still a few time slots free. If you'd like more information you can find more at the website.
