Every year since its inception in 2012, the convention for all things Korean culture, KCON, comes back bigger than ever — and 2018 is no different. Taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Aug. 10-12, KCON is a K-pop fan’s Comic Con and Coachella, with two concert nights also being hosted at the […]
Monsta X Doesn’t Miss a Beat at Microsoft Theater
Playing a two hour sold-out show, reaching every high note and hitting every step in the choreography while still being all smiles with the crowd seems like something only pop stars of the past were able to do. But last Friday at the Microsoft Theatre, the male group Monsta X proved why they’re power players […]
Why K-Pop Boy Band Monsta X Connects with American Fans
Thanks largely to the group of the moment BTS, boy bands are back — or at least in the eyes of mainstream America. The truth is that, unlike in the West, pop groups continued to thrive steadily in South Korea since the ’90s even as the trend largely died down here. And after years of […]
GOT7’s Explosion at the Forum Was Only the Beginning of Their Stateside Takeover
The Jackson 5. Elvis Presley. Prince. All are legends who have played The Forum in Inglewood in the past. And last Friday, the iconic venue added its first K-pop group to its roster: GOT7. Comprised of seven members, Jackson Wang, Youngjae Choi, Jinyoung Park, Yugyeom Kim, Jaebeom Lim (better known as JB), Kunpimook Bhuwakul (BamBam, […]
Korean Rappers San E & Mad Clown Battle For Hip-Hop Supremacy in LA
A jam-packed house is what’s typically needed for the energy of a show to be palpable, but that wasn’t the case on Friday night at Union for Mad Clown and San E, who brought the house down at half capacity. On the second stop of their We Want You tour on the west coast, the […]
Mad Clown & San E’s Crossover Journey to Becoming the Kings of Korean Hip-Hop
In a short span of five years, K-pop has gone from a relatively unknown music scene that made everyone look at it with “Gangnam Style” to harboring arguably the biggest boy group sensation in the world, BTS, who now break Billboard records with every release and are regular figures in U.S. media. Last year specifically […]
K-Pop Star Taeyang Shines Bright During His White Night World Tour
A white night is a natural phenomenon in the arctic where the sun never sets at night during summer nights. Playing off of his stage name Taeyang, which means “sun” in Korean, the Korean singer shone brighter than ever before last night at The Wiltern during his first solo show in Los Angeles. After holding […]
GOT7 Got the K-Pop Coronation They Deserved at K-CON
With a sea of their signature lime green light sticks illuminating the entire Staples Center and the sound of the fans chanting their individual names engulfing them, the K-pop group GOT7 kicked off the closing set at KCON on Aug. 20 with their latest song “Never Ever.” Just two years ago, the septet served as […]
For K-Pop Stars BTS, Mainstream Success Was a Long Time Coming
“My blood, sweat, and tears, my last dance, take it all,” sang Jimin Park in Korean, his opening verse on his group’s song “Blood Sweat Tears” before diving into the last choreographed number of their second sold out date at the Honda Center in Anaheim. After performing a set of over 20 songs, Suga (née […]
Is There a Real Future For Non-Korean Performers in K-pop?
Facing a nearly sold out crowd at the Hollywood Bowl, Lee Hongki belted his lungs out to FTISLAND’ single “Pray” to close out their set at the 14th annual Korea Times Music Festival last month. This was the K-pop idol band’s first appearance in Los Angeles since last year. Their label mates AOA, one of […]
'As You Like It'
A dramatic love affair filled with emotional hardship juxtaposed with tyranny expressed in complex language—it must be a Shakespearean play! As You Like It is the tale of Rosalind, who flees her uncle’s court in disguise, taking with her her cousin and the court’s jester. In the Forest of Arden, she falls in love with […]
Thrice Get Their Ink On at the MusInk Festival
*This article was altered on March 9, 2011. Looks like it's that time of year again—you know, when we indulge in the clichés of hair metal and attend MusInk, the annual music and tattoo (and alcohol!) festival. Think of it as a Vans Warped Tour for grownups. This year, Thrice headlines the festival's second date […]
OC Planned Parenthood Funding in Crisis
On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a budget resolution that eliminates Title X, a program that gives low-income women access to family-planning services. Taking the biggest hit is Planned Parenthood–the nation's largest reproductive-health-services provider–which would lose all of its $75 million in federal funding should the proposed amendment pass a Senate vote. Title […]
Garage Theatre's 10th Birthday
Let’s face it: You’re not really that into Shakespeare, and you can’t stand the ballet. You’re also very comfortable sitting around your living room, drinking beer and cheap wine all night. (Who wouldn’t be?) The Garage Theatre celebrates 10 years of proving you can do both things in public and be politically correct—minus the Hamlet. […]
Swellegant Vintage Is One Swell Store, It Is!
In a town where affluence is a synonym, Swellegant Vintage Store on Newport Boulevard in Newport Beach might look rather misplaced–yet completely appropriate. Nicole Bernstein developed a liking for vintage clothes while in high school and even paid her college tuition reselling pieces to other stores. The 36-year-old opened the shop 14 years ago as […]
Fight Club
You take two cups of social discontent, mix it with battling inner demons, add a shitload of urban paranoia, and voila! An instant classic. Based on the book by Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club represents “sticking it to the man” at its best. Influenced by sentiments of lack of freedom and experiences, Edward Norton’s character creates […]
Julieta Venegas
You might know this ex-alternative rock singer for her former musical project Tijuana No! Or maybe from her fans’ favorite songs, such as “De Mis Pasos” or “Amores Perros (Me Van a Matar).” No? What about her chart-topping hits “Lento,” “Limón y Sal” and “Andar Conmigo”? Yes, the ones that are played on the radio. […]
Journeys: A Photographic Exhibition
If your idea of exploring the diverse cultures and marvels of the world involves almost antique dancing dolls and an annoyingly catchy song, stop reading and go buy yourself an overpriced ticket to Disneyland. If you are, however, more than 5 years old and can find beauty in a picture of sand dunes in Mongolia […]
'Journeys: A Photographic Exhibition, Ancient Mysteries to Modern Wonders'
If your idea of exploring the diverse cultures and marvels of the world involves almost-antique dancing dolls and an annoyingly catchy song, stop reading and go buy yourself an overpriced ticket to Disneyland. If you are, however, older than 5 and can find beauty in a picture of sand dunes in Mongolia or Himba women […]