BEHIND 'K-POP SUPERFEST' WITH JOY RUCKUS CLUB
Photo Courtesy: Joy Ruckus Club.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
On June 19, 2021, from Yes24 Hall in Seoul, South Korea, the Joy Ruckus Club teamed up with Sessions, UC Management, and 400 Dayze to launch their online virtual concert, K-POP SUPERFEST! K-POP SUPERFEST was an 8-hour long music festival that included 14 acts including idol groups and solo artists.
K-POP SUPERFEST drew in many fans from all over the world to attend the 8-hour event. EVERLAST KOREA is proud to present an exclusive interview with Kublai Kwon, the Founder of Joy Ruckus Club, to give a behind the scenes look at the event, and the true meaning behind the Joy Ruckus Club!
JOY RUCKUS CLUB
Video Courtesy: Joy Ruckus Club.
EVERLAST KOREA: What is the Joy Ruckus Club? And what is its mission?
Kublai Kwon: Joy Ruckus Club is a global Asian music festival, primarily at the moment virtual, that seeks to unify and showcase worldwide Asian musicians.
EVERLAST KOREA: Who makes up the Joy Ruckus Club?
Kublai Kwon: There are no set artists that are a part of the Joy Ruckus Club. We seek to work with as many Asian artists as possible, and some artists have even performed at every Joy Ruckus Club event as well.
EVERLAST KOREA: As the Joy Ruckus Club represents being a revolution in the pan-Asian music industry, what does that exactly mean for the readers who may not know?
Kublai Kwon: Well, Asians, taken as a totality, do not really have a type of music that represents us, much less a subculture. Closest thing to that is maybe K-Pop, but K-Pop is Korean and is a Korean subculture (albeit with a worldwide fanbase). What Joy Ruckus Club is trying to cultivate is new forms of popular Asian music based on actual Asian rhythms and instruments and that can be part of a new pan-Asian subculture that can spread globally.
EVERLAST KOREA: How does putting on a virtual concert series and giving a platform for Asian artists help create that revolution in pan-Asian music?
Kublai Kwon: The various Asian civilizations are separated from each other by language and cultural differences. By promoting a new subculture through the language of music, the different Asian cultures can be brought together. Through that power of unity and growth, it can turn into a common culture based on music, which is what will make it revolutionary and unprecedented.
EVERLAST KOREA: With the Joy Ruckus Club being founded by Asian-Americans and having the humanitarian-oriented mindset, what is the Joy Ruckus Club doing currently or will be doing in the near future to help address the oppression that Asian-Americans are facing today?
Kublai Kwon: We already threw the “I Hate Being Hated” fundraising event that raised awareness regarding anti-Asian hate crimes. We also release two songs under the name “I Hate Being Hated” to promote the message through music. By giving the Asian community a strong and clear voice, Joy Ruckus Club is empowering the community to be able to speak up about such issues and mobilize the community to do something about it.
BEHIND K-POP SUPERFEST
Photo Courtesy: Joy Ruckus Club.
EVERLAST KOREA: How did K-POP SUPERFEST come about? Especially, when it came to finalizing the line-up of artists.
Kublai Kwon: K-POP SUPERFEST is an offshoot event under the Joy Ruckus Club banner. We wanted to do a one day festival that highlighted the superstars of K-Pop, since K-Pop is the most successful genre of Asian music in the world, and Joy Ruckus Club is the leading Asian music festival – so it made sense to do this event.
EVERLAST KOREA: What was the main concept/theme behind K-POP SUPERFEST? And did the main concept/theme coincide with the artists performing?
Kublai Kwon: The theme of K-POP SUPERFEST was to showcase the excellence of K-Pop through performances by some of the genre’s brightest stars. Many of the acts were either Asian or Canadian American or groups with Asian Americans in them, so this event was representing Asian Americans (and Canadian Americans) too. As the first cousin of the late Shin Hae Chul, who is considered the founding father of K-Pop, I also wanted this concert to be dedicated to his memory.
EVERLAST KOREA: What do you think was the most exciting part of putting together K-POP SUPERFEST?
Kublai Kwon: Booking big names for a show at a big venue (Yes24 Hall) that was 100% live, and which featured incredible talent was mind blowing.
EVERLAST KOREA: What are some of the highlights you can give about K-POP SUPERFEST?
Kublai Kwon: All the performers did great! I was especially entertained by the two young hosts, AleXa and Kevin. I thought they did a fanastic job of emceeing. It was also great when AleXa and Kevin danced on stage with Jessi during her performance.
EVERLAST KOREA: Will there be any near future K-Pop events that audiences can look forward to?
Kublai Kwon: The next K-Pop event will be at the end of August, which will most likely include 3 K-Pop stages that will be part of a 10-day Joy Ruckus Club 4 Festival.
CREDITS
We want to give a big thank you to Joy Ruckus Club for allowing EVERLAST KOREA to cover their events activities. And of course a big thank you to Kublai Kwon for allowing EVERLAST KOREA to conduct an exclusive interview. Joy Ruckus Club is a humanitarian-oriented and virtual concert series, founded by Asian Americans, and led by artists of Asian descent from all over the world.
SOURCES
All photos and videos are credited to Joy Ruckus Club.
