Epik High / Courtesy of YG Entertainment
After a Lady Gaga appearance at last year's show, the Korean music night returns with Hitchhiker, The Barberettes, Eastern Sidekick & more.
K-Pop Night Out returns to SXSW for what looks to be its bigger year after gaining big attention since its inaugural showcase in 2013. Acts like Epik High, Crayon Pop, Hitchhiker and more top Korean talent make up the impressive bill.
Epik High come to Austin after a fantastic comeback in 2014. After more than two years of silence, the hip-hop trio fired back with their excellent Shoebox album -- highlighted as one of Billboard's best releases of 2014 -- which earned the band their first No. 1 on the World Albums chart. Made up of Tablo, Mithra and DJ Tukutz, the veteran rap act has more than a decade together and will hit SXSW for their first Stateside show in years.
Another act making international waves, Crayon Pop also headlines the show. The quirky "Bar Bar Bar" girl group returns to America after spending their summer opening for Lady Gaga's Artpop tour. The group has stayed somewhat quiet since the trek, but members ChoA and Way did team up to release a new track "OK."
K-Pop Night Out should get a little more experimental this year thanks to Hitchhiker. The eccentric producer and remixer (who is signed alongside Girls' Generation, EXO and f(x) to SM Entertainment) had fans scratching and bobbing their heads to his "11" video earlier this year. K-Pop Night Out 2015 marks Hitchhiker's debut live performance.
Alongside the acts comes throwback-inspired female trio The Barberettes, the performance-art/electro-pop duo EE with the Korean rock scene represented by critically acclaimed indie rock band Eastern Sidekick and heavy rock outfit Asian Chairshot.
Last year's showcase was headlined by HyunA, Jay Park and Nell and saw Lady Gaga in attendance during her much talked about performance and keynote address.
K-Pop Night Out 2015 takes place on Thursday, March 19, at Elysium (705 Red River).
https://www.billboard.com/culture/events
By Jeff Benjamin
2015 KOCCA KPop Night Out Showcase (Planning/Production/Promotions) : DFSB Kollective x SL Communications
International Digital Distribution : DFSB Kollective (EE / Eastern Sidekick)