‘Oppa’ delivers Seoul-style performance

Psy’s concert draws a crowd too large to contain　　On Thursday night, the sight at Seoul City Hall was in one word: chaotic. It appeared as though the whole city was trying to get a taste of the Gangnam phenom.　Four hours before Psy’s concert was even set to begin, the air was filled the whistles of traffic cops trying to redirect traffic; the rooftops of adjacent buildings were all lined with TV cameras; and the front of Seoul Plaza was packed so tightly with shouting fans that the security staf

Oct. 4, 2012

Rush, Public Enemy among Rock Hall of Fame noms

Rush, Deep Purple, Public Enemy and N.W.A. are among the group of first-time nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.They join returnees Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Randy Newman, Donna Summer and Kraftwerk among the 15 artists vying for entry.Even in the iPod age, the list of nominees up for induction in 2013 is as eclectic as they come. Nominees differ wildly in sound, origin and influence, ranging from the enduring prog rock of Canadian trio Rush and Procul Harum to German proto-

Oct. 4, 2012

Psy to hold concert at Seoul Plaza

International sensation Psy has announced that no matter the Billboard chart ranking results for next week, he will hold a concert for his local fans on Thursday at Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall. The Billboard Top 100 chart results are scheduled to be announced on Wednesday in the U.S. with fans eagerly waiting to see if Psy will move up one notch from the number two ranking and overtake Maroon 5 for the top spot. He has publicly promised to dance topless should he achieve the feat. “I

Oct. 3, 2012

All-nude performance to ‘community’ dance

The 15th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance), the nation’s largest annual dance bash, kicks off on Oct. 5 for its 15-day run, with a total of four pieces officially banned for teenagers. One of the most reputable genre showcases here, the event is presented by the local section of the International Dance Council CID-UNESCO. Fifty-three dance companies from 16 countries will present 57 works during the festival. This year’s edition has been receiving a lot of attention even before the op

Oct. 3, 2012

Kia chief designer reveals inspiration in art exhibition

Kia’s chief designer Peter Schreyer has revealed his design inspirations through his first solo art exhibition. The renowned auto designer, who brought a design revolution to Kia with the K-series, showed his other artistic side through some 60 pieces that offer glimpses of his sources of inspiration for automobile design and his life. “When you do design, you do it to appeal to the audience. But when you do art, it’s completely different. You don’t have to appeal. I do it just with my feelings

Oct. 2, 2012

Adele confirms she has recorded Bond theme tune

LONDON (AP) ― Adele has confirmed she has co-written and performed the theme to the upcoming James Bond movie “Skyfall.’’The singer was initially unsure whether she wanted to take the project, according to news posted to the official James Bond website Monday.“There’s a lot of instant spotlight and pressure when it comes to a Bond song,’’ she was quoted as saying. “But I fell in love with the script. ... It was also a lot of fun writing to a brief, something I’ve never done which made it excitin

Oct. 2, 2012

All-nude performance to ‘community’ dance

Nation’s largest dance festival to feature 57 works from 16 countriesThe 15th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance), the nation’s largest annual dance bash, kicks off on Oct. 5 for its 15-day run, with a total of four pieces officially banned for teenagers. One of the most reputable genre showcases here, the event is presented by the local section of the International Dance Council CID-UNESCO. Fifty-three dance companies from 16 countries will present 57 works during the festival. This ye

Oct. 2, 2012

Eyelike

Mika adds some pep to your stepMika“The Origin of Love”(Universal)The British pop singer/songwriter’s newly released third album titled “The Origin of Love,” although more basic than his previous albums, is an upbeat electronic dance record that keeps with the signature enthusiastic, electro pop-like sound that we come to expect from Mika. The title track “Celebrate” featuring Pharrell Williams hints at an ’80s punk rock/too-cool-for-school feel with an electro twist. Although this may not be th

Sept. 28, 2012

‘Godfather of rock’ performs in L.A.

Shin Joong-hyun, also known as Korea’s “Godfather of Rock,” is to perform alongside American folk musician Rodriguez and U.K. singer-guitarist Michael Chapman at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday evening, local time. The event was planned as a celebration of the 10th anniversary of Light in the Attic Records, an independent record label which released the work of such artists as Betty Davis and the Black Angels. In 2011, the record label issued Shin’s first-ever globally-released album

Sept. 28, 2012

Big Bang members admit Seungri’s series of scandals

Members of K-pop boy band Big Bang apparently confirmed their colleague member Seungri’s string of scandals, saying they want to “forgive him.”YG Entertainment had officially denied Seungri’s scandal with Japanese model Anna Kubo but a paparazzi video in Hong Kong recently revealed the two hugging on the street and Kubo kissing Seungri’s cheek.  Several weeks ago, a Japanese magazine released a report of Seungri’s “photos and behaviors” in bed, quoting a woman who claimed she had spent a night w

Sept. 26, 2012

Tiger JK apologizes for controversial comments

Korean rapper Tiger JK has posted an apology on his Twitter account for the "racist" remarks against Caucasians he blurted out during a joint performance in arts warehouse Platoon in Gangnam, Seoul on Saturday. "And I am not proud of being racist towards white people. My sincerely apology goes out to all them good folks that put me on stage," he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.“Once again my sincere apology goes out to all them good peoples, Peace,” he added.According to Tiger JK’s recollection, som

Sept. 26, 2012

Underwood gives boy, 12, his first kiss

Country music star Carrie Underwood politely obliged a 12-year-old boy‘s request that she give him his first kiss at a recent Louisville concert.USA Today said Underwood, 29, was performing on stage Saturday night when she spotted a boy in the audience, holding up a sign that said, “Will you be my first kiss?”She invited the fan, identified only as Chase, on stage and asked, “How are we gonna do this?” the newspaper reported.“Lip to lip,” the boy said.Underwood gave him a quick peck on the lips

Sept. 26, 2012

Royal Collection buys Warhol portraits of queen

LONDON (AP) ― Britain’s Royal Collection Trust has gone Pop Art with the purchase of four famous Andy Warhol portraits of Queen Elizabeth II.The colorful screenprints are based on a formal photograph of the queen wearing a tiara and necklace that was used during her Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.They will form part of the Portraits of a Monarch exhibit starting in November at Windsor Castle. The purchase was announced Monday, but royal officials refused to say how much was paid for the por

Sept. 25, 2012

Psy: Call me international singer, not a star

Korean rapper-singer to release new single in the U.S., hold solo concert at Madison Square Garden in New York and cities around the worldPsy, the Korean rapper-singer who instantly became a global star with his mega hit single “Gangnam Style” said on Tuesday in Seoul that he still feels like he is dreaming.“I feel like I am dreaming and I am still at a loss for words. This wasn’t something that I planned for but it just happened,” Psy told reporters at a press conference held at a hotel located

Sept. 25, 2012