Shinhwa’s concert tickets sold out in 5 minutes

Tickets sold out in just five minutes for pop group Shinhwa’s upcoming concert scheduled for March 16 and 17, according to their agency Shinhwa Company.The upcoming concert has been organized in celebration of the 15th anniversary of their debut. The six-member group, one of the early “idol” bands in the country, debuted in 1998 and enjoyed much popularity along with G.O.D., Fly to the Sky, H.O.T. and S.E.S. Tickets for the concert, about 25,000 of them, were sold out just five minutes after bei

Feb. 15, 2013

‘Legend of 2PM’ shoots to top of Oricon Chart

2PM’s second Japanese album, “Legend of 2PM” ranked first place on the Oricon Charts. “Legend of 2PM has sold six times more copies than the album in second place on the Oricon Chart. The sales numbers prove their popularity,” said a representative from JYP, the group’s agency.The second album contains 13 tracks in all with nine new tracks and four from their previously released singles including “Masquerade,” “Beautiful,” “If You are Here,” and “Forever.”Last year was a breakthrough year for 2P

Feb. 14, 2013

Twenty One Pilots to unleash ‘schizoid pop’ live in Seoul

From self-releasing albums to being named one of the “2013 Artists to Watch” by MTV, the two members of the alternative pop rock band Twenty One Pilots are making a name for themselves as a dynamic music force to be reckoned with this year. Tyler Joseph formed the band Twenty One Pilots in 2009 with a couple of his college buddies, putting out two self-released albums. Joseph later met drummer Josh Dun through a mutual friend and the two ended up forming a duo. “The first time we hung out, we st

Feb. 14, 2013

Calling out names of families separated in Korean War

  Nearly 60 years since the end of the Korean War, memories of war have faded away through the generations. But the memories remain very vivid to the separated families and are a true reminder of the painful history of the war. Artist Lee Eun-sook, from a second generation of separated families whose father left four children in the North and died two years ago, keeps the fading memories alive by using the forgotten names of the divided families in the South and North as the main materials for h

Feb. 13, 2013

Lips-Bite brings indie rock to the forefront

Whether it be hip-hop, punk or indie rock, the music scene in Hongdae is growing at a great speed with more indie musicians than ever. Indie band Lips-Bite is one of the many such rock bands. Having originally met in high school, it wasn’t until 2010 that the quintet ― Yeon Je-hong (vocals), Moon Hyun-ho (bass), Yi Sang (drums), Choi Kee-sun (guitar) and Kim Young-joon (synthesizer) ― got together with the aim to make great music. “There are many situations when you bite your lips,” vocalist Yeo

Feb. 13, 2013

Michelangelo’s drawings on display in U.S.

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (AP) ― Twenty-five drawings by Michelangelo began a two-city U.S. exhibition in Virginia on Saturday, including some works never before seen in the United States and many that offer a glimpse into the mind of the master and the tumultuous times in which he lived.“Michelangelo: Sacred and Profane, Masterpiece Drawings from the Casa Buonarroti’’ will be on view at the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg through April 14, then move to the

Feb. 12, 2013

Nam June Paik’s defiance of social order

Nam June Paik has been called the father of video art, having transformed video into an art medium. But Paik didn’t limit his creations to video art. He explored diverse fields such as performance, collaboration, music and writing to present his ideas. Through diverse media, Paik created symbolic performances that challenged social taboos and raised controversy in a conservative society. The new exhibition at the Nam June Paik Art Center sheds light on Paik’s political and ideological side, as w

Feb. 12, 2013

The geek in the pink returning to Seoul once more

All-American singer-songwriter Jason Mraz will be returning to Seoul in May to hold his sixth live show. The performer ― who has made a name for himself as a beloved entertainer in Korea ― will be holding his upcoming concert, “Jason Mraz and His Band,” on May 17 at the Jamsil Sports Complex starting at 6:30 p.m. The performance will also feature two guest performers who are yet to be announced.  Mraz, who started his career playing in coffee houses, released his first commercial debut album “Wa

Feb. 12, 2013

Toys as art: Michael Lau’s art toy collections on view in Seoul

Toys as playthings has long been a bygone perception. They have become objects to admire for adults who treat them as valuable collectibles on the same level as artwork, including more than 100,000 fans of Michael Lau’s art toy collections worldwide. The Hong Kong-based artist’s famous toy collections have arrived in Seoul for the first time amid much anticipation from local fans. Making vinyl figures into the most sought-after toy collection in the world, Lau is considered a pioneer in the fiel

Feb. 11, 2013

‘Romeo and Juliet’ opens season for KNB

The Korea National Ballet is opening this year’s season with Sergei Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet,” featuring its star principals Kim Ji-young, Lee Dong-hun, and Spain’s Compania Nacional de Danza’s principal ballerina Kim Seh-yun in the lead.The troupe is presenting a version created by French choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot of Monte Carlo Ballet Theater. The local troupe first premiered Maillot’s “Romeo and Juliet” in 2000, and had two separate runs in 2002 and 2011, respectively. The tr

Feb. 11, 2013

Psy first Asian to top 1m sales in U.K.

Psy’s “Gangnam Style” has topped more than 1 million sales in the United Kingdom.In an announcement made by the Official Charts Company on Feb. 8, “Gangnam Style” became the 129th track to sell 1 million copies in U.K. history, and the first by an Asian artist to reach the milestone.“This is an amazing achievement by Psy,” commented Martin Talbot, managing director of the Official Charts Company. “It is further confirmation of ‘Gangnam Style’ as a true phenomenon ― it is the first U.K. million-s

Feb. 11, 2013

Grammy red carpet still features plenty of skin

A warning not to show too much skin didn‘t seem to deter the stars out Sunday for the Grammy Awards.Jennifer Lopez was among those showing off thigh-high _ or higher _ openings in their dresses, and she joked about it as she took the stage to present an award. Katy Perry showed down-to-there cleavage in a seafoam gown.CBS put out a memo earlier in the week asking that ``buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered’‘ for the televised award show. The memo sent out Wednesday also warned agai

Feb. 11, 2013

Psy performs 'Gangnam Style' at Rio Carnival

Under a shower of confetti and with pulsating samba music, portly King Momo on Friday officially kicked off Rio's famed Carnival, a five-day fest that will climax in spectacular weekend parades of top samba schools.Milton Rodrigues da Silva, the event's symbol of overweight excess, symbolically received a giant key to the city from Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes."The time has come to hand over my duties to magnificent King Momo so that the city may have fun under his rule," said Paes, wearing a white pa

Feb. 10, 2013

Eyelike:

McGraw broadens sound on new albumTim McGraw"Two Lanes Of Freedom"(Big Machine)Veteran country star Tim McGraw resolutely refers to independence and the highway in the title of his new album, "Two Lanes Of Freedom," his first since leaving Curb Records, his label for two decades. The title cut flaunts that freedom by employing world-music instruments, harmonies and rhythms to communicate just how creatively liberated he feels.But McGraw‘s always pushed at the boundaries of country music. Here he

Feb. 7, 2013

A fresh look at Chinese contemporary art

A diverse spectrum of Chinese contemporary art can be seen at an art exhibition devoted to new Chinese art starting this week in Seoul. The “New Contemporary Art from China” exhibition, organized in celebration of the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China, offers a fresh look at contemporary art in China and insight into the current state and future of Chinese art.“I hope the exhibition gives new inspiration to the Korean audience and artists. There are two point

Feb. 7, 2013