concert spotlight…se so neon

Seeing a band called 새소년, which means ‘new youth,’ right as I enter a new chapter of my youth, felt incredibly fitting and exciting. It was a nearly perfect experience that I’ll never forget. This was the first concert of an actual band that I had been to and not just a singer. Thus, I felt like I could enjoy how the musical arrangements were improvised and tailored to be played live, and not just the vocal performances. There was so much to pay attention to – I found myself glancing back and forth between the members Soyoon who was centre stage singing and playing guitar and Hyunjin playing the bass (sadly I was too far left of the stage to see the drummer!). It was wonderful to get to know them even better by seeing them live – I definitely want to go to more concerts like this one in the future!

I started listening to Se So Neon only recently, and when they announced their tour in Europe, I had heard only a few of their songs. I bought tickets anyway and used the time between the ticket release and the show to listen to all their music and ‘prepare’ myself for the show, as I like to call it! I discovered that their songs are bright with poetic lyrics that are very open to interpretation. I was particularly excited to see them perform ‘The Wave’ live, but before the tour started they released their single ‘Kidd.’ On hearing it, I instantly knew it would be beautiful to hear live. So those ended up being the songs I most looked forward to seeing at the show!

The entire experience of the concert – from standing in line to the entire show – felt like everything I could ever have hoped would happen. I was a bit apprehensive about going to the show alone as I didn’t know anyone else who likes Se So Neon. I arrived at the venue to a small group of about ten people waiting outside – amongst them I met some truly wonderful and interesting people who I so enjoyed talking to. I had to queue about five and a half hours until the doors opened, and with them I was not bored even a minute! I met one girl who was a concert veteran – she showed us so many pictures and videos of the different concerts she had been to and her interactions with the artists. I thought it was so cool that she was able to live such that she could enjoy all her favourite music like this. She seemed to be living my dream life. I also met some other wave to earth fans who have been so hard to find offline – they were so cool and I really enjoyed meeting them. I’ve always wanted to meet cool people in a concert line, and I guess I finally did!

While waiting in line, we ended up seeing Hyunjin twice. The first time, we saw him entering the venue, I didn’t really know what to do and awkwardly waved at him but somehow, he waved back! It was a cute interaction that I still think about. So in some way, I ended up interacting with the band members or at least spotting them before the show!

I have never stood barricade at a concert ever in my life, and was determined to make that happen this time. I was 11th in line, so I entered an almost empty concert hall and basically ran to take my spot right in front of the stage! I was close enough to touch the stage and was standing in between Soyoon (vocalist/guitarist) and Hyunjin – an ideal view and spot! It was absolutely crazy to watch them from so close by. Whenever they stepped forward to play their solos, I absolutely went crazy – they were basically right above my head, it was both scary and really cool! Se So Neon released two versions of their setlist before the shows. While both were amazing, I was really hoping that they would play the first version. Waiting to see which song they’d play first – and thus which setlist they would play – created so much excitement and anticipation for me! Just as I wished, they ended up playing the first version – hearing the opening notes of ‘joke!’ as the first song made me so happy.

As for the performances themselves, they were so amazing to watch. Soyoon is a joy to watch when she performs. She has an amazing stage persona and looks so cool when she is playing. She seems like she genuinely enjoys being on stage and you can see it in every aspect of her expressions, demeanour and body language as she plays. I noticed this in videos of Se So Neon’s live performances – Soyoon always has a wide smile and seems to lose herself in the joy of what she’s playing, but it’s even more pronounced when you see her in person! Her energy is so palpable and contagious, that you cannot help but sing, dance and jump along with her!

Watching the performances from so close to the stage also ensured a closer connection with the band and allowed me to enjoy the live arrangements even better. I’ll talk about my favourite performances from the show now, although it’s very hard to choose as I wanted to capture every moment of every song while I was there!

Summer Plumage 여름깃: This song and the album with the same title are probably my favourite work by Se So Neon. This song is, once again, bright and fun to listen to – the lyrics are a bit hard for me to understand, but seem to be about the fleeting nature of time that still seems to leave its marks on us. I didn’t know how this song sounded when performed live, but it was honestly such a wonderful experience and sounded even better than the studio version! There’s an interlude after the first chorus, with a bass solo that Hyunjin played right above my head! It was so special and such a groovy melody – it added so much to the song and I kind of wished it was in the original too. Soyoon’s improvisation on guitar was also so much fun to listen to. I actually really love when bands improvise guitar solos – they are different each time and add such a fun and exciting element to the performance. I really enjoyed watching one of my favourite tracks from my favourite Se So Neon album come to life like this!

The Wave 파도: I absolutely LOVE The Wave – it’s probably one of my favourite Se So Neon songs ever! It’s a song that sounds adventurous and lively, which is exactly what I love about it. The use of rhythm and the drum sound is very unconventional. I think the best part of the song starts after the second chorus where the drum sound changes before the guitar solo. Watching how Soyoon improvised these parts live was absolutely crazy. She played the part before the ending guitar solo standing right above me, which made it all the more special and cool! She completely loses herself in this song while performing, which makes it just as fun to go crazy to it while watching her shred on the guitar! To me, it’s a song about being wild and carefree, which is definitely what I felt as I watched it performed before me – I mostly remember singing the lyrics at the top of my lungs with excitement and happiness. Watching my favourite song by them played like this was truly an unforgettable memory.

A Long Dream 긴 꿈: I don’t think there was a better song to perform for the encore than this one. This song is just so full of serotonin that it felt like spending golden moments together before a goodbye hug since it was the (second) last song. Its lyrics about exploring feelings of growing attachment and love to someone resonate with me a lot, and I love its bright sounds and joyful rhythms. Hearing it live was truly so beautiful – I couldn’t help but jump and sing along loudly (which fills the videos with my shouting rather than the song…). I love how we were able to interact with the band during this performance, especially when we sang the ending melodies with Soyoon live instead of how it is played on keys in the studio version. There’s something so heartwarming about singing along with so many people – this song really feels like a long dream come to life when you watch it live. I’ll never forget how enjoyable it was and how excited I was to hear it!

Kidd: When I first heard Kidd, the song felt so rousing, as though it was calling comfortingly to the entire world. The post-chorus lyrics with “빼꼼, 빼꼼 Are you waiting for (Peeking out, peeking out, are you waiting for)” sung by a huge chorus made me think that this song was meant to be sung live, with a big audience supporting the artist almost as if we are performing the song together. How fitting for a song about overcoming sadness and hardship hand-in-hand. Even at our small show, being part of Kidd live was the most beautiful experience ever. Shouting the post-chorus from the bottom of my heart with hundreds of others felt like coming to life. Soyoon’s voice is truly stunning at conveying the gentle emotions of this song, and I felt so touched listening to her sing this. This was so memorable because of just how exciting and emotional it was to be part of the crowd and be able to add to the performance – not just to watch the band play it before you on stage. It made us all feel connected and whole in that moment – and that’s why I think it was the most stunning performance at the show!

The show ended with the song Winter 눈, originally not included in the setlist – it was such a wonderful surprise especially since I had not even expected them to perform that. Once the show ended, I felt so exhilarated. I really loved how I could enjoy Se So Neon’s music in such a versatile manner, and so intimately too by seeing them play standing right before me. Originally, when I booked the tickets, I could simply hope that I would actually be able to see them and wouldn’t need to leave the country for good. In a way, I tried to manifest that I could continue my life here by preparing myself to attend this show. And somehow, everything fell perfectly in place and set my life here in the days leading up to this show. So, seeing Se So Neon and spending time with them felt like opening up a new phase of my youth, and celebrating that I could continue living in the best and happiest way possible. I hope I’ll see them again…maybe at an even larger scale next time!\

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