Crying Nut and Say Sue Me Rock Out Lincoln Center
All photos by Jean Libert
Summer is a fantastic time to be in New York, especially when there are amazing free events and live music such as Lincoln Center's Summer for the City. This New York festival is still ongoing, but if you were fortunate enough to attend last Thursday night, you would have caught two amazing bands. Seoul punk and indie rock legends Crying Nut and Busan's surf-rock indie band Say Sue Me brought the crowd to their feet. Sponsored by the Korean Cultural Center New York for the second year, the night was also a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Korean and U.S. Alliance.
Say Sue Me has been making waves since 2012, and their music has only gotten stronger. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Sumi Choi, songwriter and guitarist Byungkyu Kim, bassist Jaeyong Kim, and drummer Sungwan Lim. Winning “Best Modern Rock Album” and “Best Modern Rock Song” at the 2019 Korean Music Awards put them on the map, but their smooth rock sound keeps fans listening as proven by their recent U.S. tour and appearance in New York.
The night began with the melodic guitar strums that lead into "My Problem," a track whose breezy air plays off lyrics that reflect the monotony of the day to day. From the start, fans were on their feet, eager to get as close as they could to the heart of the music. Bumping their most popular song yet next into the lineup, everyone began grooving to "Old Town." Like many of their songs, it's entirely in English, and you could hear the crowd of fans singing along. Other songs during the set included the more recently popular "Around You" and "Let it Begin." With rocking guitar solos and Sumi’s haunting voice, the set ended with the crowd clamoring for more.
Crying Nut is considered a pioneer of indie rock who gained acclaim in Korea after performing at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Since 1995, they've rocked the Hongdae scene in Seoul and not stopped. The band consists of Park Yoonsik on vocals and guitar and Han Kyungrock (a.k.a Captain Rock) on bass and vocals. Kim Insoo can be found on the accordion and keyboard, while twins Lee Sangmyun is on guitar and Lee Sanghyuk is on drums to round out the band.
Without any preface, the band was out to show New York a great time, and they did. Starting out with “Let’s Drink,” they set the mood for the night, which included lighthearted banter, crazy guitars, and off-the-top energy. Captain Rock was unstoppable, and Yoonsik’s vocals insane. “Circus Magic Clowns” was next, a song that goes from slow to a kind of chaos that had everyone jumping trying to follow along. The hilarious “Luxembourg," "Myeon-dong Calling," and "Summer" just proved that there's no middle-ground with Crying Nut. Even with sweat flying off their heads, they were vibing and giving it all, and everyone was loving it.
Highlights have to include Yoonsik getting the whole crowd to sing the "la la la"s on "Night overtime" and follow along to the insane chorus of "Dove," the jamming guitar duos with Captain Rock and Sangmyun, and Insoo's accordion jams. Many more songs would fill the night, showing the range of their repertoire. Coming out with "Oh! What a Shiny Night" was a fitting encore for a perfect evening.