KCON (music festival)
KCON is an annual K-Pop convention held in the United States, organized by Mnet Media, CJ E&M and Koreaboo.[1] It started in 2012 and is based in Southern California.
Background
KCON is organized by the South Korean music label and entertainment agency Mnet Media.[2] KCON's aim is to establish an annual flagship event that will improve the experiences of American fans by providing them with an affordable way to connect with each other, as well as with artists and professionals from the K-pop music industry.[3] During KCON ‘12, Mnet Media's Ted Kim was interviewed by journalist Michael Holmes from CNN to discuss about the rise of K-Pop in the United States.[2]
History
2012
KCON ‘12 was held on October 13 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, California. Music artists invited to perform include 4Minute, B.A.P, Exo-M, Nu'est, VIXX, and G.NA. Jeff Yang from The Wall Street Journal reported that KCON ‘12 attracted over 10,000 people.[4]
2013
KCON ‘13 was held from August 24 to 25 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The lineup included K-Pop artists EXO (K & M), 2AM, Teen Top, f(x), G-Dragon, Crayon Pop, Dynamic Duo, Yu Seung Woo and DJ Koo. It also included rapper Missy Elliott, who is featured on one of G-Dragon's singles.[5][6] Super Junior's Henry Lau performed and spoke at a panel.[7]
Reception
Jeff Benjamin from Billboard wrote that the convention "Hit every note to provide a new look at a world of music still gaining ground in the U.S" and explained that with the thousands of people attending KCON ‘12 coming from all over North America, the convention "Truly proved its ability to pass language barriers and kick-start what may be an annual music tradition."[8]
Joseph L. Flatley from the media network The Verge, attended KCON ‘12 and reported that the highlight of the entire event was a concert where a half-dozen K-Pop bands performed, many for the first time in the United States.[9]
The Orange County Register described KCON ‘12 as "A daylong K-Pop invasion at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater".[10]
Location and dates
| Dates | Location | Venue | Attendance | Artist Line-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 13, 2012 | Irvine, California | Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre | 10,000 | 4minute, B.A.P, EXO-M, G.NA, NU'EST, VIXX |
| August 24–25, 2013 | Los Angeles, California | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | 20,000[11] | 2AM, Dynamic Duo, EXO (K & M), f(x) (with DJ Koo), G-Dragon, Crayon Pop, Henry Lau, Missy Elliott, Teen Top, Yu Seung Woo (with Heejun Han) |
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to KCON 2012. |
- ↑ "About Koreaboo". September 15, 2013. "In 2012, Koreaboo's founders created and produced [..] "KCON" with Mnet and CJ E&M.""
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The Rise of "K-Pop"". CNN. Retrieved 7 January 2013. "CNN's Michael Holmes talks with M-Net's President , Ted Kim about "K-Con", an event that focused on Korean culture."
- ↑ "KCON '12". KCON '12. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ↑ Yang, Jeff. "Will the Korean Pop Culture Boom Have Legs?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
- ↑ "Artists : KCON". Kconusa.com. Retrieved 2013-09-02.
- ↑ Brown, August (2013-08-26). "Review: G-Dragon, Missy Elliott, EXO and more at KCON 2013". latimes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-02.
- ↑ "10 Reasons Why YOU Should Love Henry | KCON". Blog.kconusa.com. 2013-08-06. Retrieved 2013-09-02.
- ↑ Benjamin, Jeff. "KCON 2012: 15 Things Seen & Overheard". Billboard. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
- ↑ Flatley, Joseph L. "K-Pop takes America: how South Korea's music machine is conquering the world". The Verge. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ↑ Hall, David (2012-09-19). "Aerosmith at Staples Center, K-Pop invades O.C.". The Orange County Register. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
- ↑ Trykowski, Tyler. "How to Make It in America: K-Pop's Bid for the West". Vice (magazine). Retrieved 10 September 2013. "G-Dragon, along with seven other groups, performed at this August’s second annual K-Con in Los Angeles, which provided 20,000 fans from across North America and abroad a chance to soak in a culture that,"
External links
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