"dreaming is free"

Say Sue Me, "Dreaming"

A good cover song is an art-form unto itself.

Going over musical "Best Of 2018" lists is a bit of a compulsion for me and, frankly, I didn't listen to a hell of a lot of new music this year.  Part of me doesn't care at all -- I'm an old, after all.  Part of me would like to devote more time to seeking out new stuff but, at the risk of sounding like Grampa Simpson, the new stuff doesn't do much for me.  (The 1975?  Really?)

But finding Say Sue Me (through a former Korean ex-pat on Facebook no less) was worth it.  In fact, they're playing a Christmas show that I might even go down to Busan for.  (I haven't seen them live yet.)  But this cover of Blondie's "Dreaming" is pretty much perfect.

Also really enjoyed boygenius.  And the new Beach House.  And the new Sea and Cake.

But that's cheating because everything by Beach House and Sea and Cake is consistently sublime.

Korean Music That Isn't K-pop!

Say Sue Me, "Old Town"

These guys are from Busan, and I think they're really great.  Buy their new album here.

I get some Yo La Tengo vibes, with maybe some Galaxie 500 and Feelies too.

Mister You're On Fire Mister

Busan, South Korea.

Over the years I've been down to Busan, the street performance scene has really developed in a good way.  As mentioned, they've made the whole Haeundae Strip area a lot more pedestrian friendly (which is kind of a shocker in South Korea).  So instead of just one area right by the beach, the jugglers and fire eaters and even the crappy Euro-trash / Australian hippy drum circle bullshit have relatively comfortable places to do their respective things.

Honestly, other big Korean cities could learn a few things from Busan's development here.  You don't need a gimmick to revitalize an area, you really just need quality public spaces and trust people to step in and provide their own forms of entertainment.

But this being Korea, people are suspicious of organic, bottom-to-top actions that don't involve multiple layers of bureaucracy and authority.

On The Beach

Haeundae Beach, Busan, South Korea.

I've been down to Busan many times during my years in South Korea, and it gets a little better with each visit.  The city government has narrowed the road of the Haeundae Strip, making it a lot more pedestrian and street-performer friendly.  I've also made it to new places around the city, although I've always considered Haeundae to be my anchor.  And if my biggest complaint is that I couldn't get a table at my favorite Spanish restaurant in the country, well, so be it.  (Unlike Koreans, I'm not a fan of waiting in line.  I had to settle for some pretty good Indian grub instead.)

Baseball In Busan

One of the glories of living in South Korea is baseball.  With cheerleaders, player theme songs, flag waving, and no-holds bat-flipping, I can't really think of a better way to spend an afternoon than at the ballpark.

10,000 won (about nine bucks) will buy you an outfield seat, and that's really all you need.  Now, my team of choice is the Samsung Lions (representing Daegu, as Korean teams go by their corporate sponsors' names).  But for Chuseok I went down to Busan to take in a game with their hometown squad, the Lotte Giants.

As much as I like Samsung Lions Park here in lurvely Daegu, Sajik Stadium in Busan is absolutely gorgeous.  Mountains surround the stadium, and I got very lucky with the weather.  And for food, while fried chicken is the preferred victual, I went with a tray of tasty blood sausage and some beers.

So all in all, it was another great day at the ballpark.  Busan came from behind to beat the NCSoft Dinos 8-7.

And A Happy Chuseok To You

I'm in Busan for the Chuseok holiday.  I'm at a Starbucks by the beach reading Elvis Costello's autobiography (I knew he had a musical father, but didn't realize he was actually a pretty accomplished and somewhat famous vocalist) and sipping on a way-too-big ice coffee.  Last night I took in a Busan iPark soccer match (Busan F.C., basically) and it was about what you'd expect from Korean second-tier play (the "above ground pool" of the sport, basically).  But the weather was lovely.

They've done some serious renovations around here at Haeundae Beach.  Some of the main roads are a lot more pedestrian friendly now (always a shock in Korea) and there are some honest-to-goodness public spaces where street performers can do their thing to large crowds.  (The fire jugglers are pretty amazing.)

So I'm here for a few more days before, inexplicably, going back to Daegu to teach on Thursday (why not just give us the whole week you beareaucratic slave-drivers?).

Lazy Thursday

Red Garland, Stepping Out (1981, w/ Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Ben Riley)

Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving, begins this Sunday.  I'm getting a five-day weekend out of it so I'm headed to lovely Busan this Saturday.  I might call up some foreigner friends for drinks, but a lot of them will be traveling abroad or going up to Seoul.  I've got plans to see a Busan iPark soccer match Saturday (Busan F.C., basically) and then my first Lotte Giants game (Busan's baseball team) on Tuesday afternoon.  And swim, maybe?  It's going to be in the mid-70's, but the ocean will be freezing I'm sure.

There's also a new brew pub I want to check out.  They are a bit of a welcome trend in Korea these days.  (I'm not a reflexive Korean beer hater by any means, but I do like knowing I can drink the bitter-y and dark artisanal stuff when I want to.)

Anyhow, Red Garland is a better piano player than you or I shall ever be.  Just sayin'.

Busan

Busan, South Korea.

On The Beach

Chuseok in Busan was fun as always.  The weather was actually great for two of the three days I was there but it started raining towards the end.  Eating almost nothing but Indian and Spanish food was a treat as well.