KPOP Jacket Lady
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Dumbfoundead: The Yikes! Tour.
It was a good day when I heard that Dumbfounded was to bring his Yikes! Tour to Austin, both because I wanted to see him perform, and because Austin is a lot closer to home than either Houston or Dallas. Also I’ve been on some fairly heavy meds lately and an Austin stop meant Elizabeth could drive and keep an eye on me.
We got to downtown early enough to have a pleasant dinner and still be in the middle of the ‘meet & greet’ line. Everyone was excited and upbeat about the show and new friends were made and old ones caught up on everyone’s news. The show was at Stubbs, an iconic Austin eatery and live music venue. Fortunately Dumbfounded was appearing at. the more intimate indoor stage rather than the outdoor one.
The venue staff got us all lined up and we proceeded to take our turns meeting Dumbfoundead. He was gracious and allowed hugs and multiple photos, taken with each person’s personal camera/phone by a very helpful staff member. We also got an individually signed poster, tee shirt, goodie bag etc. There was no rushing or pushing and all the fans seemed very happy with the experience. Dumbfoundead even found his patch!
We had a long wait between the meet and greet and the show starting. I began the evening down near the stage, but the heat and the crowd started getting to me so I headed upstairs to grab a beer and a place on the balcony where I could lean on the railing.
The show started with DJ Zo who instantly got the crowd moving. The balcony offered a perfect place to be able to see him work his magic. (We could also feel the music vibrate through the balcony floor which was kinda interesting and cool.) Having appeared with many top notch artists, including Jay Park, and as an opening act for Justin Timberlake, DJ Zo knew exactly how build and keep the momentum going.
He played a wide and eclectic mix, and cleverly added just the right amount of latin and popular music to appeal to the Austin crowd. Everyone was singing along and bopping to the beats, becoming more heated and intense when a favorite song came on. He really got the crowd hyped up.
Next we were lucky to see Year Of The Ox come on stage. Having only ever watched their videos it was a thrill to see them live. They lived up to my expectations and gave a great performance. Lyricks and JL took me back to when rappers spoke up about their personal experiences and causes because that was an important part of what made them who they are now. Their lyrics were incisive and I loved the line “My new name is ‘when’d you get back’ ?” from Jet Lag. (I travel as much as possible, more when I was younger, so I’d often hear that very same phrase.)
My favorite song was perhaps A-Zn Foods which covered issues such as heritage, tradition, gentrification and cultural appropriation, all with humor and cutting wit. Being a transplant to the US myself some of these issues resonated with me. And although it may seem an obvious thing, I appreciated being able to hear the lyrics clearly with non of the mumbling of some rappers.
Finally Dumbfoundead came on stage and the roars of the crowd unbelievably became even louder. Having grown up in LA’s Koreatown Dumbfoundead also rapped about his experiences with perhaps Cochino most clearly showcasing the ignorance and racism of many towards Asians and those of Asian descent.
In between songs there were stories, banter and interactions with the crowd. Some fans had travelled more than a few hours to get to the venue and they were there to enjoy every moment. The youngest in the crowd was an 8th grader and the oldest was probably me. Everyone of us had a blast. The smallish venue was perfect . (The show was very close to being sold out, with less than 10 tickets left an hour before the doors opened.)
Dumbfounded was an engaging and entertaining performer who not only executed his songs almost flawlessly but also knew how to work the crowd. He made us all laugh a few times, particularly when he missed the entrance beat to one of his songs and had to start over. If you get a chance to catch one of the shows on the rest of the tour I heartily recommend you go.
Being up on the balcony also worked out for us since we were able to spot Lyricks near the upstairs bar allowing fans to take photos with him. He was kindness personified and seemed pleased that I said I would be embroidering Year Of The Ox’s patch next.
I must apologise to Dumbfounded as we ended up having to leave a little before the show ended. (Maybe next time I’ll be on less medications.) Even so the show was lit and I thoroughly enjoyed my night out in Austin. Thank you and good luck with the rest of the tour.
Have a great day everyone.
Please do not copy or use without permission and accreditation. All photo credits to original owners. Mostly Elizabeth Marzec.
You may also enjoy Gyeongju: Why You Should Visit On Your Next Trip To Korea, A Visit To The Show, (SBS Music Show) and Hanji: The Paper Of Korea.
You can obviously find fancams and official channels on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/user/dumbfoundead https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw7RrKdqIMddn-JpnOtnWPg https://www.youtube.com/user/zomanno
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