Bek Hyunjin captivates audience at 모래내 극락
Written by Jess Howell
“He has the best kind of ahjussi energy.” Those words rang in my head as we stepped up to the second floor and took our spots in line to see Bek Hyunjin. To foreigners, the term “ahjussi” has a dynamic definition that is entirely dependent on the context. In the context of Korean music, it describes an artist who has tapped the well of life’s experience and discovered an often elusive medium to convey it without compromising its authenticity.
On stage, Bek Hyunjin is a maestro who directs the flow of the entire room with ease. He seamlessly shifts between speaking raspy words of wisdom to lay the foundation for a pragmatic, human connection with his crowd, perfecting his pitch to truly articulate how beautiful life can be.
Part of that beauty is Bek Hyunjin’s practised awareness that a show should involve every single person present. While he fills out the oversized shoes of his role, he has no problem giving the spotlight to his fellow bandmates, showcasing their talents and steering the flow in a new direction. At times, he would take a step down to bring attention to a piano solo that could enrapture the crowd without overstaying its welcome.
At other times, he would put his microphone just in front of the saxophone to ensure the audience had no reason to miss its warbling magic.
Yielding the spotlight like this is only possible when the band is able to enjoy a high degree of chemistry with one another. Bek Hyunjin would scope out who wasn’t on deck for their solo and enjoy a mid-set drink with them on stage. He spread an authentic bliss between the crowd and the band that often felt like it would culminate in a wash of positivity.
I say “often” because positivity only fills one corner of the emotional range, and Bek Hyujin is a man who takes his crowd to the extreme ends of the spectrum. At one point, the lights dimmed, and the volume metronomically lowered. The audience died down for fear of missing a second of what would come next. Bek Hyunjin then relinquished his microphone and sang with the intimacy of a soliloquy. It felt like the most welcoming group therapy session anyone could ask for.
Just as the crowd reached the height of its collective introspection, a shift occurred. The lights gently brighten to expose a tuba filling a quarter of the stage. The controlled chaos worked to thaw the crowd. Bek Hyunjin gracefully facilitated a mass exclamation on life and ignited it into an explosion of joy. The smiles of the crowd mirrored one another as everyone’s feet lost all sense of gravity. What’s most impressive is just how naturally he conducted the experience. If anyone walked into the venue at that moment, they would be hard-pressed to believe that just moments before, the crowd was drafting their eulogies.
In his own words, Bek Hyunjin is an artist first and a musician second. This man can combine multiple conventions of art in holy matrimony and apply their intrinsic value with alluring compassion. Bek Hyunjin’s show was a one-size-fits-all roller coaster where you enjoy the slow, sombre ride up just as much as the optimism that fuels the momentum on your way down. If you’re looking for a performance from someone who understands you more than you understand yourself, do yourself a favour and check him out.