HoRockHoRock 3rd Rock Festival
bOHEmiAN Theater
Gwangju
Oct. 10, 2026
(Jisu Sheen recently moved from New Haven to Gwangju, South Korea, where she’s covering local arts and culture for the New Haven Independent and Midbrow.)
In January, members of Gwangju's rock and indie music community HoRockHoRock set out to form a band of their own.
This Saturday, they took the stage of bOHEmiAN Theater in downtown Gwangju, as openers for Horak Horak's third official festival. Under the name eHang (이행), the 9-month-old band tumbled on stage ready to rock and roll. There were no less than seven hours of tunes ahead, and by the first few songs, singer Asuka was already on the floor, kicking her feet to the power of the music.
eHang's first song was a cover of early 2000s hit "Loveholic" by Korean rock band Loveholic, featuring singer Chun Jiin. Her sweet delivery and rockstar presence gave the day's festivities a strong start.
Then Asuka came to the mic, with a cover of Japanese pop punk/rock band Hump Back. With spiky face piercings and a cozy-looking onesie with bunny ears, she embodied the perfect blend of optimism and edge the song called for.
The chemistry of the band, which started performing together just this February, bathed eHang's set in a hopeful glow. The audience was moshing and spirits were high. In guitar riffs and drum solos, the bandmates hyped each other up.
I didn't plan to stay the whole seven hours—a girl's gotta eat, right?—but that is what ended up happening. My mistake was thinking the DJ set at the bottom of the first half would be an ideal time to step out for some sustenance. The beats were, it turns out, way too hypnotic.
My next thought was to instead head out early. I'd gotten my daily nutritious fill of music from all food groups. Or so I thought.
Psychedelic folk band Moher (모허) from Jeju Island took the stage, strumming harmonies and heartstrings in a festival shift from high-energy rock to introspective acoustic guitar. From the first few seconds of their sound check, I knew I had to stay. The duo were like sorcerers, casting sonic spells that seemed to exist only in their moment of creation.
Fate smiled upon me, and a girl I met at a whiskey and book bar happened to bring me a peach iced tea. I made it through the second half.
At some point, I noticed the fuzzy animal ears of Asuka's onesie. She had come to sit on the floor by my peach tea guardian angel. Between sets, she had told me about her various inspirations. She named herself after a character in the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. When I said I was from the U.S., she told me about her love for Weezer and Green Day.
Plenty of music fan clubs rise and fall in our chaotic world. HoRockHoRock, a group so powerful it is now hosting its own festivals and giving birth to new bands, is in a league of its own. They're engaging in the highest form of appreciation: creation.
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