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www.groovekorea.com / October 2014 50 FOOD & DRINK Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com) I f the live music scene in Itaewon were on par with its dining options,ㄹthis little neighborhood would be a much richer place. With the nota - ble exception of the semiannual HBC Fest, Hongdae has always hosted the lion’s share of concerts — that is, until now. There’s a new kid on the block and a cause for optimism in the gu: Thunderhorse. The ‘Horse originally opened in December 2012 down the street from Taco Bell, in a second-floor location. It moved to its current location in Gyeongnidan — next to Thunder Burger, coincidentally — last November. And while there are certainly other watering holes featuring bands, Thunderhorse is the only venue whose primary focus is on the music; everything else is secondary. No longer must audiophiles sit through shit- ty-sounding sets played on busted monitors and neglected drum kits. The owner, Kirk Kwon, is a professional sound engineer and has made it the bar’s mission to have nothing but high-quality, well-mixed concerts on top- of-the-line equipment. “I just want to have a place where musicians and music lovers can be relaxed, feel at home and enjoy them- selves,” he says. A horse of A different color Thunderhorse is the name of a song by fictional metal band Dethklok that’s featured on the Cartoon Network’s program “Metaloc- alypse.” Although he’s a metalhead and a fan of the show, Kirk laughs when asked about the name. The surprising truth is that it was a coincidence. As he tells it, he and his brother were discussing names, as well as their Har- leys, which are called “iron horses” and “rolling thunder,” so they just put the names together. “We both watch the show, but it never dawned on us until afterward,” he recalls. “I think may- be Dethklok planted a silent seed and our dis- cussion brought it out into the open.” Having been involved in the rock/met- al scene throughout Korea and in his native Canada, Kirk has some rock ‘n’ roll bona fi- des; he worked as a sound tech and stage manager for headliners like Motorhead, Cree- dence Clearwater Revival and Slayer. For him, Bands can record a live-track demo of their shows here, which is usually a far more costly and involved undertaking. There are perks for the general public as well: no cover charge.
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