GUCKKASTEN
A high-energy rock set before noon
Although the morning crowd to see South Korean rockers Guckkasten was only a few hundred folks strong, every single person crowding towards the front of the stage seemed set to prove they were the veteran band’s biggest fans. When lead vocalist and guitarist Ha Hyun-woo simply walked on stage for a quick microphone check, the Red Marquee popped like they were ripping into their biggest single. That energy carried over to the band’s proper performance, a rip-roaring run of guitar-centered numbers pushed forward by the band’s high-energy approach to playing live.
Despite bringing along supporting members that gave Guckkasten a fest-worthy bigness, this is a band whose whole sound hinges on Hyun-woo’s impassioned singing and stage presence. The way he delivered higher-pitched vocals and floated around the stage added personality to “Faust,” and made the number’s late hard-rock explosion hit all the harder. Shifting to a deeper delivery over Spanish guitar flair on “Pulse,” he once again demanded the spotlight, and made the angry moments of release all the more memorable, and on later songs when he hopped to the front of the stage to egg the crowd on further, the energy only increased. By the end of it, more than just the hardcores up front were bobbing along.
