Korean-American musician upholds DIY music

By Jon Dunbar





Mike Park, a Korean-American musician and founder of the Bruce Lee Band

Korean-American DIY music legend Mike Park is coming to Seoul to perform Friday and Saturday with his Bruce Lee Band on their fourth visit to Korea. This marks the band's first live performances in over two years.

Park made a name for himself performing in several ska-punk bands in the 1980s and 1990s, including Skankin' Pickle and the Chinkees, before founding the Bruce Lee Band in 1995.

In 1996 he started Asian Man Records, an indie label specializing in punk and ska. Through it, Park upheld the spirit of DIY music, releasing his own recordings as well as helping younger bands, including Less Than Jake and Alkaline Trio.

"I've always done my own thing in terms of music and that keeps me quite sheltered in terms of popularity," he said.

As should be apparent in his choice of names, his Asian-American identity ― and the baggage it carries ― has been a big influence on his work.

Prior to Park's career, Asians were rarely visible in ska and punk music.

Park grew up listening to British ska bands such as Madness, but it wasn't until he saw the U.S. band Fishbone that he started to think more about ethnicity and his place in the music scene.

"I became more politically active lyrically and wanted to share my identity as a Korean-American," Park said. "Mostly for other young people of color to feel some kind of encouragement that they can do this too."

Today, Park feels accepted within the American music community.

Recognition in Korea, meanwhile, has been slower, mainly because almost nobody in Korea was making or listening to music like his until relatively recently.

He first performed in Korea in 2001 at the second-ever Busan Rock Fest, then returned the next year for a couple shows with Crying Nut. His next tour wasn't until 2014, when he headlined the inaugural New Generation of Ska Festival held in the streets of Sinchon, western Seoul.

But this time, he's playing two shows at Club SHARP in Mangwon-dong, western Seoul, a venue run by Ryu Jin-suk, lead singer of Seoul ska-punk act Skasucks and main organizer of the New Generation of Ska.

"I enjoy the smaller shows much more because of the intimacy and energy of a small and sweaty packed house," Park said.

He's visiting Korea with Dan P, best known from MU330, and Jeff Rosenstock who recently released a split album with Skasucks.

Their first show will be all acoustic solo performances, joined by local bands Billy Carter and Green Flame Boys. For the second show, the Bruce Lee Band and Jeff Rosenstock will play their own sets, joined by local bands Skasucks, Rudy Guns and …Whatever That Means.

As well as Seoul, they're also touring Japan, and have U.S. dates in Honolulu and San Francisco.

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