On a rainy Friday night, music lovers found a cozy and packed space inside Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, where South Korean indie band HYUKOH took the stage in full force.

Story by Zoya Zia

Although the crowd represented a diverse set of interests and backgrounds, they found unity in their appreciation for music and its ability to connect people across borders. The intimate setting inside Stubb’s brought fans face-to-face with HYUKOH, who utilized powerful vocals and instrumentals to create a captivating concert experience.

At the beginning of the night, concert-goers waited with positive, upbeat energy in anticipation for HYUKOH. Since forming in 2014, the band has grown in popularity and attracted fans globally. Led by singer and guitarist Oh Hyuk (OHHYUK), the band also consists of drummer Lee In-Woo (INWOO), bassist Im Dong-geon (DONGGEON) and guitarist Lim Hyun-Jae (HYUNJAE). Their most recent extended play “24: How to Find True Love and Happiness” released in May, featuring songs about love, loss and joy.

Community college student Alliah Kelley drove up from San Antonio to see HYUKOH. “I’ve been a fan for about a year and OHHYUK’s voice is what captured me immediately,” Kelley says. “I think it’s really important that people get into music like this because it unites them from all different backgrounds, even if they don’t know Korean.”

True to Kelley’s statement, concert-goers bonded with HYUKOH from the moment they began to perform “SkyWorld.” OHHYUK humbly asked the crowd if they listened to “24” before and he quickly found his answer in a resounding “yes” with dozens of eager nods.

The band went on to play “Wi Ing Wi Ing” and other soft, lulling songs before transitioning into heavier rock ballads. Fans including Morgan Bullock lost themselves in the music. “I like that I can feel the sincerity and the vulnerability,” Bullock says.

Before the night ended with “LOVE YA!”, a catchy ode to love, fans shouted out their own love for the band and asked if the members liked Austin back. “Yeah, we had BBQ tonight,” OHHYUK said. “It was really nice.”

The wholesome energy of the night lasted from start to finish. Fans demonstrated that Austin offers a space for diverse artists, including Korean acts, to share their talents.

The power of music lies in its ability to connect with fans around the world, overcoming language barriers and crossing borders. “After a while of listening to HYUKOH’s songs, I like to look up the translation of the lyrics,” Bullock says. “I’ll be like, ‘wait, this means a lot.’”

Austin was the second stop on HYUKOH’s current tour across North America, which started the night before in Dallas. The band will continue to entertain sold-out crowds over the next several weeks, ultimately closing the North American tour in California in October.