Rubber Soul to hit clubs
By John Redmond
This weekend sees the event Rubber Soul hitting clubs and venues across the popular night spot, Hongdae, in conjunction with Little Travelers on World AIDS Day.
Kicking off at 10 p.m. on Saturday, a total of 20 bands will perform at six venues, finishing at 4 a.m. the following morning.
Rubber Soul is an international concert series for World AIDS Day. The group uses all sorts of music as an instrument to bring communities together, to party and have fun.
More deeply, the aim is to harness the power of collaborating individuals to raise funds for local and global organizations that do great work for HIV.
The Little Travelers HIV/AIDS Initiative is orchestrated by a group of ordinary people, who want to do something to ease the burden of HIV/AIDS andpoverty in Africa. This is a true grassroots project. The initiative got its start at the University of Manitoba in 2005 after a few curious beaded dolls ― lovingly made at the Hillcrest AIDS Centre in South Africa ― were discovered to have been stowed-away in the luggage of an unsuspected volunteer returning from the center.
The dolls, affectionately named "Little Travelers," were recognized as an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the plight of the crafters, all of whom are affected by HIV/AIDS, and others that the dedicated staff at the AIDS Centre work tirelessly to help.
Little Travelers are beaded pins made by South Africans affected by HIV/AIDS in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province of South Africa, a region with an approximate 40 percent infection rate.
Since then, Little Travelers chapters have emerged all over the world.
“We are fully transparent. All organizers, musicians and helping hands are volunteers. Our fantastically generous venues allow us to keep 100 percent of the cover charge. Our benevolent sponsors assist with our operating and marketing costs. Once those minimal costs are paid, we donate the rest. No private business or individual takes a cut,” states a press release.
Rubber Soul first began in 2008 at Jane’s Groove, DGBD, Sensation and Club FF in the Hongdae district of Seoul. Expats living in Korea teamed up with Koreans to promote awareness of HIV and raise money for Little Travelers and Grassroots Uganda. On the coldest day of the year at -18 degrees centigrade on Dec. 5, 2008 over 1000 people flocked to see more than a dozen local bands, solo performers and DJ’s raising over $11,000 for the two supported organizations.
In 2009 the event was repeated with Jane’s Groove, DGBD and Club FF once again raising over $10,000 for the supported organization Little Travelers. Included in the entertainment were condoms, mascots and the spirit of over 40 volunteers.
The venues this year are Freebird, Club FF, DGBD, Club Ta, GoGos 2 and Hodge Podge.
Admission to each venue also includes your very own handcrafted beaded doll costs 10,000 won.