Kimchi Cowboys keep Korea's music scene weird for almost 20 years

Kimchi Cowboys pose after a show at The Studio HBC in central Seoul's Haebangchon neighborhood, Nov. 30, 2024. Courtesy of Kimchi Cowboys

Kimchi Cowboys are the kind of band you might have hazy memories of the day after seeing them, wondering, 'Did that really happen?' 'What the hell was that?'

This band — a multicultural mix of Koreans and foreign musicians from around the world — is inspired by the showiness of glam rock, the vibes of new wave and many other sounds from the 1950s to the 1980s, and may be one of the weirder bands in Seoul's local music scene — as well as one of the longest-running.

"We have the will to be weird, and I think we transmit that to the audience," Steve Koons, one of the band's founding members, told The Korea Times. "The Kimchi Cowboys were formed with inspiration from The Doors and the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, glam rock styles, to boldly go beyond the traditional rock performance, to combine rock music with poetry and theater. We want to give the audience more than just music — something for their eyes, bodies and minds, as well as ears."

Kimchi Cowboys perform in You Kill Bong, June 2, 2024. Courtesy of Kimchi Cowboys

"We are not a great band but we are a fun band," said Pip Chodorov, the band's guitarist since 2013. "We also have a varying number of members. Many people have been in our band at some time or another. Once a Kimchi Cowboy, always a Kimchi Cowboy. So you never know what you are going to get, or who you are going to see on stage."

"Some of our former members occasionally show up to do a song or two. We have five singers now," Koons added.

The band plays a lot of covers, but also has its own original numbers.

"Our originals are our claim to fame," Chodorov said. "They are quirky and catchy and twisted, and our fans sing along."

"My songs tend to have a B-movie type theme," Koons said, listing off examples. "Joining a cultish motorcycle gang, a person who changes into some sort of creature and threatens to eat your family, a haunting and obsessive butterfly girl."

Kimchi Cowboys have been active since at least July 2006, when they played the first HBC Fest. But according to Koons, their roots go back further, to at least 2003.

"Back in the day, I was in a group that was focused on poetry readings and acoustic music performances," he said. "A group of us eventually formed a band, a group of poets and musicians with the goal of doing original experimental improvisational music and poetry. We did several performances, mostly in Itaewon."

As was common, and still is, members came and went.

"The revolving door is difficult but ultimately worth it," Koons said. "Despite people coming and going, we’ve always managed to find someone we need. Plus, we are always open to have people randomly join us on stage. We’ve met a lot of great people that way, and it’s cool having members from many different countries."

He then rattled off 12 countries, adding that three of the band's drummers have been from Germany.

"It’s hard to retain some kind of consistency of style, practice schedules, so we end up all over the map of styles and skills," he added. "Some nice things about it: With different people we get different instruments, sounds, song styles. It keeps us exploring new things. It’s been a gas meeting all kinds of different musicians. We’ve played with some very interesting and talented people from all walks of life."

Kimchi Cowboys appear at The Studio HBC, July 31, 2020. Courtesy of Kimchi Cowboys

Early on, the band went through several different name changes, partly due to members moving away, partly just for fun. Some of the early names included Yarikuri Band, YK Band, YK and the Jellyfish, Those Magnificent Bastards and the Tintinabuleros.

"My drummer and I were renaming our band, which had disintegrated a bit due to the usual expat reasons of people leaving the country. We wanted a little bit of a new direction, so we wanted another new name," Koons said. "We were throwing names around — he’s Korean, I’m from Arizona — and so Kimchi Cowboys just naturally came up, and that’s the one that stuck."

They weren't the first band to take the name Kimchi Cowboys, as at least one — possibly two — bands carried that name back in the 1960s to 1980s. Those bands were 100 percent Korean musicians, formed to play shows for U.S. military personnel in the country.

"I am of the opinion that there should always be a Kimchi Cowboys band in Korea," Koons said.

Of course, today's Kimchi Cowboys would probably not be mistaken for any previous Kimchi Cowboys. They're known for their flamboyant costumes, which include wigs, masks, makeup and capes.

"We like to give a theatrical experience, so costuming is an important part of our visual art," Koons said.

"We’ve had some interesting experiences with our audiences. At one show, someone in full clown costume appeared, at another there was a dragon moshing around, during one show a guy came up and started playing a barstool and then he whipped out a flute and jammed on that. I remember seeing what looked like a couple seriously trying to make a baby on a pool table while we were playing. I didn’t know we could be so inspiring! We had a show without a drummer so a chef from the upstairs restaurant played the drums for us with a big cooking fork. A devil with a pitchfork joined us on stage at an early Halloween show. A guy with a broom attacked our lead vocalist during a show. Luckily no one was seriously injured."

Kimchi Cowboys perform in VFW, Oct. 17, 2014. Courtesy of Kimchi Cowboys

He recalled one precious memory, when a random audience member started giving the band's singer-trombonist grief. But the singer had to get on stage, and told the person he would fight him later.

"In the middle of one of our songs, our singer decided to go looking for the guy," Koons recalled. "We kept the beat while he told the story of what had happened, then left the stage to find the guy. He was ready to fight him right then and there. Unfortunately — or fortunately — the guy had left."

They have had the police shut down several of their shows, mostly for noise complaints, although Koons recalled one fight that broke out during a performance of Billy Idol's "White Wedding" and got out of hand.

However, Chodorov added, they try to keep performances somewhat reined in.

"Steve and I both invite a lot of our students, so it’s never too risque," he said.

"They sometimes join us in singing ‘C is for Cookie,'" Koons added.

Kimchi Cowboys perform in Stompers, May 14, 2011. Courtesy of Kimchi Cowboys

Kimchi Cowboys have been a landmark of the Itaewon area's music scene for decades, and Koons noted that the band is one of only two acts to have played every single HBC Fest, with the other being LRD Band, the music act of HBC Fest founder Lance Reegan-Diehl.

Kimchi Cowboys practice at a studio in Seoul, Jan. 12, 2008. Courtesy of Kimchi Cowboys

Kimchi Cowboys have played shows at venues including The Studio HBC, Stompers, Woodstock, Rocky Mountain Tavern, Phillies, Bedrock, Hidden Cellar, Thunderhorse Tavern and many more. They've also "snuck into" venues in Mapo District's Hongdae a few times.

"Over the years we played all different places, but it seems all our clubs have closed," Chodorov said.

Koons had a complaint about Itaewon. "It used to have a more underground DIY feeling to it."

Kimchi Cowboys perform in Ssen, Nov. 23, 2007. Courtesy of Kimchi Cowboys

"Our first venue, Ssen, didn’t even have a stage," he said. "We just played in the corner trying not to get in the way of people playing pool. Then — thanks in large part to Lance and HBC Fest — there was a boom period where there were lots of live clubs in HBC, Itaewon, Hongdae. Then it started fizzling out. I think the death of Mr. Woo, owner of Woodstock in Itaewon, was a big blow to the music scene. The Studio closing, too. Also, I haven’t seen any live poetry or acts like the Watermelon Man anymore, and it’s hard to find venues other than bars. I guess it’s easier to have a DJ than a band."

Kimchi Cowboys perform in Time Out, Oct. 31, 2006. Courtesy of Kimchi Cowboys

Moving forward, the band is expanding its horizons, looking for venues to play across the city and country.

"The future is uncertain and the end is always near," Koons said, quoting Jim Morrison from the song "Roadhouse Blues," a song he believes they have played at every one of their shows. "I just want to see where life's highway takes, stop at quirky roadside attractions and give our audience something to help them enjoy and appreciate the fun of life," he said.

Kimchi Cowboys perform in Ssen, July 8, 2006. Courtesy of Kimchi Cowboys

The band will play at Monster Pub near western Seoul's Hongik University on Sunday.

Follow @kimchicowboys on Instagram for more information.