Korean rock unit wave to earth have been blessing fans’ ears with their unique blend of indie, rock, and jazz since 2019. Their signature smooth, serene sound has built them a dedicated fanbase across the globe, beyond their Seoul hometown.
They’ve toured all over North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia in that time, including recent stops at NYC’s Governor’s Ball and 88rising’s Head in the Clouds. Following performances at Lollapalooza’s other locations (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and India), this past weekend wave to earth took to the stage at Lollapalooza’s original (and largest) festival in Chicago.
While thousands of fans crowded around the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage to hear their favorite songs like “peach eyes,” “are you bored?” and “pueblo,” there’s more to a festival performance than just what can be seen on stage.
Below, wave to earth members Daniel Kim, John Cha, and Shin Dong-Kyu take EnVi along for the ride on their festival day in Chicago, from pre-show prep to the post-show wind down.
the warm up
JOHN : We arrived a bit late due to traffic – and we’re headed straight to interviews & press!
DANIEL : We always decide what to wear on the morning of show days. We send each other photos of our clothes – today I’m wearing the new ‘beck’ T-shirt, it’s our new merch and my favorite design.
DANIEL : We usually don’t do these group photos in front of signs, but Lollapalooza is a big day for us, so we gotta make sure we get the group photo in.
DANIEL : Then begins the waiting. There is a lot of waiting on show days, but we keep it lighthearted and chill.
DONG-KYU : I think many fans don’t realize how goofy we are in person. We like to joke around, and tease each other, a lot of random singing and noises as well.
DANIEL : We always try to do ‘hwaiting’ with the entire team before we get on stage. This is it!
the show
JOHN : I think we were extra excited to play today – because not only is it LOLLAPALOOZA, but the crowd kept getting bigger as the show went on. By the end I think there were so much more people than I had thought there would be. What a sight it was.
DANIEL: We are always energetic, but today – everything seemed to click even better. We were really vibing on stage and the crowd was well. Great show.
the wind down
DONG-KYU : We stayed a bit longer – got some presents and signed some autographs 🙂
JOHN : Wanted to stay a little longer, but we were very hungry. You know I like potatoes, and Five Guys has good potatoes.
wave to earth’s tour continues across the U.S. this summer, and moves on to Australia and New Zealand in the fall. For more updates from the band, follow their Instagram and YouTube.
Interested in more festival coverage? Check out EnVi’s picks on the six acts to watch from this year’s Governors Ball.
Photos: courtesy of wave to earth and Wavy Seoul | Graphics: Srishti Bhawal and Niamh Murphy
