‘Answer Me 1994’ concert to bring back the ’90s groove

There is good news for all those who experienced nostalgia from “Answer Me 1994” before the hit Korean television series came to a close last month.

A live concert featuring its cast and singers from the soundtrack will be held on Feb. 15 at Kyung Hee University’s Grand Peace Palace in Seoul, organizers said. It will be held twice at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The event will feature special appearances by the drama’s main cast Go Ah-ra, Jung Woo, Kim Sang-kyun and Min Do-hee as well as performances by hallmark groups and singers from the ’90s including The Blue, the duo that originally sang “Feeling Only You,” 015B, and Solid’s main vocalist Kim Jo-han.

Hi.ni, who sang one of the most popular songs from the drama “Can’t Have You,” as well as rising ballad singer Hong Dae-kwang, who performed in the national “Sing Kim Gwang-suk Again” tour that commemorated the legendary ’90s singer, will be performing as well.

Renowned singer-songwriter-producer Yoon Jong-shin will emcee.

The show first aired on Oct. 18 on local cable channel tvN, following its successful predecessor, “Answer Me 1997,” featuring the love, friendships, and touching stories of college students and families living in 1994.

It tugged at the heartstrings of now 30- and 40-somethings by bringing back memories of the ’90s when people queued at public pay phones to make calls instead of tapping away on smartphones and trendy youths in baggy jeans would flock to rock cafes instead of modern rock clubs, while Seo Tai-ji single-handedly led armies of teenage girls instead of the myriad of K-pop boy groups flooding the music industry today.

According to tvN, “Answer Me 1994” became the most-viewed weekend television show among 20-49-year-olds and its peak viewing rate was 12.4 percent, the highest of any Korean television cable program to date.

While the drama aired, many songs from its soundtrack including “To You” originally sung by Seo Tai-ji and Boys and remade by Sung Si-kyung, topped local music charts. Sung, however, will not perform at the upcoming concert.

Ticket prices range from 77,000 won to 99,000 won and are available for purchase online at Interpark, Yes24 and CJ E&M Ticket. A 10 percent early-bird discount applies to ticket purchases made by Jan. 20.

By Sohn Ji-young
(jiyoung.sohn@heraldcorp.com)