Concert Report - Rolling Quartz US Tour

Jonathan Lane

Singing their hearts out: Rolling Quartz enchants fans on first US Tour

Live Concert Report

(Photos & Report by Jonathan Lane)

In their second visit to the US, and their first tour, South Korea's Rolling Quartz played seven shows in six cities last month. We caught up with them in New York, where they added a show after selling out the first. The venue: that little gem of a rock venue, Mercury Lounge on Houston Street.

The five-woman band met the high expectations set by their music videos and live streaming performances.

These true rock stars led the crowd through an impressively diverse set of original tunes and covers. Covers ranged from songs by The White Stripes to Paramore to Lady Gaga to Dreamcatcher. Rolling Quartz seamlessly transitioned from genre to genre, and from their heart-rending version of “Azalea” to their signature hard rock tunes “Blaze” and “Delight”.

All five members have a confident stage presence that projects rock stardom. They are: Jayoung on lead vocals, Arem on bass, Irie and Hyunjung on guitars, and Yeonguen on drums.

Jayoung’s powerful, soaring vocals and the unique sound and style of each of the other members, explain the pre-show excitement and deafening cheers from crowds all night.

Each Rolling Quartz member took her turn to show off. One of many show highlights was successive solos by Iree (Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Scuttle Buttin”) and Hyunjung (Extreme’s “Cupid’s Dead”).

The skillful and creative bass and drum work, and entertaining visual styles of Arem and Yeonguen drove every song home. These two also have an almost supernatural ability to make eye contact with the entire crowd at the same time – not unlike the Mona Lisa.

A word about the fans and the venue, affectionately dubbed “Diadem” by Rolling Quartz: You can tell a lot about an artist by their fans. At both shows, there was a diverse crowd – and from casual conversations, Rolling Quartz drew KPop, JRock, and metal fans. There was a pleasant camaraderie and mutual respect among these fans, drawn together by their admiration for this band.

Thanks to the friendly and professional staff at the Mercury Lounge - they really helped make these shows memorable.

Keep an eye on Rolling Quartz – they have a bright future. And you’ll find it hard to get their music out of your head!

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