As the ever-growing crowd entered modern pub, Goldfield Trading Post, the audience were here for a Korean music group. But this group isn’t your standard K-pop group.
The stars of this night were The Volunteers, an indie, alternative-rock group, that debuted in 2018. Soon after their debut, the group started uploading their songs onto Soundcloud, amassing over three million streams. Their self-produced MV garnered over one million views, as the group started making waves in the Korean music scene.
The group would continue to ride this momentum with their debut. Their aptly-named album, “The Volunteers,” in 2021, received critical acclaim and praise from fans and music critics alike. The same year, the group would be nominated for three awards at the Korean Music Awards, capping off their successful 2021.
Their double-track single “New Plant” the following year in 2022 was similarly well-received as their 2021 album, showing that the group had a growing, strong fanbase. Now, The Volunteers are here for their 2024 North America tour.
Because of all the accolades of the group, as well as keeping up with the group since their debut, I was excited to see The Volunteers perform in my hometown. Judging by the many fans that went to the concert, I’m sure they were equally ecstatic too.
I was particularly interested in seeing the shift of Yerin’s career from a K-pop, R&B background to a more alternative, rock concept. After hearing her music live, I can say that her transition from mainstream to a more indie-rock vibe went very well.
Led by former K-pop starlet, Baek Yerin (vocals and guitar), and flanked by Jonny (guitar) and Chiheon (drums), the three-member group is on their tour, aptly named, “The Volunteers 2024 North America Tour.” The group kicked off their tour a couple days earlier in Seattle on July 1st and continued down the US West Coast.
Four days later on July 5th, the group would visit Roseville, CA, a wealthy suburb in the greater Sacramento region. The group would be greeted by the scorching Northern California weather, with temperatures hitting up to 116 F (46.6 C). Yerin would mention the weather earlier on in the concert (more on this later).
When my team and I arrived at the Goldfield Trading Post, we got their a bit early. The band was still getting ready, the audience was flowing in, and the barricade area was already all full. Talking to some of the audience members, many of them have been fans of Baek Yerin since her 15& days. These fans naturally followed Yerin’s career past 15& to The Volunteers. Others preferred rock and Korean indie music, rather than mainstream K-pop.
After an hour of arriving at the Goldfield Trading Post, the show was about to begin. As the timer was reaching 7:30 pm, the group soon arrived through a side door. The three-member group, plus a guest bassist, would perform this night.
The group didn’t waste any time, immediately going into their first set of songs. Songs such as “Violet,” “PINKTOP,” and “Psycho” were played. After the initial songs, Yerin addressed the audience. However, she wouldn’t shout or get loud, like at many rock concerts, but rather, went with a more sweet sounding greeting. “Hi everyone, we are The Volunteers” to the cheers of the audience.
After introductions of the group, Yerin said, “I’m not really into small talk, so next song.”
Throughout the concert, the group would play hits such as “Crap,” “Tell ’em Boys,” and “Starfish On Your Head.” The first half of the concert was the group jamming out to their hits, with only a few moments of the group talking to the crowd.
Yet, near the end of the concert, Yerin started talking to the audience a lot more. She mentioned how hot Roseville was (fun note: Roseville was at 110 F that night) and how it’s even hotter than Korea. Fans started giving her presents, from trinkets, letters, and stuffed animals. She was even given a two-dollar bill during one of the last songs.
She concludes by saying, “we’re getting close to the end of the concert” to the dismay of the fans. “We don’t have many songs, so I think we should make more music.” With that said, the group jams out to the rest of their songs before wrapping it up.
But the crowd wanted more. Before leaving the stage, Yerin said, “you know we’ll come back (for an Encore). It’s expected at concerts, so see you soon.” After she and her bandmates left, the audience chanted “encore” and “one more song,” knowing that they’ll be coming out in a bit.
The group did come out five minutes later to perform their last two songs. After wrapping up their performance, the group took out a white banner with “The Volunteers – Welcome to Roseville” adorned on it. The Roseville audience took a photo with the group. Lastly, Jonny would give his drumsticks to the delight of a fan who asked for them earlier.
As the concert ended, fans left happy, seeing that more Korean music acts are visiting the sleepy suburb of Roseville. For The Volunteers, it’s onto their next stop of their tour, Los Angeles, before touring the rest of the U.S. Here’s hoping more K-pop fans, as well as music fans, discover the magic of The Volunteers.
We wanted to thank Goldfield Trading Post in Roseville, as well as The Volunteers team, for inviting us to cover the concert. It truly was an honor!