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| Violinist Big Lux / Courtesy of Big Lux |
By Jon Dunbar
It's been over five years since Big Lux last set foot in Korea, but he's happy to be back in a place he considers a "second home."
"The last time I came back to Korea in 2017, even after being gone two years, I couldn't walk down the street in HBC (Seoul's Haebangchon) without bumping into someone I knew," he told The Korea Times.
The violinist is here until the end of the month, with shows lined up so far in Seoul and Busan.
His music brings the violin to a variety of musical genres, including classical, jazz, bluegrass and hip-hop, wowing audiences from here to Afghanistan and all the way back to the U.S.
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| Violinist Big Lux / Courtesy of Big Lux |
"Bowed string instruments ― the violin, viola and cello ― are the instruments that sound closest to the human voice," he said. "The human voice gives us everything from metal to R&B, hip-hop to opera. It took me a long time to grow into my singing voice so I just used the tools I had to make the kind of music I wanted to hear. It's 2023 ― the only limits we have are those we put on ourselves."
Big Lux originally came to Korea in 2011, where he was first stationed at Camp Hovey in Dongducheon, northern Gyeonggi Province.
"Living on base was tough, especially with the curfew in effect at 11 p.m. ― That's just when the clubs are getting started, right?" he said. "I often came to Seoul and I usually stayed in a guest house in Hongdae then busked in the street or near the small park outside the university gate."
After a couple years there, he requested a transfer to U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Yongsan where he got to live off-post.
"I spent two years in Seoul gigging, dodging police after curfew and having the time of my life," he said.
During that time, he played HBC Fest three times, headlined the St. Patrick's Day festival with his band Bold Coast and hit Boryeong Mud Festival, among other smaller festivals and venues.
His four-year stint in Korea was a formative period of his life.
"The expat community in Korea is like an extended family," he said. "It helped give me an identity, then gave me so many opportunities to perform and grow. Every artist should have the opportunity to be a part of a creative scene like the one I found in Seoul ― There is no place like it."
It was also during that time that he took on the name Big Lux.
"I started calling myself Lux in Korea, because it was a very Korean way of using English and I saw it on a lot of buildings ― I don't know if that's still true," he recalled. "To me, Big Lux represents the juxtaposition between the strong and the delicate ― a big brother who plays the violin."
What he was named before that doesn't matter, he says.
"I'm always fascinated and a little confused by people asking about my 'real name' ― I and a lot of other black people call it our government name," he said. "My government name isn't memorable, it's hard to pronounce and it's a slave name with no connection to my ancestry. I think that makes Lux even more real because it connects me to people and places that shaped me."
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| Violinist Big Lux / Courtesy of Big Lux |
In 2015, Big Lux moved back to the U.S., and found it hard to readjust to the new normal there after so many years away.
"It was wild for me to come back to the U.S. in 2015. I had to readjust to the political climate and was surprised to find out it had gotten so polarized. I had to learn about gentrification, get reintroduced to the concept of police violence and realize that there were in fact a lot of people who didn't believe that racism exists," he said. "There are fewer and fewer places where people with different opinions can mix and those places ― like city council and school committee meetings ― are becoming a flashpoint. The U.S. is still a great place of opportunity; your personal armor just needs to be a little thicker than usual to navigate daily life."
In June 2020, he released the single "Red March" after a series of high-profile police murders of Black men. The music video for the song shows many acts of police violence and the protests that broke out as a result. It also examines the history of the U.S. civil rights movement and the deeply engrained racism in a society that denies fair access to financial services and housing.
The video is restricted to adults only on YouTube, which Big Lux admits he finds "fascinating."
"The point blank shooting of Philando Castile, the choking of Eric Garner, the knee on George Floyd's neck... Maybe it should be restricted because the images are so violent, but this is violence the U.S. government is acting on us. I think everyone should be aware and march to change things. That's what the song is about."
Even after earning his master's degree in business, Big Lux shows no signs of slowing down or settling down. He's been eager to return to Korea, having made his first return trip in 2017. A second trip was planned for April 2020, but we all know what happened next.
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| Violinist Big Lux / Courtesy of Big Lux |
Now that he's returned, he's excited to check in and see how much has stayed the same.
"I definitely miss all the friendly venues! It's gotten a little harder to book, but one of the reasons I come back is to strengthen my connections and make new ones," he said. "I do still have a ton of friends making music as producers, DJs and venue owners. Shout out to Pinnacle the Hustler, Scotty Soul, Def Nelson, Brad Wheeler, Hayley Marie, Falseface and my man Zach Bardon. Southside, Vatos and every Korean BBQ spot I can find, here I come!"
So far it's been announced he will play Phillies' moving-out show in HBC on April 15. Next, he'll be in Busan from April 20 to 22, with shows planned at Cullivan's on the 20th, Ol' 55 on the 21st and two shows in Basement on April 20 and 22. On April 29 he has two shows lined up in Itaewon, first in Boogie Woogie and later that night at Lit Lounge. More dates are likely to be added.
Visit https://bigluxviolin.com for more information about the artist, his music and his Korea tour from April 12 to 30.
