SAN FRANCISCO — With neon glow sticks around their necks and wrists and sunglasses covering their eyes, the adorable boys of Far*East Movement (FM) get the sold-out crowd of approximately 1,000 people standing on their feet and swaying red glow sticks to the beat of “Girls on the Dance Floor,” a current hit at Los Angeles radio stations.
Their performance was part of the 2009 International Secret Agents Showcase, a successful concert series that took place on Mar. 20 at the Palace of Fine Arts. The first show took place in L.A. and also sold-out.
Created by the collaborative efforts of Wong Fu Productions and FM, the goal of the showcase is to unite, empower, and inspire the Asian American community by showcasing premiere artists and groups breaking into the mainstream like “international secret agents,” FM’s Kev Nish says.
The concert featured a powerful and entertaining line-up, including recording artist and international star Jin the Emcee; FM; Wong Fu Productions; DJ Romeo; Paul Dateh, who rocked the violin and had girls screaming, “I love you”; Passion, who played an acoustic guitar set; and members of ASIID and Fanny Pak from season two of America’s Best Dance Crew.
“As Asian American artists struggling for the past few years to get the proper venue to showcase our talents, we decided to create a stage for ourselves,” says FM’s Prohgress. “With what began as a simple idea between FM and Wong Fu Productions, the ISA Showcase has become a true showcase backed by sponsor Verizon Wireless, who has joined our vision in reaching out to youth of different ethnic backgrounds to follow their dreams and pursue their artistic skills.”
Jin the Emcee, who has been spending the last year in Hong Kong promoting his Cantonese album ABC, attributes the show’s sold-out success and appeal to teenagers and twentysomethings who are Internet savvy.
“ISA is about self-branding and viral marketing — using YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, and the Internet to promote yourself as an artist,” Jin the Emcee says matter-of-factly. “We as artists are aware of this and make ourselves available [on these mediums].”
FM is a strong example of that. They have built a strong Internet fan base and have garnered multiple features on MTV World. Their music has been featured on worldwide media including ABC Family’s Lincoln Heights, CBS prime-time shows CSI: Miami and CSI: NY, multiple placements on HBO’s Entourage, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and Finishing the Game (a featured film at Sundance 2007). FM was also the first Asian act to perform at the Sundance Film Festival’s prestigious Music Café Gala hosted by ASCAP, and was recently a featured act at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Currently, FM is promoting their sophomore album entitled “ANIMAL.”
As producers, FM worked with Jin the Emcee to create ABC, an award-winning platinum album that broke records for first week sales in Hong Kong. FM, in conjunction with manager Carl Choi, has also created the international management company Catch Management.
Wong Fu Productions is another Asian American run group that has garnered fans through the Internet. They first began in 2003 on the campus of UC San Diego, and is now a growing independent production company with thousands of hits to their Web site and YouTube clips from all over the world each day.
Wong Fu Productions co-founder Philip Wang says that it is “overwhelming” to see the outpouring of support from fans for the ISA Showcase. “This reaffirms the desire for an Asian American music and dance showcase,” he says.
On why the showcase has been a huge hit in L.A. and now in S.F., Wesly Chan of Wong Fu Productions says, “Our appeal is that we’re nothing special.”
“We are just normal people,” Chan says before the show, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt. “That is why people can relate to us.”
“We Asians have always been able to be dancers or comedians and other occupations, and people are finally noticing it now, thanks to YouTube,” Chan adds. “America’s Best Dance Crew has also helped raise visibility for Asians and makes it cool to be Asian now.”
Killer show!
ISA is awesome!
Dear Angela:
Man, oh Manishevitz.
That one so old should live so long.
As to see, well, hear about online that is, the likes of the likes in your report.
Yes, L.A. first, and then SanFran.
Sorry, folks, the Southland has been in the APA vanguazrd ever so long, but, who cazres, so long as the results are the same?
Right on, kidlets.
Lead the way.
Show the City that knows how just how to do it these days.
Meanwhile, never forget, you gotta do it your OWN way, never mind theirs.
Then, they may take a look, and, soon, be FOLLOWING you.
Rotsa ruck.
Now bring it down to SACTOWN!