The Busan alternative rock band Unchained plays at HQ Bar overlooking the water at Gwangalli Beach, March 30. Courtesy of Nikki Bell

This is the second part in a series intended to raise awareness of Korea's elusive live music scene and help more people find it.

Last month we covered Seoul's music venues, and while the plan was to do a second article about venues everywhere in Korea but Seoul, there were too many in Busan to ignore.

Busan's live music scene has traditionally been clustered around Pusan National University (PNU) and Kyungsung University. However, these days the action is more around the latter, as well as nearby Gwangalli Beach area.

With help from people experienced with Busan's scene, we've compiled the top six music venues, presented in no particular order. All six are still currently opening and hosting live music as of spring 2024.

6. Vinyl Underground

With a banana out front acknowledging the name's inspiration from Velvet Underground, Vinyl Underground is a basement venue established way back in 2002. It's so old, its Facebook group promotes a Cyworld club page. Vinyl has been known as the platform for a variety of different types of music, including rock, jazz, hip-hop and electronic.

"Vinyl Underground hosted some of the biggest and baddest shows of the early 2000s," said Kyungsung University visiting professor Kenneth May, who has lived in the city since the 1990s. "The fact that it's still going after all these years is a testament to the power the Busan community has to support live music."

Busan band Cheap.n.Sweet plays at the Basement's reopening weekend, Sept. 2, 2023. Courtesy of Nikki Bell

5. Basement

For whatever reason, this is the only venue on the list that is located near PNU rather than Kyungsung. It reopened last year under new management, owned by the same people who run HQ Bar. The former owner of Basement now runs Cullivans, a pizza and beer spot, in the same neighborhood, where there are sometimes acoustic shows.

"Many a memorable night has been made and forgotten at Basement. Most importantly, it's an open space for old and new bands to gig and develop their music," said Ali, bassist of the local math rock band Mountains.

"The owners are three of the coolest and nicest people in Busan. There's always something fun happening there," said Isaac of the Busan band Goths on the Beach.

Follow @basement_the_shizzle on Instagram.

OhChill, a duo originally from Jeonju, performs at Ovantgarde's New Year's Eve countdown party on Dec. 31. Courtesy of Nikki Bell

4. Ovantgarde

This place is categorized as a "mental health service" on Instagram. Maybe there's some truth in that, as it's also a music venue and pub. It's located a stone's throw away from Kyungsung University–Pukyong National University Station on Busan Metro Line 2. It's about to celebrate its sixth anniversary in a few weeks.

"Ovantgarde is a killer venue with phenomenal sound," said Goths on the Beach's Isaac, who also runs "The Ha-Ha Hole," a monthly open mic comedy event at the venue.

Visit linktr.ee/ovantgarde for all your Ovantgarde needs.

3. Club Realize

"But Realize closed," you might be saying. Yes, the original Realize, owned by Realize Records and located in the Kyungsung area, has closed, but it reopened in April last year at a new location, sort of on the opposite side of Gwangalli Beach. The new location offers a space for both concerts and band practice.

"Club Realise has been an essential part of the punk and hardcore music community in Busan for many years," Ali said, using the British variant spelling of the venue's name.

Visit fb.com/groups/clubrealize for more information.

Chaekgeori performs at Ol' 55 in Busan, Feb. 18, 2023. Courtsy of Nikki Bell

2. Ol' 55

Located close to Vinyl Underground and Ovantgarde in the Kyungsung area, the Ol' 55, named after a Tom Waits song, has been a major part of Busan's scene since 2006. It's turning 19 this year, which means the bar will finally be old enough to drink in Korea.

"If the walls of the Ol' 55 could speak, they'd sing," said May, who is also director of Liquid Arts Network. "It has presented legendary shows by bona fide musical maestros while also fostering the talents of aspirants composing their first-ever tunes."

Follow @ol55busan on Instagram.

Beach Underground performs at HQ Bar in Busan, April 6. Courtesy of Nikki Bell

1. HQ Bar

This place is sometimes said to have the best stage in the country. It's actually pretty cramped, and the equipment isn't that good, but the windows at the back look out over Gwangalli Beach. HQ is still primarily a Western-style bar, hosting events like food specials, trivia nights and darts tournaments. Unlike most venues in Korea that are usually located underground, it's up on the fourth floor.

"It's a really welcoming place, so I just end up there more often than not," said Nikki Bell, an American resident of the city and live music photographer.

Follow @hqbar_busan on Instagram.

Extra shout-outs to Interplay and Yugiche, one a very old venue formed in 1993 and the other a much newer space.

Next time, we'll explore venues in Daegu.