Review: EPIK HIGH Raises Vancouver's Energy to an All Time High!

Nobody puts on a show like EPIK HIGH. Energy, passion, emotion, with a little bit of humor to tie everything together - their shows have it all. Being veterans in the Korean music industry, EPIK HIGH has shown no signs of slowing down. With their fresh beats and catchy lyrics, they are more relevant than ever and continue to dominate the hip hop scene today.

On April 4th, South Korean hip hop trio, EPIK HIGH, brought their All Time High tour to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver, BC. After visiting previously for the "Epik High Is Here" tour in 2022, Vancouver fans were beyond excited to see them return. Beginning in Europe in early February, the group played 6 Europe dates and moved onto their North American leg shortly after. Visiting 28 North American cities in total, the tour will end in Las Vegas, NV on April 14th at The Chelsea.

Composed of 3 members: Tablo (vocals), Mithra Jin (vocals), and DJ Tukutz (turntable), EPIK HIGH was formed in 2001 before hip hop became mainstream in South Korea. In their early beginnings, the group performed in the underground hip hop scene in Seoul. Compared to the generation of K Pop at the time, EPIK HIGH's sound was different, sporting beats and lyrics that strayed away from the norm. After signing with Woollim Entertainment, they released their first 2 albums entitled, "Map of the Human Soul" and "Swan Songs." It wasn't until 2005 with the release of their 3rd album, "Swan Songs," and the single, "Fly," that really brought them into the spotlight.

Epik High's Tablo. Photo Credit: EPIK HIGH 2023

Their successes continued with the release of their subsequent albums and continued into their time under YG Entertainment in 2012. In 2015, EPIK HIGH performed at SXSW in Texas and became the first South Korean act to play at Coachella in 2016. Currently, EPIK HIGH is under the label, OURS Co and released their 3rd EP, Strawberry, this February. After 10 albums, 3 EPs, and several top charting singles, EPIK HIGH has truly cemented themselves as an integral part of South Korea's music scene past and present.

EPIK HIGH's All Time High show in Vancouver started off with a video from frontman, Tablo, about his time as a Vancouverite. The very personal introduction included shoutouts to the places he lived in the Metro Vancouver area including Burnaby, Coquitlam, and North Van, paying special homage to his past place of education, St. George's School in Vancouver. Poking fun of his time in Vancouver with memes and a special appearance by Eddie Nam of Dive Studios, the intro was a very memorable and humorous look into Tablo's Canadian past.

Epik High's Mithra Jin (Left) and Tablo (Right). Photo Credit: EPIK HIGH 2023

Shortly after the intro, EPIK HIGH opened up with 2 of their newest songs: "Strawberry" and "On My Way." Not to be fooled by the chill vibes of these songs, the environment quickly took a 360 degree turn into their hit song, "Fly." The group did not waste time getting the crowd hyped up right from the beginning. Mithra Jin definitely captured my attention right away with his effortless rapping and swaggerly stage presence. Right next to him with just as much energy was Tablo. Tablo's charisma just flowed so well on the stage towards both the audience and his group members. His voice fit every song so perfectly and was just made for hip hop. Not too far over was EPIK HIGH's 3rd man, DJ Tukutz on the turntable. One thing that impressed me about him was that he was a man of many talents. From DJing to rapping to bboying, he did it all. There are very few groups that can have as much chemistry as the 3 members of EPIK HIGH. You can tell their relationship is more than a business one, they were both meant to be on stage and in each other's lives for a long time. You could tell the stage was home for them when they performed together.

The songs in their setlist were extremely addictive. Knowing that EPIK HIGH's songs date back to the early 2000's, it is evident that their beats, deep lyrics, and melodies were ahead of their time. Today's music scene is not afraid to experiment and is constantly evolving, sampling, and creating from the past and present. EPIK HIGH's music fits perfectly into this era and has gained more popularity and appreciation with time. Some crowd favorite songs included, "Burj Khalifa" with its addicting background beat and fast verses, "One" with its upbeat techno melody and momentous chorus, "Don't Hate Me" with it's slight punk rock style, and "All Night" which was a collaboration song between Tablo and RM of BTS.

Epik High with their Vancouver audience at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Photo Credit: EPIK HIGH 2023

Some of the most memorable moments of the show included the moments that Tablo spent talking to the audience. Often making many witty comments about the concert attendees, one of the highlights of the show was when he made a special connection to an introverted audience member. As the concert progressed, Tablo often connected with him, eventually witnessing the audience member letting loose by the end of the show. Overall, the crowd was rowdy, but in a civilized way (if that makes sense). With the beauty of assigned seating at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, there was no stress of fighting to get the best view of the stage. Everyone was able to have a great time and was respectful to one another while enjoying the show. EPIK HIGH's All Time High Tour was one of the best concerts Vancouver has had this year.

Everything about last week's EPIK HIGH show in Vancouver was epic. From the songs to the atmosphere, the group delivered and left no crumbs. EPIK HIGH loved Vancouver and Vancouver loved EPIK HIGH.

Top Photo Credit: EPIK HIGH 2023

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