Sangjaru performs at Minneapolis Cedar Cultural Center

In a recent review published in The Mac Weekly on Oct. 10, 2026, a reviewer recounts attending a Sept. 20 performance by the South Korean folk-jazz-rock-fusion band Sangjaru at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, describing the concert as an emotional purge driven by noise, artistry, and traditional instrumentation.

Visa Complications Shape Cedar Cultural Center Performance

Sangjaru performed as a duo instead of their usual three-piece lineup because guitar player Cho Sungyoon could not travel to the United States due to visa problems, The Mac Weekly reported. Despite missing a core band member, the remaining musicians filled the sonic space using the ajaeng—a traditional Korean zither-related instrument played by Nam Seonghun—and the double-helix janggu drum played by Kwon Hyochang, alongside prerecorded guitar tracks.

Nam produced wind-torn vocalizations from the ajaeng while Kwon conjured dense soundscapes from the janggu drum. The reviewer noted that the initial wall of noise effectively distracted the audience from lingering grievances before the performance shifted into a structured ritual.

Traditional Instruments Used to Chase Minneapolis Ghosts

Approximately thirty minutes into the set, Nam and Kwon donned large, fluffy domed hats, with Kwon holding up a flat brass gong known as the kkwaenggwari, which he described as a thunder-bringer used to chase away ghosts. According to The Mac Weekly, Kwon promised the audience that the band intended to purge all the ghosts out of Minneapolis, addressing deep community wounds and individuals displaced from their homes, streets, schools, cars, and grocery stores.

Tonight, Sangjaru was going to chase all the ghosts out of Minneapolis.The Mac Weekly

The stage was bathed in red light as Nam stood straight behind the ajaeng, occasionally pulling a trumpet out of the air to deliver a repetitive riff without breaking a sweat, while Kwon maintained intense physical momentum with his drumming. Kwon also led the crowd in call-and-response vocalizations that pushed the venue walls to shake.

Audience Reaction and the Aftermath at the Venue

The reviewer described leaving the Cedar Cultural Center feeling dizzy and briefly free of demons after experiencing a performance that felt too beautiful to be called violence yet too rattling to be called anything else. The account captured an audience response that sounded more like an exhale or a prayer as the band confronted collective trauma through music.