We here at the Beijinger are happy to present Live Beijing Music's weekend gig guide, written by head honcho Mr. Will Griffith. Will has been running around Beijing for over four years, documenting the city's shows and the requisite onlooking drunkards with various cameras/sound recorder setups, losing plenty of equipment along the away in his attempt to capture Beijing's aural spirit. You'll occasionally catch him pogoing like a madman when he's not got a camera in hand. Take it away, Will ...
Some big events this weekend as we enter the sweet spot weather wise – (relatively) consistent blue skies alongside cool evenings that haven’t quite cause one to break a sweat. An extended visit from Dalian post rock gods; musical shenanigans at the Old What? Bar (brought to you by your merrily pro bono contributor here); and the return of some of the city’s fiercest grunge and stoner rockers – it’s all in store this weekend – now have a look already! And as always hit up livebeijingmusic.com to get a sneak peek at any shows coming up.
Friday, May 20
Jajatao, The Harridans, Cave Hand Rod at School
Hardened bad ass grunge revisionists have returned to reek havoc upon the music scene with their high octane blend of traditional Chinese rock and grunge aesthetics – and they’ve got their debut EP, recorded in the states have heavyweight producer Sean Slade (of Radiohead, Pixies, and Dinosaur Jr.) to prove it. They’re supported by the manic minstrel cock rock of The Harridans and fresh on the scene Cave Hand Rod. Free
Girl Kill Girls, Click #15, Su & the Paramecia at DDC
Art punk trio Girl Kill Girls, funk rock outfit Click #15, and pristine folk rock band Su & the Paramecia try their hand over at the ‘too hot to touch’ DDC for some Friday rock n roll. RMB 60
Dark Haze, Nightingale, Dream Spirit, Source Code, Duanji at Modernsky Lab
Modern Sky Lab puts its hair down for a night of heavy metal with some top notch undisputed champs including Dark Haze, Dream Spirit, and more. RMB 90
Blue Magpie at Temple
Shanghai brit pop outfit Blue Magpie, a staple of the rock scene in Shanghai, swings through Temple on their nation wide tour. Free
Autarchy, Genocide, Charge, Prelude Of Oblivion, Blitzkrieg, Kölöny at 13 Club
Things get heavy at the Wudaoku stronghold 13 Club as metal band after metal band takes stage to melt off those smirks and get you trashing your head. RMB 60
The Rebel 5, The Tore Down at Hot Cat Club
An evening of blues, rock and funk with two high energy outfits that’ll surely have you dancing down Fangjia. Free
Zhang Qianqian at 69 Café
The folk songstress returns to the intimate stage of 69 Café for a late 5pm starting set. RMB 60
Kae Montgomery and Friends at Jianghu Bar
Jianghu Bar welcomes one of the greatest masters of American Tribal Style bellydance – Kae Montgomery. Enjoy the Balkan gypsy music as well as live music by Heike and Malika, and dance performances by Kae, the Lunatic Moires and friends from all around China. RMB 90
Wang Yawei at Snail Club
Homegrown folk tunes at the acoustic guitar safe haven Snail Club, located in the heart of Gulou. 60 RMB
Brothers Moving, Moor Hick at Caravan
Country blues supergroup made up of Randy Abel and Peter Murchison joins house band and North African fusion outfit Moor Hick for some fun. RMB 40
Saturday, May 21
SNSOS, Nocturnes, Mengqi, thruoutin at Old What? Bar
Summer’s ultimate spot, located stone’s throw away from the Forbidden City, hosts an evening of electronically inclined, otherworldly, and sensual soundscapes as Live Beijing Music and local label Seippelabel team up and host post rock faves She Never Sings Our Songs, new indietronica duo Nocturnes, electronic wizard Mengqi, and electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist thruotuin. Grab some barbecue outside, take in the summer sounds, and get lost in the fun. RMB 40
Wang Wen at Yugong Yishan
Dalian post rock legends, Wang Wen, one of the country’s most influential groups, returns to Beijing, with their loaded and awesome (review here) ninth studio album, Sweet Home, Go! for two nights at YGYS – as to allow for an intimate (i.e. not jam-packed) setting both evenings. Check out pangbianr’s interview here. RMB 150
The Sad Sack, Bedstars at School
Chengdu punk rockers The Sad Sack tour their latest EP at School – and joining them are the equally inebriated ruffians Bedstars. RMB 60
Folk Festival at Hot Cat Club
14 folk artists and bands, big and small, including Ember Swift, Nathan Borofka, Dan Taylor, Kamau, Adriel (a.k.a Octopus Man), Reese's Ukulele Cluster Cuss, The Leaves, Nick Parsons, Rengran, Uncle Hu, Xu Ming, Ani, Jordan Darling, and Mengma invade Fangjia Hutong for an afternoon into evening festival of folk sounds. 4pm. RMB 50
Ogenix, Never Before at Temple
Industrial metal outfit Ogenix and sludge metal veterans Never Before unload upon Temple for an evening of righteous face melting. Big sounds, killer riffs, and lots of moshing for those looking for a little trouble. Free
Wu & the Side Effects at Caravan
Ningxia blues coming at ya from veteran rock outfit Wu & the Side Effects, led by the exceptional Wu Kejia. RMB 50
Mademoiselle et son Orchestre at Modernista
Beijing’s favorite gypsy jazz band is back bringing you French chanson and wild dancing to go along with that glass of red at Modernista. Free
16 mins at DDC
Beijing alt rock trio 16 mins fresh from getting their new hit single jacked from the movie industry (in a nutshell: a hit Chinese movie in theaters has featured their song unwillingly in the end credits) release their latest EP. RMB 60
Moxiaopi at Snail Café
Youthful oriented folk tunes at acoustic hostel Snail Club.
Sunday, May 22
Wang Wen at Yugong Yishan
The second night at Yugong Yishan for China's biggest post-rock band, riding their ninth studio album, Sweet Home, Go! RMB 150
Secret Club, The Death Narcissists, The Beauty at School
Britpop favorites Secret Club play their first special showcase and they’re joined by stoner rock kings The Death Narcissists, fresh off their crazy good EP. Free
Duff Beer, Fengsu, Face, Blitzkireg at School
Local promotions group XinshengLang returns to School Live with an afternoon showcase featuring a handful of the new bands rocking the Beijing music scene. 2pm. RMB 40
Redor at Modernsky Lab
Uptempo Fujian outfit Redor bring their infectious blend of pop, rock, and funk to Modernsky as a part of their nation wide tour. RMB 80
Meridian (USA) at DDC
Folk rock outfit from America, fronted by the Stern brothers hits DDC up with their energetic harmonious performance. 4pm. RMB 40
Phew! Still hungry for more? For events, videos, and photos from Beijing's thriving music scene, head over to Live Beijing Music.
Images: Live Beijing Music, courtesy of the organizers