December 4th, 2009 |
Posted in Live Music Reviews by zack
Anniversaries come around once a year for everything and everyone, but some anniversaries and some places are just more special than others. Cases in point: YuYinTang’s and the Shelter’s fifth and second respective anniversaries.
How fitting is it that these two Shanghai music power spots celebrated simultaneous birthdays during the weekend? As Mike touched on in this week’s Editor’s Picks, YuYinTang and Shelter are Layabozi Darlings. It seems like every week I do Editor’s Picks I always come back to these two spots. Why is that? Because they consistently have the best taste in music and the best atmosphere in the Shanghai music scene, that’s why.
As Gareth related in his interview in Shanghai Talk magazine this week (he was not talking about YuYinTang, but I think his sentiments about his own place also apply), they strive to strike a balance between being some overblown, overpriced place to be seen, and a seedy dive bar. Both are definitely not either. They are community centers where like-minded individuals can collectively share the best music and fairest prices around. I can’t imagine the scene without them. There would be no such thing.
It was a special feeling for me to play on YuYinTang’s stage for the first time this past Thursday with my band, Break for Borneo. It was made even more special by the fact that it was the night before the Fifth Anniversary bash, but also because I got to see Haisheng in action up close. He is a truly affable, lovable guy, and the fact that he treated us relative unknowns (except for our famous member, Beijia) with as much care as he would any of the countless bigger acts tells you all you need to know about his dedication to live, local music in his city.
It is easy to be beautiful; it is difficult to appear so. -Frank O’Hara in Meditations in an Emergency
I am using this quote to connect with my supposedly witty title, but also to turn it on its head. In Shanghai, the opposite is true; it is easy to appear beautiful, but difficult to be as such. I make a lot of snarky comments about the sarcophagus-ness of the Shelter and the smallness of YuYinTang (too many links to link to), but there are truly no other places I would rather be on Friday or Saturday nights, rubbing shoulders (literally) with adopted family and friends.
MAO Livehouse, I hope you have been taking notes.
Notes from the YuYinTang Anniversary show:
To echo Andy Best, this is getting ridiculous. Does YuYinTang need a photo policy now, too? The big cameras and even bigger flashes were in full effect at the show, most egregiously by a certain woman in a red hat (yes you) who stood in the doorway by the stage and repeatedly (and I mean REPEATEDLY) flashed directly into the crowd, blinding everyone in attendance during Cold Fairyland’s set. I can’t express how maddening it was. These people don’t care about the music or other people. They just want to get their snaps in so they can say they were there or fulfill contractual obligations for some superfluous magazine or website. Well, to put it as eloquently as I can: FUCK YOU.
The Mushrooms are the best band in Shanghai. There, I said it. They have so many dimensions to their sound and Pu Pu has the energy of a manic cat in heat. Yes, that is a compliment in my eyes. Every time I see them it seems even more criminal how SOMA has caged them, as reported by Shanghai Avengers Dan Shapiro, Andy Best, and Jake Newby (in no particular order). Free the Mushrooms! I demand an album and bigger, better headlining gigs from them in 2010. Do we need to pass the hat or something?
I had never seen Cold Fairyland before, but wanted to. They did not disappoint me at all, although sound problems marred their set from the start, effectively rendering the pipa useless. I suspect I will have more to say about them at a later date.
If I make it to the Shelter after a busy music night on Saturday, I will also have something to say about that. To be continued, maybe…(?)
tags: Andy Best - Beijia - Break for Borneo - Cold Fairyland - Crazy Mushroom - Dan Shapiro's mustache - Frank O'Hara - Haisheng - Jake Newby - Layabozi Darlings - Mao Livehouse - Meditations in an Emergency - Shanghai Talk - SOMA - The Shelter - YuYinTang
December 3rd, 2009 |
Posted in Editor's Picks by mike
Thursday:
Grain of Truth and Break for Borneo
We start things off with a COIP: my and Zack’s band, the greatest Tropical Rock/Island Blues outfit from here to Istanbul, joined by Phoenix, USA’s finest, Grain of Truth. Our band features Adam Crossley and Becca Smith (of the Dovetail Joints) handling songwriting, singing, guitar, ukelele, etc., Yam Aquino on the drumset, Zak on ndike, triangle, musical frog, raps, etc., and yours ever so truly on the bass. We basically rule. Grain of Truth are pretty rockin‘ too. Their guitar sound is somehow familiar (and tasty) but not overused. They also cite as an influence the Deftones, about whom I haven’t thought in a really long time. I liked them but they were unfortunate in being discovered by me right before the end of my first rock phase. I should check them out again, but YOU should check out this show.
YuYinTang, 1731 Yan’an Xi Lu, enter from Kaixuan Lu
9:00-11:30
40 RMB cover
Karma Koma
It’s the start of The Shelter’s two-year anniversary weekend! Check Talk’s interview with the fellas who make Shelter go and Morgan’s mp3 Monday with samples of some of the dudes this weekend. Tonight is Downstate supported by SIG, LON, Drunk Monk, and ChaCha.
The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Xi Lu
10:00 start
20 RMB cover
Friday:
YuYinTang 5-year Anniversary
The other stalwartest Picks stalwart, YYT, has Shelter beat in the age department as they turn five this same weekend. If you have the money to open a club, I recommend you do it this auspicious weekend. If you do so you will achieve longevity, fortune, and the love of Layabozi. The Shanghai forces celebrating the anniversary are: Weghur, Yu Guo (aka Flying Fruit), Cold Fairyland, and The Mushrooms. It’s free, but the flier says go to “超韵琴行” to get tickets. It’s not the same characters exactly, but I’m going to just guess that’s the music shop a block south of YYT that Andy Best mentioned a year ago. They’re also giving away a Squier guitar, which at first I thought was a Chinese guitar maker that had decided to rip-off Fender’s shittier line, but in fact Fender’s shittier line has always been misspelled and I just never noticed. Anyway, there’s other prizes too, so get that ticket and get there as early as you can because it will be packed as hell.
YuYinTang, 1731 Yan’an Xi Lu, enter from Kaixuan Lu
9:00 start
No cover, but I guess you should get tickets
Shelter Anniversary continued: All the Shanghai Cats
See above for more details and links about the whole weekend, but tonight it will be all the major Shanghai crews for an hour each:
10pm-11pm: Karma Koma (downbeat, trip hop)
11pm-12am: DJ Sickstar (hip hop)
12am-1am: Uprooted Sunshine (live dancehall, reggae)
1am-2am: The Lab (V Nutz and Fortune back to back; hip hop)
2am–3am: Sweatshop (drum n bass)
3am–4am: Void (techno, house)
4am-5am: Sub-Culture (Drunk Monk, Deville w/ MCs; dubstep)
(list c/p’d from Morgan with love)
The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Xi Lu
10:00 start, obviously
50 RMB cover
Saturday:
Shelter Birthday Part III
For the final night of the party, and their last night before they spend the rest of the month remodeling and not partying, Shelter has brought dubstep pioneer Distance, who will be supported by DJ Wash, Deville, Drunk Monk, dji, MC Didje (those two really need to have a showdown and the loser gets a more different name), ChaCha, MC Esia, and MC Arminda.
The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Xi Lu
10:00 start
50 RMB cover
Lions of Puxi CD Release Party
Famous as Layabozi interview subjects, a groovy fun band, and for a cover of Sting’s “Englishman in New York” (“Shanghai de Faguoren“), the Lions of Puxi are party rockers of the highest order, with reggae as the common denominator, and Jhonny and Alain (also of Wednesday at JZ) as the foundation. Check them out, along with Five Pence, DJ Xeum, Wayne’s Basement, Theo Croker, Jammala, and Attractive Rootine. You can also pick up their CD.
Zhijiang Dream Factory, Block B 4F inside New Factories, 28 Yuyao Lu near Xikang Lu
9:00-1:00
Cover is currently scarily unknown. My phone is broken, but you could try calling Dream Factory (5213 5226).
50 RMB cover, and 50 RMB CDs. Thanks Carl!
Aux. Pick: Papier Tigre
Though I’m hesitant to pick a live show at LOgO, Papier Tigre are returning to their spiritual home, sound like a fun band, and Emma interviewed them, thus they are an auxiliary pick. There are also a billion support acts, to wit: The Horses, MNO Show, Little Punk vs. Mau Mau, Trix, Dan.electronimerican, and Mau Mau, in a non-vs.-Little Punk capacity.
LOgO, 13 Xingfu Lu near Fahuazhen Lu
10:00 start
40 RMB cover
Sunday:
Hollerado
Split Works has brought these dudes back from the wilds of Canada to rock YYT, which they surely will do, as part of a pretty massive tour across half the world. See the all the tour dates and more on their awesome website.
YuYinTang, 1731 Yan’an Xi Lu, enter from Kaixuan Lu
9:00 start
40 RMB cover
Monday:
Mark Bai Trio
I added an extra day to the picks so I can tell you to go to my other show this weekend. Mark Bai is one of the awesomest piano players in Shanghai, Corey Radford is one of the awesomest drummers (as his name suggests), and I like to think I’m not bad at bass. Toby Mak will also join us for a few tunes on trumpet. There will be some originals, some standards, some beautiful tunes, some ballsy tunes, some swingers, some straight-eighth/pseudo-latin tunes, some tunes in 5 and 7, and always always attentiveness and freedom. In all seriousness I am highly highly excited about this show. CHECK IT OUT!
JZ Club, 46 Fuxing Xi Lu near Yongfu Lu
9:30 start
No cover
tags: Attractive Rootine - Break for Borneo - ChaCha - Cold Fairyland - Conflict of Interest Pick - Corey Radford - Crazy Mushroom - Dan.electronimerican - Distance - Dj Deville - DJ Mau Mau - Dj Sickstar - DJ Wash - dji - Downstate - Drunk Monk - Five Pence - Grain of Truth - Hollerado - Jammala - JZ - Karma Koma - Lions of Puxi - Little Punk - LOgO - Lon - Mark Bai - MC Arminda - MC Didje - MC Esia - Mike Brownell - MNO Show - Papier Tigre - Pure Party - Sig - Split Works - Sub-Culture - Sweatshop - The Horses - The Lab Crew - The Shelter - Theo Croker - Toby Mak - Trix - Uprooted Sunshine Crew - Void - Wayne's Basement - Weghur - Xeum - Yu Guo - YuYinTang - Zhijiang Dream Factory
October 14th, 2009 |
Posted in Articles, Editor's Picks by zack
It’s feast or famine for this Editor’s Picker. First, I got stuck with the black hole that was the National Day weekend (which got even blacker with time). I had to augment that Picks column with a Wall Street Journal article about jiggy rappers selling off their bling due to the recession. That one was from my private reserve.
But this week is different, my friends, because the music promotion Gods (JZ and Layabozi) have bestowed upon me one of the mothers of all Shanghai music weekends. After this weekend I will either produce an opus of Machean magnificence, lie in a puddled heap of overstimulation on a dirty concrete floor, get divorced, or die trying. Everything is in play.
Let’s get to the action.
Thursday, October 15th
Indie Heart Attack, Not Me, that special time of night
I am going to hype the Indie Heart Attack night at Not Me in this space again. I’m very curious because I like their blog. Maybe I will actually go this time. I usually have other, more pressing obligations, but could be free of them this week. Maybe you are in the same boat. Also, Fabi from the Rogue Transmission is spinning the cuts this week. Who’s ready for Serge Gainsbourg Appreciation night? Not me. Yes (oops), I did it again. It’s like “Uranus” jokes; they just never get old.
Friday, October 16th
Dee Dee Bridgewater, Yunfeng Theater, 7:30 PM
Dee Dee Bridgewater has a great jazz voice and a ton of experience doing the damn thing. Did you know she was a disco singer back in the day? Check out “Journey into Paradise…The Larry Levan Story” if you don’t believe me. It’s fire. This is actually an eye-opening gig for this correspondent, as I can remember seeing Dee Dee Bridgewater 10 years ago as a part of the Chicago Jazz Festival, a seminal trip for said correspondent. Damn, I’m old. Sigh. Anyways, prices range from the moderate to the outrageously outrageous for this show, so if you don’t care about an up-close and personal experience, and would like to actually start saving for that retirement, I would try to get some of those cheaper, advance tickets.
Uprooted Sunshine 4th Anniversary, the Shelter, 10 PM to late
Maybe you will head over to the Shelter after a Dee Dee Bridgewater-induced jazz orgasm. Or maybe you will do what I do when I am getting ready to go to the Shelter: get off work, have a few happy hour cocktails, go home, eat a nice dinner, watch a movie, surf the internet for awhile, go to sleep, wake up, take a shower, get dressed, have an espresso, play a game of Monopoly, call a taxi, and, finally, head to the show. Did I mention I’m old?
Saturday, October 17th
JZ Music Festival Day II, Century Park,
Not sure of the sound quality at the venue (3 stages), but, nonetheless, a pretty cool lineup. Highlights of Saturday for me: Ibrahim Electric, Freshly Ground, Uprooted Sunshine, Phreaktion, and my little drum buddy who will be playing in a trio at 1 PM. Go Hugo!
Layabozi Presents: M Jazz featuring Marcus Aurelius and the Theo Croker Band, Anar, 10 PM
I would hype this one even if Mache wouldn’t put out a hit on me if I didn’t. Electronica, hip hop, and jazz? Sounds like a good combo. You must make it down to the friendly confines of Anar after a day at the park. For more info on this exciting event, go here and here.
Antidote, Dada and LOgO, 10 PM
Not to be a cross-promoting, blog-traitor or anything here, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this little happening going on not far away from the aforementioned Anar. It will definitely be hectic in that little corner of the world on Saturday night. If I was a Mad Man, I would be suggesting some coalescence, a little cross-pollination. Take that, Draper! By the way, it’s 50 kuai to gain entrance to LOgO and Dada, while the Layabozi M Jazz show is free. Just saying.
Sunday, October 18th
JZ Music Festival Day III, Century Park
I’m pretty stoked about this day of music. Cold Fairyland, Lions of Puxi, Cui Jian, and Us3 (who knew they were still around?) should be great. I’m also looking forward to Red Star. If you have much too much time or a terrific memory, you might remember me hyping them a bit when they opened up for Ghostface Killah.
tags: Antidote - Century Park - Cold Fairyland - Cui Jian - Dada - Dee Dee Bridgewater - Fabi - Freshly Ground - Ghostface Killah - Ibrahim Electric - Indie Heart Attack - JZ Music Festival 2009 - Lions of Puxi - LOgO - M Jazz - Marcus Aurelius - Not Me - Phreaktion - Red Star - The Rogue Transmission - The Shelter - Theo Croker Band - Uprooted Sunshine Crew - Us3 - Yunfeng Theater
April 25th, 2009 |
Posted in Articles by mache
The the continuous changes of plan and misinformation about the Midi Music Festival have created a great deal of talk and gossip about it; possibly the marketing campaign couldn’t have gone as well as this if they’d planned it.
The great news is that finally we know the line up, and all the information you need to go and rock your head off.
The Midi Festival will run from May 1st to May 3d. The place is Youshan Meidi Square (优山美地广场) next to the Jiangsu University in Zhejiang near Nanjing. Zhejiang is on the train line connecting the major cities of Nanjing and Shanghai, and most trains along the line stop there; both regular trains and the faster bullet trains. The cost ranges from ¥13-30 (regular train) to ¥30-75 (bullet train); you can find more information about it on China Highlights site. And those willing to use the event as an excuse for a longer trip can choose the Yangtze ferry from Shanghai to Chongqing that stops at Zhejiang; the trip takes about 14 hours.
Every day the shows will begin at 2 pm and finish around midnight. Tickets are ¥120 for the three days and ¥50 for a single day.
On May 1st the bands begin at 2pm with Beijing dance rock band TOOKOO (more about them here), then Honey Gun Band, Sand Orgy, Turdus from Norway, Twisted Machine from Beijing, Again, Mike TV from the UK (who will be on April 30th at YuYinTang), Thin Man, Army of Freshmen from the U.S.A, and closing the night is the famous Cui Jian. The DJs playing on the Electronic side of the Festival will be DJ Sky Zhang from Chongqing, DJ Bob Chen from Ningbo, DJ Gary from Guangzhou, DJ Harry from Chengdu, DJ Xeum from France, and DJ @llen from Taiwan.
Performing on May 2nd are Yu Guo, Hollerado from Canada, Spring Autumn, CMCB from Beijing, Priestess from Canada, The Subs, Gammalux from Germany, El Columpio Asesino from Spain (who will also be playing on May 1st at MOcA’s Art Lab), AK 47 from Beijing, and The Stills from Canada. On the electronic stage will be DJ Ivy V from Shanghai, DJ Jerry K from Guangzhou, DJ Fish from Shanghai, DJ Tootekool from German, and DJ Mickey Zhang from Beijing.
On May 3rd LRight Band will open at 2pm, then Bonk from Norway, Reflector from Beijing, Jets Overhead from Canada, Cold Fairyland from Shanghai (you can read more about them here), So Called from Canada, Roshme Band, Yaksa, Muma & Third Party, Blind Sight from Holland, and Miserable Faith from Beijing. DJ Cody K from Hongkong, DJ Jerryson from Shanghai, DJ Eagle Ningbo, DJ Baru from Japan and DJ Ben Huang Shanghai will be scratching tables on the 3rd.
You can buy your tickets for the concert on line on Beijing’s ticket company Piao. And for all those organizing road trips to the concert let us know: take photos, film videos and send them to us- we want to see who wins the “best rock face” award.
tags: Beijing - Ben Huang - Canada - China - Cold Fairyland - Dance - Electronic - Emo - France - Japan - Midi Music Festival 2009 ZheJiang - Miyadudu - MoCA - News - Norway - Rain - Rock - Shanghai - Spain - TOOKOO - UK - Video - YuYinTang
