March 11th, 2010 |
Posted in Editor's Picks by mike
Actually, I think it’s not fair to call Finland a classic invader country. Though they share excellent death metal and extreme alcoholism with their Scandinavian neighbors, I think they’re more invaded than invader. On to the picks:
Thursday:
Niklas Winter & Teemu Viinikainen
Coinciding nicely with my own trip to Finland tomorrow these two Finnish guitar badasses are coming to JZ for a gig. If I know anything about how JZ financing works, we have both the inestimable Ren Yuqing and the generous Finnish government to thank for this. Check out Teemu’s space for some sounds. For even more hot guitar action, these viking bros are joined by our own Lawrence Ku, bassist EJ Parker, and drummer Chris Trzcinski. Opening is the illustrious Illusion Trio, with me, Oleg Roschin on piano, and I think Chris on drums again.
JZ Club, 46 Fuxing Xi Lu near Yongfu Lu
9:00-1:30, assuming they do three sets.
No cover, gotta love that government money
Friday:
DJ Vadim
As re/previewed by our own Zack, the illustrious Vadiim returns to these Shanghaiian shores, with his wife and cohort MC Yarah Bravo. Though I wasn’t too taken with her rapping when they came last year, perhaps it will be better with the updated soundsystem, maybe I was just in a bad mood, etc. In any event, Vadim is creative and eccentric, and certainly beyond reproach on the wheels of steel. Support from V-Nutz, Fortune, hBd.
The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Xi Lu
10:00 start
50 RMB cover
Hanggai
The #1 Mongolian party band returns! Everybody who has seen them loves this band, and for good reason. They just come right in and get to it with conviction, energy, and booze. Do Not Miss! Also, when I saw them in November at Dream Factory we assumed there would be opening bands and general amateur late-ness. There wasn’t, and we showed up half-way through, and we only got to hear as many songs as we did because they were generous with their encores. Definitely get there on time! The first show in Shanghai of Split-works’ Jue Festival.
YuYinTang, 1731 Yan’an Xi Lu, enter from Kaixuan Lu
9:00 start
50 RMB cover
Node Lounge Soft Opening
A new club is opening in Red Town, possible a cousin to the infamous Dragon, in any event with direction from Baru of Dragon fame. Music comes from Dave K, Wassili, King, and Baru himself. If you can steal some time to check it out, there are going to be free drinks from 9-midnight. That’s pretty awesome. Stay tuned for the grand opening on the 10th of April.
Node Music Lounge, 570 Huaihai Xi Lu, nearish to Hongqiao Lu
9:00 start
No cover
Saturday:
St. Vincent
Again, as CD-reviewed by the never-sleeping Zack, St. Vincent comes to Shanghai as part II of the Jue Festival. As with part I, get there early because it’s YYT and it’s sure to be PACKED. Expect melodious innocence with unsettling lyrics. Myspace? Boys Climbing Ropes open.
YuYinTang, 1731 Yan’an Xi Lu, enter from Kaixuan Lu
9:00 start
120 RMB cover
LTJ Bukem
On the DJ front, at least, it seems like Shanghai gets it’s share of heavy hitters. The same weekend as Vadim comes one of the original immortals of jungle/d ‘n b, that is LTJ Bukem, joined by MC Conrad. I picked the wrong weekend to go to Finland, though the temperature is apparently above freezing now.
The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Xi Lu
10:00 start
80 RMB cover
tags: Baru - Boys Climbing Ropes - Chris Trzcinski - Dave K - DJ Vadim - EJ Parker - Fortune - Hanggai - HBD - Illusion Trio - Jue Festival - JZ - Lawrence Ku - LTJ Bukem - MC Conrad - Mike Brownell - Niklas Winter - Node - Oleg Roschin - Split Works - St. Vincent - Teemu Viinikainen - The Shelter - V-Nutz - Wassili - Yarah Bravo - YuYinTang
November 10th, 2009 |
Posted in Live Music Reviews by emma
On Saturday night, the Mongolian steppes rolled into Shanghai for one night only. The earth shaking rumble came not from the construction crews currently tearing up Jing An, but from the fierce overtone-laden growl of singer Hurcha of the Mongolian folk rock band Hanggai, who lurched onto the stage at Zhijiang Dream Factory and rocked the place.
Make no mistake though, these guys aren’t fresh out the yurt. The band was formed by Ilchi (one name only, thanks very much), an ethnic Mongol born in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, raised in Beijing. After a successful run fronting the punk-rock group T9, Ilchi decided to pursue music more representative of his heritage. He went back to Inner Mongolia to learn a traditional type of music that has been largely lost with this generation. Three of the members of Hanggai are ethnic Mongolians, and the other two are Han Chinese who play Mongolian instruments.
During the performance, the upstairs bar was completely deserted, something I had never experienced before in all my days of concert-going at Dream Factory. CDs were sold out soon after doors opened. There were a few attendees standing at the downstairs bar waiting for their drink orders, but for the most part everybody was standing right in front of the stage, rapt with attention. There were the lyrics-knowers (no small feat, considering the majority of the audience was Han or lao wai), the hippie-dancers, and the stone-faced with laser-like focus, all participating in their own particular way. Nobody wanted to be anywhere but at that club, partying with Hanggai.
Hanggai covered most of the songs on their newer album Introducing Hanggai, released in 2008. The songs are diverse, ranging from raucous party songs, blues-tinged tunes with mournful string arrangements, love songs, and haunting ballads performed with only guitar and voice. I’ve never seen Mongolian throat singing live, and I was blow away by the power behind it and the emotion it conveys; the deep rumble from the chest and a high pitched vibration in the air reminiscent of a flying saucer from a 1950s b-movie. The lyrics tell stories about pastoral life, warfare, and love. I’m obviously cheating and looking at the album’s title translations in English, because the lyrics are all in Mongolian, a language in which I have zero command. Most of the banter was also in the Mongolian language, but the crowd cheered wildly nonetheless, just excited to hear it. Who could blame them? There wasn’t any distortion or computer sounds, just five guys dressed in silk getting drunk and playing some danceable and moving tunes.
The performers brought a huge presence to the stage as well, appearing in traditional-style Mongolian robes with long sleeves and Mandarin collars, and the guitarist in a Kangol hat. Occasionally a pretty girl from the audience would run up and lovingly drape the performers with white scarves. Fans tossed up beer and liquor, so that the evening turned into a community drink-along. These guys were pretty toasted by the end but that never impinged on their ability to shred, even on the two-stringed lute.
After the main set, the audience wouldn’t let the band offstage, cheering wildly until the band had performed two encores. Unfortunately, Hanggai ran out of material before the crowd ran out of enthusiasm. Indeed, we heard “Drinking Song”, a euphoric ode to alcohol, twice, but I have to admit it was even more fun on the second go-round. If you couldn’t tell already, I was stunned by the show and I’m now preaching the gospel of Mongolian folk to anyone who will listen. As someone who has never heard this kind of music, I was stunned by the emotionally resonant sounds that these folk instruments make, and surprised at how strangely familiar they sound. And how much fun you can have rocking out to it.
It’s inspiring that there’s a dedicated audience and growing demand for this type of music in the contemporary Chinese music scene, rife as it is with rap, electronica and pop. There is something slightly subversive about the way this group rejects the modern and projects an unrestrained love-fest for the traditional and the pastoral, catapulting khoomei music back into mainstream culture. Here’s hoping the band inspires a more textured and varied popular music landscape, where musicians can incorporate influences from many traditions and cultures.
tags: China - Folk - Hanggai - Mongolia - Split Works - Zhijiang Dream Factory
November 5th, 2009 |
Posted in Editor's Picks by mike
Thursday:
Karma Koma feat. DJ Muja
DJ Muja is at the Shelter every Thursday this month, so check it out, with the usual suspects Yen, Lon, Chacha, and Drunk Monk.
The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Xi Lu
10:00 start
10 RMB cover
Friday:
Fink
Some intriguing singer-songwriter with acoustic guitar shit from a dude on Ninja Tune and Micro Mu. Morgan has a bunch more info and some tracks on his mp3 Monday over at SmartShanghai.
YuYinTang, 1731 Yan’an Xi Lu, enter from Kaixuan Lu
9:00 start
Tickets 50RMB in advance or 60 at the door
The Toxic Avenger
The next French super DJ? This masked man of electro-thrash has been mentioned in the same breath as Justice and Daft Punk, and is on the road with his new single. Go see what all the fuss is about and rock your ass off.
Not Me, 21 Dongping Lu near Wulumuqi Lu
10:00 start
60 RMB cover
Eliot Lipp:
Big time US electro comes to the Shelter in Free the Wax’s final Shanghai show for now. Check out Saucy’s review of the album for more.
The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Xi Lu
10:00 start
50 RMB cover
Pet Conspiracy
Okay, okay, one more 60 kuai show tonight that is definitely worth checking out. It’s Pet Conspiracy with Duck Fight Goose, Boys Climbing Ropes, B6, and Baijiu Robots on their death tour, all brought to you by the friendly folks at Antidote. That’s a bunch of friends of Layabozi and sweet musicians all in one show, as well as a big Beijing band I need to check out, a BBJBINTCO if you will, a tough night to choose.
Mao Livehouse, 570 Huaihai Xi Lu, near Hongqiao Lu
9:00 start
60 RMB cover
Saturday:
Baijiu Robot Explosion
It all comes to an end at LOgO tonight, so go get baijiu’d and dance until you explode. With Ben Thriller, The Uhhh, Mista Gregz, and VJ Maculate.
LOgO, 13 Xingfu Lu near Fahuazhen Lu
Get there around 10:00, though earlier or later is cool if that’s your thing.
20 RMB cover
Antidote with Matt B and Tagtraumer
This, apparently the final Antidote party of the year, will feature live electronic sets from the dudes mentioned above with support from B6, Blaise, Ozone, and Drunk Monk.
The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Xi Lu
10:00 start
40 RMB cover
Hanggai
I’ve been hearing a lot recently about Hanggai and how awesome they are. They’ve taken their Mongolian/rock/blues thing and pretty much crossed over and blown up as much as any band from China has. Presented by style-masters Splitworks.
Zhijiang Dream Factory, 66 Yuyao Lu near Xikang Lu, inside New Factories, Building B, 4F
9:00 start
50 RMB cover
Sunday:
Coco Zhao and the Possicobilities
An informal poll of my friends recently gave Coco Zhao the award of Best Singer in Shanghai. Congratulations Coco! Anyway, he’s been sort of out of town or otherwise indisposed lately, so go check him and his awesome band out. They really have one of the most original and well-done concepts of any band in Shanghai, as well as the Best Singer.
JZ Club, 46 Fuxing Xi Lu, near Yongfu Lu
10:30 start
No cover
tags: Antidote - B6 - Baijiu Robot - Ben Thriller - Boys Climbing Ropes - ChaCha - Coco Zhao - Dj Muja - Drunk Monk - Duck Fight Goose - Eliot Lipp - Fink - Free the Wax - Hanggai - JZ - LOgO - Lon - Maculate - Mao Livehouse - Micro Mu - MistaGregz - Ninjatune - Not Me - Pet Conspiracy - Split Works - The Possicobilities - The Shelter - The Toxic Avenger - The Uhhh - Uprooted Sunshine Crew - Yen - Zhijiang Dream Factory
Hanggai
