March 14th, 2010 |
Posted in Articles, Live Music Reviews by zack
I’ve been trying to convince my work to switch over to a four-day workweek. It’s been shown to improve employee efficiency and effectiveness, as well as control costs. Actually, I don’t care about any of that. I just want to be able to wild out on Thursday without having to wake up early the next day. This is because Thursday has already become the precursor to the weekend and musicians in the city have been taking that prelude and running with it.
For instance, last week. DJ Vadim and Yarah Bravo were on hand at The Source store to give an insight into their creative process with a workshop and Q&A. It was actually an uncomfortable setting, but it turned into something better for us later on. Why was it uncomfortable? Well, some people decided to take it as a social occasion and insisted on chattering aimlessly during the whole thing. This was mixed with the problem of a less-than-booming PA system at The Source, which combined to make it pretty damn impossible to hear what the artists were saying. Then people started to get agitated at the talkers and admonish them on the microphone, but their admonitions were ignored, which made things doubly awkward. So it wasn’t the greatest thing to behold.
However, things got better when everyone left because Benoit from Free the Wax set up a private interview with the pair for Layabozi. We sat down to talk and it became obvious that Vadim and Yarah could not be any nicer or more expressive. The interview went down and then we proceeded to have another unrecorded conversation for an hour. I was asking him about everybody in hip hop I could think of and he was happy to tell me everything I wanted to know. He’s a really smart and well-traveled guy, but at the same time humble and funny. He even bestowed upon me my new MC name- Deadly Silence. We eventually got onto the subject of the fall of the United States empire and, inevitably, like all empires, the conversation ended.
We went to see Gary Wang and a soul set at The Shelter, which was made more enjoyable by the band there, which included Asaph on guitar, piano, and vocals, along with electric beats. I enjoyed the whole thing; awesome records were played after the live set and it was a cool night. Shelter really has good stuff going on most of the time. I still have yet to check out The Swap Meet, but I will do it, although I don’t have a turntable. I just want to see what’s on hand.
And that was just Thursday!
Friday night I had a good time at the Local King show going down at Mao. The atmosphere was great because it was a free show and totally packed out. There is something great about a packed out show at Mao, that’s why I hope it survives. When you are there with all those people you just feel a collective energy that amplifies the vibe of the bands. The bands (Pinkberry, whom I missed, Candy Shop, Sonnet, and Boys Climbing Ropes) were just OK, except for Boys Climbing Ropes, who seem to do well no matter what the stage, but it was really the vibe in the place that won me over.
Saturday night I went out to see St. Vincent, for which I was really excited. This little lady has a control of the guitar, as well as a tremendously beautiful voice. She brought along a violinist and they managed to do justice to many of the tracks off of her Actor album and also threw in a couple other numbers. Good show. More on that show from Emma later on.
It was a good weekend of music, thanks to Free the Wax for Vadim, Splitworks for St. Vincent and the ongoing JUE Fest, and Jagermeister (WTF?) for the Local King show. Good job, guys. Keep it coming.
tags: Boys Climbing Ropes - Candy Shop - DJ Vadim - Free the Wax - Jue Festival - Pinkberry - Sonnet - Splitworks - St. Vincent - The Shelter - The Source - Yarah Bravo - YuYinTang
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
March 4th, 2010 |
Posted in Editor's Picks by mike
So the big news in my life this weekend is that after being extremely busy for the past two months, I the weekend off, except today when I’m playing the heavily, heavily hyped Thursday pick, so you might very well see me at ALL the pick events this weekend. If you do, you definitely win an awesome prize. Just take pictures of me at all the events and email them to me at mike(at)layabozi.com, and I’ll give you some of the special witch-salt that Mache did special magic on and which has made me insanely wealthy, or some fancy beers, YOUR CHOICE! Anyway, go to YYT on Thursday or else we will never affectionately refer to you as a duckling ever again.
Thursday:
Break for Borneo
Layabozi’s house band brings the rock-tinged reggae and reggae-tinged rock to YYT in their (our) first headlining spot as Zack moves from the percussion…area to the drum stool. Expect strong melodies, tasty harmonies, and rock alongs a-plenty. IT WILL BE AWESOME!!! COME OR ELSE!! THERE ARE NO OTHER GIGS! Opening are Whale and special late-addition Stegosaurus, and Gooda keep things rocking after.
YuYinTang, 1731 Yan’an Xi Lu, enter from Kaixuan Lu
9:30 start
No cover
Friday:
Dance for Haiti
Three Chord Truth puts on a benefit concert to help the victims of the (second most) recent Earthquake. The line-up is sick (Wayne’s Basement, Duck Fight Goose, Studio 188, Monroe Stahr, Lions of Puxi, Weghur) and all the money goes to charity, so if you don’t go to that show you are a bad person. Seriously, though, these guys are doing something great. Gilbert of the Lions was also a driving force behind the JZ Sichuan earthquake benefit (aka Together Day) two years ago, so especial mad props to him. I think it’s going to be only this pick today because it’s so awesome, though you wouldn’t be wrong if afterwards you went to hear Andy Smith (DJ for Portishead and others and apparently really sweet on his own) at The Shelter, or the JZ Latin Band (now that they have a capable bass player again).
Zhijiang Dream Factory, 28 Yuyao Lu Building B 4th Floor, near Xikang Lu
9:00
100 RMB (for charity as mentioned)
Saturday:
Mark Ernestus and Tikiman
Sub-Culture brings the influential German producer/DJ and his long time collaborator from Dominica (not the D.R.). In the 90’s Mr. Ernestus had an influential label for which he made influential tracks with hip and secretive label designs. Mr. Tikiman, a vocalist has been working with him for awhile, doing their cross-pollination between dub and techno. Supporting them on this fine Saturday evening will be B6, Deville, Drunk Monk, dji, ChaCha, Didje, Esia, and Arminda.
The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Xi Lu
10:00 start
60 RMB cover
Sunday:
Theo Croker Sextet: The Path of Transcendence
Theo, who has been, I think fairly, called ubiquitous, is nevertheless rarely heard in a concert setting here in Shanghai. Here’s your chance to check out his new suite played by a killing ensemble in just such a setting, with Andres Boiarsky (tenor sax), Jon Parker (alto sax), Nicholas Bouloukos (piano), Curtis Ostle (bass), and Dr. Charles Foldesh (drums). Note, this is an afternoon concert.
Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, Performance Hall, 425 Dingxiang Lu, near Science and Technology Museum
3:00, so don’t sleep too late
Tickets available for 60, 100, 180, or 300 RMB
tags: Andres Boiarsky - B6 - Break for Borneo - ChaCha - Charles Foldesh - Curtis Ostle - Deville - Didje - dji - Drunk Monk - Duck Fight Goose - Gooda - Jon Parker - Lions of Puxi - Mark Ernestus - MC Arminda - MC Esia - Monroe Stahr - Nicholas Bouloukos - Oriental Arts Center - Stegosaurus - Studio 188 - The Shelter - Theo Croker - Three Chord Truth - Tikiman - Wayne's Basement - Weghur - Whale - YuYinTang - Zhijiang Dream Factory
February 27th, 2010 |
Posted in Articles, Live Music Reviews by zack
Sorry about that headline, but I just couldn’t resist.
The 81Fur.com show went off without a hitch on Thursday night. There was a good crowd there, people were perusing literature and fully aware of the cause for which they came. Check out Kungfuology for more coverage and pictures, including this amazing one.
On a musical note, I was sad to be the dude who shows up late and missed most of the Forget and Forgive set, but what I did catch was really cool. They have nice riffs and energy, plus a band member whose sole job (as far as I could tell) was to scream! And he’s good at it. So there’s that. Candy Shop played a Candy Shop show. It’s not my favorite stuff, but it’s catchy. The kids seem to like it. Damn, I’m old.
Great job to the whole team.
Afterward, some f us headed over to The Shelter for some Teenage Kicks. It was a pretty sparse crowd, but the beats and drinks were flowing freely. I even got to break out The Running Man. Props to DJs Wongton, Oh Snaps, Sacco, and Morgan (what’s your DJ name, Morgan?). Morgan chased me from the club with a little White Zombie. Good times.
tags: Candy Shop - DJ Sacco - Forget and Forgive - Kungfuology - Morgan Short - Oh Snaps - The Shelter - Wongton - YuYinTang
I’ve been trying to convince my work to switch over to a four-day workweek. It’s been shown to improve employee efficiency and effectiveness, as well as control costs. Actually, I don’t care about any of that. I just want to be able to wild out on Thursday without having to wake up early the next day. This is because Thursday has already become the precursor to the weekend and musicians in the city have been taking that prelude and running with it.
