2009 Apr 28 New Issue: May – Viva la Musica!
What is it about May that brings a flood of music? We certainly don’t know, nor do we really care. In fact, best to stop asking how or why this is happening; just take advantage of the fact that it is.
And the sooner the better ...
Nine music festivals happen on or before May 1st – transmitChina, the Ditan Park Music Festival, 13 Club’s metal festival, the metal festival at New Get Lucky, 2009 Midi Nights, Modern Sky’s Strawberry Music Festival, the Zebra International Music Festival (which you can win an all-inclusive pass for by being the first to answer May's Trivia Travails), Ku-18 Club’s Afternoon Tea Concert Series and D-22’s Third Anniversary Party. If you miss these, you can still catch some of the acts later on in the month at the Beijing Drummer Festival, the NineGates International Jazz Festival, the Soho May Party Fun Fair (which may be the only festival with free admission) and Acupuncture’s Intro 2009 Electronica Music Festival. Details on all of these in the May issue of the Beijinger.
If you manage to bonk your head and miss out on all of the above, you can still get your chance to rub shoulders with some of Beijings’s brightest stars by taking a look at this month’s Dining Top 5, in which we reveal where rock stars satisfy their late night munchies. Who knew rock & roll could be cold noodles and vegetables? Find out who eats what in our May issue. Then go wait there for a possible sighting.
And who needs a festival to celebrate music anyway? Especially in a place like Beijing, it’s easy to be your own rock star – and we’ll show you how in this month’s PLA, “Party Like A KTVer.” Perhaps after some practice you’ll find yourself a part of Beijing’s Music Universe (this month’s cover feature) the next time we do a Music issue.
Let’s not also forget that in May we also have: Ratatat, Ugly Duckling, The Cherry Orchard, Romeo and Juliet, Manchester, Green Brothers, Free the Robots, Art of War, and all the latest restaurants, shops, bars and clubs opening up around town.
Speaking of bars and clubs, have you voted for your favorites yet? Time is running out to take part in tbj’s 2009 Reader Bar and Club Awards. Click here to vote (ballot closes on May 8).
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Open No More: Wokai Shutting Down Indefinitely
Just a few hours ago, Wokai announced that it will be concluding operations indefinitely. The microfinance nonprofit previously had the full confidence of the local community, having raised over half a million dollars in loan capital, garnered a network of thousands of investors and been featured by several major media (including CNN, Bloomberg and MSNBC). The shutdown has come as quite a shock to many, who last heard that the organization was simply seeking a new CEO.
Mos Def-initely Not Coming to Beijing
We’ve received confirmation from organizers that US hip-hop star Yasiin Bey (or the artist formerly known as Mos Def) will not be performing at this weekend’s MIDI Festival as he had been scheduled to on Monday (April 30). The reason is unclear so far - feel free to speculate away in the comments space below - but we'll update you if we're able to get more comment from the organizers.
China Music Valley Festival Lineup Released
It seems the end to festival silly season could be in sight as summer music behemoth China Music Valley Festival has now released an official-looking lineup for the May extravaganza.
Who’s the Swishest of Them All? Shin Kong Place Turns 5
Happy Birthday, Shin Kong Place! This high-end department store first opened in April 2007, in a shopping climate worlds apart from the one we know now. Sanlitun Village didn’t exist yet (that happened in July 2008), nor did the "modern" Nanluogu Xiang (also around July 2008) or Qianmen’s renovated pedestrian street (August 2008). Some might say that Shin Kong Place spearheaded the growth of Beijing’s luxury shopping scene. Indeed, this swish mall has managed to attract over 900 international brands and restaurants to its premises, and will be hosting special promotions and exhibitions over this next month in celebration of its five-year anniversary. Read on for details.
St. George’s Day Dinner: Tickets on Sale Now!
It’s time to put on that fancy suit, laugh loud and dig deep for a good cause. The St. George’s Day Dinner is hitting the Beijing scene on April 28 at The Westin Beijing Chaoyang. This year, the proceeds will go towards Care for Children (an English charity dedicated to finding foster homes for orphaned children) as well as Little Flower (an independently funded hospice which offers long-term intensive care and medical treatment to sick and chronically ill Chinese children). We asked co-founder Martin Budzinski to clarify who exactly is St. George and why dinners are sometimes better than balls.
