Maybe when tons of fireworks make the streets sound like a war zone, live music isn’t needed so much. Like it or not, there’s not much going on in Beijing around Chinese New Year. In the Gulou area, while most of the bars and restaurants will take a break, Jiangjinjiu and Temple will stay open. Too bad that the former one doesn’t have any shows scheduled and will be shut down forever soon after the Spring Festival. They said that last year too.

Breaking news. Death Cab For Cutie will play in Beijing this March. More details to follow.

The biggest annual migration on the planet officially started last weekend. Some of Beijing’s musicians have already left town. This weekend is likely your last chance to appreciate the loud and noisy music scene before it vanishes along with all the cars in the streets and people on the subways during the Spring Festival break. Interestingly, all the big acts still in town are setting the stage for some historical performances.

It’s fascinating how time flows. Exactly this time a year ago, there was a rumor that folk bar Jiangjinjiu, near the Drum Tower, was getting torn down; folk rockers Buyi thought they'd be playing their beloved bar for the last time. No one can guarantee that the bar will be there forever, but it's definitely still standing. You can catch Buyi there this Friday night.

Six years ago, D-22 was opened to give young bands more opportunities to play. Somehow it became a paradise for punk heads and indie kids. Then Beijing's "noisiest" youngsters also claimed it as their base, conducting their musical experiments there. Most people don't actually go to D-22 very often because of its location, but the club's existence is indubitably symbolic. It's a place where a gig can be delayed for over two hours because the sound system is acting up ... yet no one gets mad or anxious. Facing the end of a year and the end of an era, I don't know which one's harder to believe: that 2011 is done or that D-22 is closing.

Somehow Christmas in China has become as ear-torturing as it is in the West – all the malls, restaurants and markets play only Christmas music around this time, and the only Christmas song they know is "Jingle Bells." One day, over a single meal, I heard at least 20 different versions of "Jingle Bells." How creative! Finally, the actual holiday is at the door. Besides the feast you are giving your stomachs, your ears deserve a treat too.