Weekend Live Music Roundup: St. Vincent at starry night, Elvis’ back from the grave, DJ Vadim spins that sh*t

The snow on Monday, I don’t know what’s that all about, it’s March already. Don't know how it's been affecting the festival season (which is spring, in case you haven't seen it's coming), but the Beijing leg of JUE Festival is well under its way. Presented by Split Works, the festival consists of art, cinema and music events across Beijing and Shanghai (see our interview with the organizers here and full event schedule here). On Friday night, JUE sees the appearances of American indie singer/instrumentalist St. Vincent at Yugong Yishan and Danish rockabilly group Dead Elvis & His One Man Grave at D-22. On the local side, things get more hardcore at Mao Livehouse, where TOOKOO, Bigger Bang! and The Reason rock on the northern end of Nanluogu Xiang - maybe you can hear them in YGYS, since St. Vincent's music is relatively quiet, maybe.

Of course, don’t forget DJ Vadim and MC Yarah Bravo on Saturday at Yugong Yishan (see our interview with Vadim here). If you're not into parties or just not a fan of smelling other people's sweat, Uighur music hero Mamer and his Xinjiang rock band IZ perform at Mako Live House (看清楚了, not MAO Livehouse) on the same night. On Sunday, Yan Jun and Wu Na continues to warm up the re-opened 2 Kolegas with their regular experimental jam session, and back to YGYS, Lao Liu & Sand (featured in Beijing Bubbles) play alternative blues rock in the name of "White Day" or "White Valentine's Day" - anybody has any idea of what that is? The day we call elephants by their nicknames?

Friday (March 12)

Be Mused, Fist, Cao Qin
British rockers shake SOHO Shangdu. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Buyi, Sweet Rock, DJ Mickey
Wu Ningyue and co. continue their 15-year-old folk rock journey with support from fellow bands. RMB 90. 9pm. The Star Live (6425 5677)

Feng Yan, Shay, Eric
Spend Arbor Day on a folk concert supported by Roots & Shoots. RMB 50. 7pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

JUE Festival: Dead Elvis & His One Man Grave, Rustic, The Molds
Danish rockabilly meets Chinese roots rock. RMB 50. 10pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

JUE Festival: St. Vincent, Zhang Qianqian
American singer-songwriter sails to Beijing and rocks JUE Festival, supported by folk siren from China's wild west. RMB 120. 9pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)

JUE Festival: TOOKOO, Bigger Bang!, The Reason, Alt Senior, Black Town Twin Brothers, Sparrow
Hard rockers release an album. RMB 60. 9pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

La Loupe, Fuzzy Mood
American duo bring their indie folk/pop sung in Chinese. RMB 30. 10pm. 2 Kolegas (6436 8998)

Liudehua Band, Ci Qin, You Ran
Indie rock and folk. RMB 30 (includes a drink). 9.30pm. What Bar (1590 123 6743)

Nanwu
Folk rock group play in a courtyard. RMB 40. 9pm. Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar (6401 4611)

SAMA
A night of flamenco. RMB 20. 9pm. VA Cafe & Bar (5844 3638)

S.A.W, Saving Moly, K362, Skepsis
Heavy metal rockers S.A.W release their debut. RMB 40. 9pm. 13 Club (8261 9267)

The Verse
Beijing’s funk ensemble turns on the dynamite by the lake. RMB 40. 10pm. Obiwan (8322 1231)

Tia Ray
Songstress sings jazz and blues covers. Free. 9pm. Club Le ZaZou (6415 3338)

Wang Shengnan, Lulu
Peaceful folk music at Beiluogu Xiang. Free. 9.30pm. Zuiyuefang Bar (6405 4482)

Saturday (March 13)

Acid Live
Electro jazz makes Sanlitun funky. RMB 80, RMB 50 (advance). 10pm. Club Le ZaZou (6415 3338)

Ajinai
Mongolian ensemble brings a taste of grassland. Free. 9.30pm. Jiangjinjiu Bar (8405 0124)

Confucius Says
Confucius had never played rock n roll, these Beijing folkies have. RMB 120, RMB 100 (advance). 9pm. The One (5914 8086)

DJ Vadim & MC Yarah Bravo
After Shadow and Krush, it’s Vadim’s turn to deck out Beijing. Tickets at 6404 8088 or Café Zarah. RMB 70, RMB 40 (advance). 9pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)

Gao Feng, Good Night
Blues band jam with session guitarist. RMB 30. 9pm. Hot Cat Club (6400 7868)

JUE Festival: Mamer & IZ
The Xinjiang eagles fly into the nest. RMB 50, RMB 40 (advance, students). 9pm. Mako Live House (5205 1112/3)

JUE Festival: Slam Poetry Showcase - Steve Connell, Benjamin Zephaniah
Is it live music or poetry reading? Hard to tell. See our interview here. RMB 50. 9pm. 2 Kolegas (6436 8998)

La Loupe, Li Wenxin
Indie pop duo share stage with folk guitarist. RMB 30 (includes a drink). 9.30pm. What Bar (1590 123 6743)

Radiation, Fuzzy Mood
Blues make it soft in a metal club. RMB 40. 10pm. 13 Club (8261 9267)

Rustic, Golden Driver, B-Side Lovers
Indie rock hits Jishuitan. RMB 40. 9pm. Obiwan (8322 1231)

Pierre Brahin Trio
French jazz trio at Wudaoying Hutong. RMB 20. 9pm. VA Cafe & Bar (5844 3638)

Shanghai Ultra, MHP
Shanghai electronic groups invade the capital with techno attack. Free. 10pm. Lantern (135 0134 8785)

Snipe Drive, Larry’s Pizza
Finnish emo rock band start their China tour at Gulou Dongdajie. RMB 60, RMB 50 (advance). 8.30pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Streets Kill Strange Animals, Me Too, Music Is Murder
Shoegaze into noise rock sphere and wake up with the electro-rock. RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 10pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

Syndicate 6th Anniversary
Beijing’s drum & bass prophets return for their sixth birthday party. RMB 50. 9pm. White Rabbit (6417 2588)

Will
British folk singer plays at SOHO Shangdu. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Wu & The Side Effects
Blues rock breaks the silence. RMB 30. 9pm. Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar (6401 4611)

Sunday (March 14)

AOK, Miao, Overline, Ma Li Xue’er, I. L. T. B, Lucky Monkey
Indie rock and pop hit by electro power, that’s for your “White Valentine”. RMB 60, RMB 50 (advance), RMB 100 (couple). 7.30pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Feng Yan
Folk singer sings acoustic. Free. 9.30pm. Zuiyuefang Bar (6405 4482)

G.O.U.M, Green Equation, Mineral Water, Faw, Plaid Shirt, Summer Dream
Youth rock party at Wudaokou. RMB 30, RMB 20 (students). 8pm. 13 Club (8261 9267)

Lao Liu & Sand
Liu Donghong and his fellow shazi play blues rock in the former warlords’ backyard. RMB 50. 8.30pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)

Lao Ya, Hoochie Coochie Gentleman
Grunge encounters blues. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Niklas Winter, Teemu Viinikainen
Finnish jazz guitarists wrap the weekend. RMB 40. 9pm. Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar (6401 4611)

Yan Jun, Wu Na
Sub Jam concert experiment with any sound listenable, or not. RMB 50. 8pm. 2 Kolegas (6436 8998)

Zhong Tongqian
Trip-hop singer goes acoustic. RMB 50, RMB 40 (students). 9pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

Check the Beijinger Directory for venue details