2010 Nov 12 Weekend Live Music Roundup: Rustic, X is Y, Liquid Oxygen Can
With DJs and VJs trashing the hutongs more and more often, it’s time for the rock bands to take down Sanlitun. Rustic and Residence A are leading the charge into the heart of the club zone on Saturday at Club Le. The bands say: "Beijing is a place where people love to pay a couple of thousand for a woman's body, but they will not pay 50 kuai for a Rock n Roll show." Why not prove them wrong?
Yet the rock spirit is not leaving the hutong areas. Also on Saturday night, in Dongmianhua hutong, Liquid Oxygen Can is going to perform acoustic metal. As one of the most unique metal bands in China, LOC knows how to bring out the most in metalheads. But their acoustic show is something else. I saw one last year and was shocked that they could mix traditional Chinese elements with metal and make it sound so calm and wonderful.
Besides the Beijingers noted above, we have a lineup of interesting visitors this weekend. Bands and musicians such as Luke Chow from Hong Kong and X is Y from Shanghai take indie and experimental as their leading edge, but folk is the one not to be missed. I’m not a huge fan of folk music to be honest, but I was so touched when I saw Wu Tiao Ren for the first time. I was left thinking: why can’t we all be so cheerful and easygoing all the time? The Guangdong band will be here for two nights: Saturday at Mako Live House and Sunday at D-22.
Here comes more:
Friday (November 12)
Luke Chow (Hong Kong)
Have an easy night with indie pop music. Joined by Arrows Made of Desire, Pacalolo and Old Fashion. RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 10pm. D-22
Moonglow Cabaret 1925
Moonglow Burlesque, the only burlesque performance troupe in Beijing, presents a two-hour extravaganza. Price TBD. 9-11pm. The One
Peggy Hsu
Indie pop girl from Taiwan. RMB 150, RMB 120 (advance). 8.30pm. MAO Livehouse
Residence A
One of the best young rock bands in Beijing. RMB 60, RMB 50 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Cafe
Skarving
Dancing is the best way to keep your body warm. Why not dance with some ska tonight. RMB 40 (including a draft beer). 9pm. What Bar
Steely Heart, Candy Monster, Metoo
Young Chinese bands rock in English. Disco punk, pop punk and post punk. RMB 40. 10pm. 2 Kolegas
X is Y
Warm up your weekend with some mild experimental tunes. Shanghai band X is Y plus Amazing Insurance Salesman and Street Kill Strange Animals. RMB 50, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Yugong Yishan
Nov 13
Air Supply
Sing along to ‘80s hits with the Aussie duo. They are not too old to be “lost in love.” RMB 280-2880. Tickets at 400 610 3721. 7.30pm. Capital Gymnasium
Christmas, Soul Doctors
Beijing’s most “retarded” band and funky doctors. Free. 10pm. Hot Cat Club
Jordan Thomas Mitchell
Beijing-based singer-songwriter Jordan Mitchell serenades you with his guitar and mix of original folk and reinterpreted classics. Free. 8pm. The Bookworm (6503 2050)
Liquid Oxygen Can
Acoustic metal is not to be missed. RMB 70, RMB 60 (advance). 9pm. Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar
Maze, X is Y, MeToo, The Flying Mantas
Post-rock, math rock, indie rock, folk rock … RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 10pm. D-22
Moonglow Cabaret 1925
See Friday.
Thrash Till Death
Metalheads gather. RMB 50 (if Explosicum plays), RMB 45 (if they don’t). 9.45pm. 13 Club
Rustic
The best surprise last year joined by the best surprise this year: Residence A. RMB 60, RMB 50 (students). 9pm. Le Club
Wu Tiao Ren
Folk group singing in their local language (something between Cantonese and
Hokkien), talking about their normal lives with the most relaxing music. So simple,
so real. RMB 60, RMB 50. 8.30pm. Mako Live House
Nov 14
Amazing Insurance Salesman, The Grinding Ear, Bedstars…
Young rock bands gather. RMB 50. RMB 40 (advance, students). 8.30pm. MAO Livehouse
Wu Tiao Ren
Missed them on Friday? Here’s your second chance. RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 9pm. D-22 (6265 3177)
You might also be interested in :
Weekend Live Music Roundup: Folk and Rock Buyi, Pioneers' Festival and Other Folky Blues
I have mistakenly thought of Buyi as a folk band for a long time. Maybe it's because of their name: Buyi (布衣), meaning cotton cloths or common people in Chinese. And also the singer's magnetic voice with a slight north-western accent endows their songs a sense of Chinese country music. But they have played some hard-rock tunes and sometimes even pop-punk plays a role in their work. The magic thing is, no matter what genre their music reminds you of, it always comes with this feeling of a wanderer's freeness and simplicity, getting to the point right away in a way that sooths your nervous mind. See them at Star Live before you go meet crazy DJs late on Saturday night.Weekend Live Music Roundup: Heaven Shall Burn, Gangzi Tuliguer, Ourself Beside Me
You probably just had a long week, but Beijing never gives you a rest – there's always so much happening. Sometimes I feel it's even a waste to sleep on weekends. Maybe I'm greedy. The good news is that Beijing is the right city to be greedy in – even though we just had two back to back music festivals in the suburbs last weekend the city is not getting any quieter.
Metalheads from Germany and Japan are in town. From the German side, the thing that interested me about Heaven Shall Burn is not their political attitude, but the fact they are vegetarians. Can someone explain to me: what is the connection between metal and vegetarians? Because there are many who are both. It will really surprise me if the Japanese Hydrophobia only eats vegetables too, since they are "grinding brutal death."Weekend Live Music Roundup: P.K. 14, Carsick Cars, Acoustic Metal Show
Local record label Maybe Mars is a bit obsessed with distinguishing generations lately. Their new release Generation Six just came out recently, twelve songs from four bands (Rustic, Birdstriking, Flyx, Old Fashion) make up this album; left people wondering what the other five generations are. Half of the question is getting answered tonight. Three bands of three different generations gather at Yugong Yishan tonight: Mr. Graceless didn't make their songs to the Generation Six album but got to represent them with Carsick Cars and Post-rock icons P.K. 14 representing two older generations.
2011 Live Music Roundup: Cui Jian, the Eagles, Helloween, 30 Seconds to Mars
My 2010 started with New Pants' absence at the Orange Hall of Sanlitun Village. But over the next 12 months, the music scene thrived in Beijing faster than ever. Though there's still a long way to go for the music industry in China, the music festivals did bring us some great times and albums released by the local bands came across as one surprise after another.
But it's time to move on. Almost all the best of the local acts are out celebrating the New Year during the next two nights: Carsick Cars, Free the Birds, Re-Tros, Hanggai, Long Shen Dao… and the "godfather" of Chinese rock music, Cui Jian.
See a full list of this weekend's lineup at the bottom of the post.Weekend Live Music Roundup: Queen of XXXXing Everything, Part of The Best China Band & Final RandomK(e) Gig
The temperature may be dropping into the below zero range, but some of Beijing's best acts are just coming back to the city, while others are moving to even colder climes. Our "queen of XXXXing everything" and her band Subs take over Yugong Yishan tonight. MAO Livehouse is going to be packed with skater punk boys and young girls on Saturday because their favorite pop punk band Reflector has finally finished their national tour. They'll be having a final celebration of their "new album" with their hommies, although the album is not so new anymore, since it has been out there for more than six months. Meanwhile Lure, another local pop punk band formed in the '90, just finished their new one, and will celebrate in the same venue on Sunday.There are more local acts this weekend, but let's talk about laowais.
joshfeola
Re: Weekend Live Music Roundup: Rustic, X is Y, Liquid ...
check out an interview with X is Y here: http://pangbianr.com/x-is-y-interview
there is also a Saturday afternoon performance by solo violinist Yan Yulong, part of the TEDxBeijing simulcast at Studio X: http://pangbianr.com/tedxbeijing-2010
-Josh
http://pangbianr.com