Weekend Gig Guide Mar 11-14: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Kalmah, Bryan Rice, Nathan Felix
We here at the Beijinger are happy to present Live Beijing Music's weekend gig guide, written by head honcho Mr. Will Griffith. Will has been running around Beijing for over four years, documenting the city's shows and the requisite onlooking drunkards with various cameras/sound recorder setups, losing plenty of equipment along the away in his attempt to capture Beijing's aural spirit. You'll occasionally catch him pogoing like a madman when he's not got a camera in hand. Take it away, Will ...
RELATED: Check out the most recent Weekend Gig Guide here
Clear skies for brisk winds is the trade off this week and I think I’m OK with that – as long as there is enough music to go around and warm up those eardrums. And what sweet nectar is in supply for us this weekend. Let’s have a look and as always hit up our calendar over at livebeijingmusic.com for a comprehensive view of what’s in store this month.
Friday, March 11
Kalmah (Finland) at Yugong Yishan
Finnish melodic death powerhouses Kalmah bring their ‘King of the Swamp’ tour over to the big house. Throw on some black and ride with the devil. RMB 260
Wu Hongfei at DDC
Indie folk veteran Wu Hongfei gathers her merry group of (mighty talented) friends for a special unplugged performance honoring Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhikers Guide. Strangest and most awesome of tribute – color me intrigued. RMB 100
Demerit, Shochu Legion, The Diders, Daoci at the Old What? Bar
Punk invades the Forbidden City dive bar for some fist pumping good times as Demerit, who are about to embark on a European tour, join The Diders and more. RMB 30
Liu Donghong & Sand at Jianghu Bar
Earthy blues-ridden folk rocker brings the whole gang to the hutong music staple. RMB 80
Bastards of Imperialism, Mind Walk in Rye, Qing Xu Feng Bao, Rocking Doctor, Ni Gou, The Story Teller at School
New local promoters Crazy Night throws together a fresh lineup of new blood including politically inclined punk rockers Bastards of Imperialism. RMB 50
Yuyang, Chen Hongyu at Modernsky Lab
Smooth voiced folk up and coming singer-songwriters Yuyang and Hongyu hit the road together with their bands and their first stop is Galaxy SOHO. RMB 100
Bryan Rice (Denmark) at Tango
Danish pop star breaks out the falsetto for his Beijing tour. RMB 150
Nathan Felix (USA), GOOOOOSE, Noise Arcade, Soundspade at Aotu Studio
Catch an ambient filled solo outing from indie pop trope The Noise Revival Orchestra’s Nathan Felix with support from Gooooose, the electronic side project from Duck Fight Goose’s Han Han, and more. RMB 40
Facelift (Austria), Elenore at Temple
Austrian alternative rock outfit Facelift, formed in the late 1990s and hailed as one of the country’s finest blaze through Temple alongside britpop faves Elenore. Free
The Nightcrawlers at Caravan
Real pure Chicago blues coming at you in the Moroccan eatery and venue Caravan. RMB 50
Xiao Pu, Papi Mo, Cui Longyang, Suzi Xu, Rosewood Bullet at Mao Livehouse
It’s a folkful evening of acoustic-led sounds, and stories woven through the various singer-songwriters taking the stage including up and comers Xiao Pu, Suzi Xu, and more. RMB 100
Jump The Fence, One Hung Low, Disaster Chat at Hot Cat Club
A night of riffin’ and rollin’ with three up and coming expat outfits that have been working the circuit and building quite the reputation as of late. Free
Saturday, March 12
Namo, Hoochie Coochie Gentlemen at DDC
Likely to be sold out by the time you read this, it's an all star evening of some of Beijing's bets alternative folk rock acts in town as campus rock favorites join blues trope Hoochie Coochie Gentlemen for a spring welcoming hoedown. RMB 100
The Hotline, Elenore, Heat Mark, Elenore, Bye Bye Noise at Mao Livehouse
The ‘Purely Imaginary’ series takes over the soon to be extinct (?) Mao Livehouse for a two-day indie rock festival featuring some of the scene’s most popular acts including dance punks Heat Mark, electro rockers The Hotline, and more. Runs Saturday and Sunday. RMB 80
Fugu (Malaysia) at fRUITYSPACE
Malaysian improve duo Fugu opens up at the new and public ready fRUITYSPACE - vinyl safe haven fRUITYSHOP’s new space, located at 13 Meishuguan Dong Jie.
Noise Revival Orchestra (USA), Hard Candy Revolution at School
After a two-month tour in 2012, The Noise Revival Orchestra a 10-piece pop-rock orchestra from Austin, Texas, returns to Beijing to serenade audiences with their upbeat indie pop sensibilities. RMB 60
Hell City, Last Resort at Temple
Hard-edged Motorhead-infused punk rockers Hell City bring their Mohawks to Temple for some mischief. Free
Ice Moon, Scarlet Horizon, The Skin I Live In, The Sweet Escape, Owat, Devil Mask, Multi-Ego, The Uncrowned, Drunkard, AJK, Scar Constitution at Yugong Yishan
It’s a family gathering of metal fiends and the bands that inspired them as nu metal vets Beijing Thug Life Brothers host a horde of metal’s fiercest characters including Army of Jade Kirin (gothic metal), Multi-Ego (emo metal) and much much more. RMB 100
Ma Xiao at Jianghu Bar
The singer-songwriter Ma Xiao presents his latest EP, Teenage Ballad, as he kicks off his tour. RMB 60
Zhang Qianqian at 69 Café
The folk songstress returns to the intimate stage of 69 Café for a late 5pm starting set. RMB 60
Soul Pollution at Hot Cat Club
Shuffle, mojo, and jungle beats – a few of the Chicago blues staples you’ll be hearing tonight with Soul Pollution. Free
Sunday, March 13
U-Dastan Ensemble at DDC
DDC label’s flagship band, U-Dastan Ensemble, comprised of Uyghur musicians of the utmost musicianship perform at homebase tonight. RMB 80
Solaris at 69 Café
Neo-psychedelic outfit Solaris bring their unique, indefinable soundscapes to the cozy 69 Café for a late afternoon session. 5pm start. RMB 50
Paskura (RUS) at School
Russian metal outfit Paskura swings through Beijing on their nationwide tour – bring your handle of vodka and miss with China’s long lost comrades. RMB 60
Sisyphus, Virus Antibody, Orange Ocean, CA, ABOUT US at Modernsky Lab
Modernsky Lab in Galaxy SOHO bring melodic metal, emo punk, skateboard punk, and other shades of nu to their digs. RMB 60
Monday, March 14
Godspeed You! Black Emperor (Canada) at Tango
Canadian post rock titans return to Beijing courtesy of Spilt Works and its gonna be glorious – ‘orchestral, prophetic, historic, bone-shaking, tear-inducing, and thought provoking’ – just some of the words tossed around when talking about their live shows. Hubba hubba. RMB 360, RMB 280 (advance)
Phew! Still hungry for more? For events, videos, and photos from Beijing's thriving music scene, head over to Live Beijing Music.
Images: Live Beijing Music, courtesy of the organizers
