8 Music Festivals and Shows to See You Dance Through Spring
Below is a compilation of the top eight music festivals and concerts to grace Beijing over the next month, ushering us through spring as the weather goes from meh to divine. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen such a full calendar, signaling not only a lush couple of months for us to frolic around from gig to gig but hopefully a dramatic shift in music exhibition for our beloved city as well. For that, only time will tell, but for now it's time to start marking dates.
Apr 30: Full_Screen
If you love dancing but could care less about the big room EDM, laser, strobes, and other irrelevant elements that cover up the fact that the music sounds like a ringtone on full blast, then this should be the festival for you. Full_Screen is a new initiative from Shadowplay, a long-running collective of DJs, artists, and promoters that aim to transform spaces with installation art and music to create completely immersive multi-sensory experiences. Some of the noteworthy performers coming in for this incendiary occasion include Anthony Parasole (Ostgut Ton / NYC), Syracuse (Antinote / Paris), Rahaan (Street Edits / Chicago), Tom Huet (Paris), Addictive TV (London), and Pan Daijing (Berlin). RMB 240, RMB 180 (advance). 10pm. Tango 3/F. Read more here
Apr 30-May 2: 2016 Strawberry Music Festival
The folks at Modern Sky are gearing up to bring you a deep selection of artists from China and beyond that will rock your face off over the course of three days this May holiday. With many of the imported acts taking the main stage, there seems to be a live electronics focus, with bands like Prodigy (UK), Disclosure (UK, video above), Modestep (UK), and Egopusher (CH), just to name a few. We’re not sure if it’s the virtual reality theme they seem to be incorporating or what. With one exception. A highlight will be America's Pissed Jeans, a raucous noise rock band that totally lives up to the pungent sound of their name and punk musings on such phenomena as balding and ongoing apathy. This will be ideal for fans of Nirvana, Mudhoney, or Melvins. RMB 300 (one day), RMB 610 (three days), RMB 240 (one day, advance), RMB 519 (three days, advance). 2-9pm. Read more here
May 12: Night Shft Festival
Prepare yourselves for a bunch of big name DJs in the world of underground bass and trap who are all set to head to Beijing for the appropriately titled Night Shft Festival at Yugong Yishan on May 7. They are bringing in the superb talents of Mad Decent's UZ, OG Maco (Atlanta), and Tsunano (Taiwan) to fill out this extreme night of crunked jams. Also on the list are Beijing favorites Oshi, Nasty Ray, Bloodzboi, and MCs Al Rocco and Blow Fever. That’s a lot of bass. RMB 80 (early bird), RMB 120 (advance), RMB 200. 8pm. Yugong Yishan. Read more here
May 7: Stones Throw 20th Anniversary Tour
A Handful of artists from Stones Throw, a hip-hop-centric independent record label first founded in 1996 and home to artists such as the late J Dilla, MF DOOM, and Madlib, are undertaking a tour of Asia to celebrate 20 years of spitting fire. The line-up includes a DJ set from the label’s founder Peanut Butter Wolf, along with electro legend Egyptian Lover, and a special collaborative set between Knxwledge and Earl Sweatshirt – a must see for anyone interested in experiencing some truly legendary figures in the world of underground hip-hop and electro. RMB 150, RMB 100 (advance). 9pm. D-Park. Read more here
May 13-15: BOOM's 2016 Great Wall Run and Music Fest
There are currently over 30 DJs slated to perform on four stages throughout this three-day event, including international talents like Deorro, Frontliner, Code Black, and Pendulum, along with with local favorites like Blackie, Jackson Lee, Pei, and Pancake Lee. It’s good to see a Great Wall festival that makes use of the awesome Beijing-based DJs instead of just relying on a couple of big names off the Top 100 DJ list. Check out the flyer for their “phase one” lineup, to which more DJs should be added in the weeks leading up to the event. RMB 350. 2pm-12am. Simatai Great Wall. Read more here
May 14: Memphis in May in Beijing BBQ/Music Fest
Get ready to celebrate spring Memphis style with this savory music-focused event from Home Plate BBQ. They have a lineup of five bands, starting at 2pm and going until late, including The Plum Trees, Bye Bye Kitty, Joey & Elsie, and Stevie Mac & the Mac Daddies. Oh yeah, and we almost forgot to mention that they'll have a whole hog buffet from 2-5pm with three sides, and salad for only RMB 100. Vedett and Boulevard beers are a measly RMB 25 from 2pm until closing. 2pm-1am. Home Plate BBQ
May 21: Folk Festival at Hotcat Club
Get ready to folk sh*t up at Hot Cat on May 21, with m any of the city’s best singer-songwriters coming together to display their talents live, featuring an epic lineup of performers that includes Ember Swift, Nathan Borofka, Dan Taylor, Kamau, Reese's Ukulele Cluster Cuss, Jordan Darling, Mengma, and many more. All famous or up-and-coming names of the local scene gathering together to indulge in the magic of folk music for an entire day. Food and draft beer will be available on their terrace as usual. RMB 50. 4pm-12am. Hot Cat Club
May 28: INTRO 2016
Since it began in 2009, INTRO has always been a highlight of summer's music related events in Beijing as they are notorious for bringing out giant sound systems, insane light displays, and the city’s best DJs for a day-long party outside the city limits. It will be once again held at Hebei’s Grand Epoch City on May 28, from 2-11pm. The lineup includes Japan's Ken Ishii, who has been in the game for over 20 years, making incredibly heady techno that helped to bring international attention to the Japanese club scene in the 90s; along with Tunisian DJs Tic & Tac; and the Swiss art collective Supermafia, who will be manning the lasers, video projections, and strobes throughout the night. Alongside these big names, you can also expect the usual Lantern regulars hitting the decks, including Juliana Lima, Yang Bing, BB Deng, Mickey Zhang, and Weng Weng, along with a dedicated bass stage for The Syndicate crew and the Kollection Stage which will primarily feature house and a small dose of hip-hop. RMB 380, RMB 280 (advance). 2pm-12am. Grand Epoch City. Read more here
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Email: danielkippwhittaker@thebeijinger.com
Photos from the organizers