A Closer Look at the Bar & Club Awards: Best Live Music Venue

Kyle Mullin | Oct 9, 2016 5:30 pm | Add a comment | 1796 reads

With the "A Closer Look" series, we raise our glasses in recognition of the Beijinger 2016 Bar & Club Award winners, before giving a toast (in text form, of course) about why they were selected by our readers.

Beijing's music scene has had a tough year, to say the least. But it's not all bad news. Despite the closure of some of the city's most heralded venues, there are still more than enough stalwarts left standing to keep the music alive.

TBJ's readers declared Temple Bar to be the best of that bunch that is still alive and thriving. What's more, this is the second time that the highly popular venue snagged this award, taking the mantle from fellow Gulou livehouse Yugong Yishan, which prior to that had an astoundingly long run as the winner since 2008.

Part of Temple's recent dominance can be chalked up to its variety of gigs types (and therefore an equally eclectic range of ticket prices). It also boasts a much more casual, in-your-face atmosphere when compared to other longstanding livehouses with bigger stages.

4corners, meanwhile, made a very strong runner-up showing thanks to a laid-back atmosphere which rivals that of Temple, along with its penchant for hosting beloved, highly engaging cover bands like Tavey Lean and The Solid Gold Dream Machine, Bye Bye Kitty, and Violette and The Hunters, among others. Dusk Dawn Club (DDC) also made the cut as a runner up, which can no doubt be attributed to its cozy intimacy, sprawling range of gig types (everything from the fringe of folk to post punk and world music), and enchanting hutong decor.

And there you have it! Here here! Bottoms up to TBJ's Bar/Club of the Year winner and finalists. Do you have fond memories of partying at these storied locales? Can you recommend some of their best beverages or events? Or are you instead outraged that another venue was snubbed? Feel free to weigh in with any of that, or more, in the comments below.

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