Noise Pollution: Yaksa at Omni Space, Gum Bleed at Temple, Maybe Mars Record Store Day at Yue Space

Will Griffith | Apr 19, 2019 12:00 pm | Add a comment | 436 reads

The great willow blitzkrieg continues and that means one thing – we’re in the thick of it. Spring is coming hard and fast and by next week we’ll be sweating it out to summer jams for the next three months. So enjoy it while it lasts and bust a move at one of these fine gigs this weekend – metal, punk, surf rock, folk, and post-punk – it’s all for the taking.

Friday, Apr 19

Yaksa, The Dark Prison Massacre at Omni Space
One of Beijing’s longest active metal outfits, Yaksa, who have long abandoned their nu-metal paths, who jumped ship to label head behemoths Modern Sky a couple of years back, are back and plowing through one city after another on their epic nationwide tour. Catch the band, who have increasingly been getting in touch with their softer and more rustic side, at Omni Space to hordes of fans and of course, mosh pits. RMB 180

Tavey Lean and The Solid Gold Dream Machine, Boss Cuts at DDC
Soul, funk and RnB cover band Tavey Lean and The Solid Gold Dream Machine, one of the city’s most ferociously loved bands, teams up with surf rock torchbearers Boss Cuts to put out a split cassette. Celebrate the release of this album, with original compositions by both bands, this evening and never be the same again. Read our recent interview with Boss Cuts here. RMB 60

Peking Floyd, Led Barons at School Bar
The glory days of rock and roll live on in tonight tribute to two of the greats – Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Catch Peking Floyd, whose vast collection of cuts from Pink Floyd’s most creative years at the height of their improvisation and psychedelic jamming, team up with Led Barons, of Beijing’s finest and most familiar rock and roll faces. RMB 80

Djang San at Temple
East-meets-West fusionist and veteran show stopper Djang San – a jack of trades include ‘zhongruan player, philosopher, poet, composer, guitar hero, DJ, one-man orchestra, and explorer of new sounds’ bring their buck-wild tunes to Temple. FREE

2REAL at Mao Livehouse
Hip-hop superstar 2REAL, whose playful, comedic pop rap has made him beloved across China, swings through Wukesong as part of his nationwide tour. RMB 150

Daan Kleijn Trio at The Bricks
Dutch jazz musician Daan Kleijn whose journey brought him to New York performing at some of the city’s finest jazz venues (Blue Note Jazz Club, Bar Next Door, Kitano) and made him a sought-after studio guitarist with over a dozen records alongside jazz greats like Rodney Green, Ron McClure, Mike Rodriquez, and many more, hits up Sanlitun. FREE

Craig Handy at Blue Note
Craig Handy is an accomplished musician on both alto and tenor saxophone and flute, bandleader, composer and arranger, actor, and teacher. His distinctive sound and authentic instrumental prowess were redoubtable traits immediately noticed by artists of stature, especially those committed to nurturing new talent on the bandstand and road. RMB 260-360

Wang Fanrui at Yue Space
Contemporary folk singer-songwriter Wang Fanrui, born and raised in Xi’an but now based in Beijing, launches his latest national tour. He’s gonna a big deal with the young ones so expect a packed house. RMB 120

Liron Man (Isareal) at The City
As well as a composer, a flamenco guitar player with an affinity for world music, and a self-taught handpan master, the Israel-born Liron Man has also performed in nearly 30 countries and collaborated with artists such as Sandy Lam, Jorge Pardo, and more. RMB 200

Edge Walking at Jianghu Bar
Urban folk outfit Edge Walking brings their contemporary take on traditional Chinese sounds and stories to Jianghu Bar this evening. RMB 60

Eric Allen Woodshed at Caravan
The rowdy blues makers Eric Allen and his band Woodshed bring the sounds of Americana to Caravan combining a rocky style with authentic American Chicago, Texas, and Mississippi Delta blues. RMB 60

Xiao Rong, Steve & Keziah at FM Live
Influenced by rock's golden era of the '50s, '60s psychedelic, '90s grunge, and then some, Steve Blaque brings a mixture of styles from the modern and postmodern era wrapped up in his own sound of hard-edged acoustic and vocals alongside singer Keziah. They join Xiao Rong this evening at FM Live. FREE

Xu Jun at Pink Moon
Xu Jun of the Qin-style rock band Che Nian Po performs solo at the cozy Pink Moon. FREE

The Rebel 5 at Modernista
The Rebel 5, formerly known as The Rotten 5, is a soul, R&B, and funk music ensemble covering some of the greatest songs of all times. Catch them working the dance floor at Modernista. FREE

Saturday, Apr 20

Ouch, The Flyx, Xiao Wang, Day Dream, Pizza Face at School Bar
Punk is the name of the game this evening, and joining in on the fun are ska punk legends Ouch, China's answer to Anti-Flag The Flyx, self-described kawaii core punk 'n' roll four-piece Xiao Wang, pop-punk rockers Day Dream (returning to the stage for the first time in months), female-fronted glam rockers Pizza Face. Punk done right – good vibrations indeed. RMB 80

The Flood, Boogie Man, Prost & Unit at DDC
Country rock act The Flood make their way up from Shanghai – they’ll be joining blues group Boogie Man, supergroup rockers Proust and hard-hitting no holds barrel noise punk rock group UNIT for a night of rock in all its forms. RMB 80

Gumbleed, Jungle Fever, Cherry Mor at Temple
A rambunctious and scrappy collection of rock and rollers this evening that’ll please all taste buds – anti-establishment punk faves Gum Bleed return alongside upbeat beat-dropping rockers Jungle Fever and pop punk up and comers (with strong word of mouth swirling around them) Cherry Mor. FREE

ZaZaZsu at DDC
ZaZaZsu brings a feminine and feminist sensibility to retro songs about falling in love. They take their name from the Spanish language and they bring a light, romantic vibe to their traditional pop and jazz-pop creations. RMB 60

The Baylor Project at Blue Note
The Baylor Project featuring Jean Baylor and Marcus Baylor is steeped in the heart and soul of Jazz. Their debut The Journey, topped the Billboard Jazz Chart at Number 8 and a year later garnered 2 Grammy Nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Traditional R&B Performance, solidifying The Baylor Project as an undeniable force. RMB 220-420

Hayrui, Lil Rong, Lim, NaCho, Philo, P-ink, REDKEY, Sean Zh, 2z, V.O.B, Boogie Lin at Mao Livehouse
Duke it out with this eclectic group of rappers over in Wukesong who’ll be participating in the Listen Up! rap contest. Let’s find out who’s got the best flow between Lil Rong, NaCho, P-ink, and many many more. RMB 150

Lulu’s Quartet at The Bricks
Shanghai chanteuse, show director and producer renowned for her unique style and talent as well as being the co-founder of the first authentic China cabaret troupe returns to Beijing with some of the finest jazz men here, aiming to set the town on fire with her sense of rhythm and dynamics. FREE

Xu Haiqiao at Omni Space
Indie-pop singer Xu Haiqiao brings her tender and emotionally resonant music to Omni Space. The artist has a penchant for songs about death, sickness, and disease, so bring some Kleenex for the tears. RMB 100

Stevie Mac and The Mac Daddies at Caravan
Another Caravantastic party featuring the ever-expanding jazz-pop troupe Stevie Mac and The Mac Daddies, known for bringing their vintage approach to contemporary music. Expect Mad Hatter ice tea, and Alice in Wonderland costumes as they celebrate Easter weekend. RMB 70

Led Barons at Soi Baochao
Led Barons is a Led Zeppelin tribute project formed by four musicians of the Beijing scene with the intent of bringing to the stage classic tunes by one of rock 'n' roll's biggest bands and delivering a raw, hard-rocking spectacle worthy of the legendary group. FREE

V89 at Pink Moon
Melodic hard rock outfit V89 who have been kicking around for some time now, bring their charm and chops to Pink Moon for a special showcase. FREE

Mystery, Aaron, Lang Tianyi at Mogu Space
Female singer-songwriters Lang Tianyi and Mystery take the stage tonight at Mogu Space alongside Aaron for some acoustic-led melodies. FREE

2Men at FM Live
This accordion violin folk duo brings their multifaceted, all-encompassing brand of soundtrack music – covering an array of classic films and musical scores. FREE

Li Ying, Zhang Yang at La Plantation
Mezzo-soprano singer Li Ying joins renowned pianist Zhang Yang. RMB 200

Sunday, Apr 21

Streets Kill Strange Animals, Lonely Leary, Muzzy Mum at Yue Space
Maybe Mars celebrate Record Store Day (better late than never) with a hell of a Sunday lineup. Former Beijing post-punk outfit and one of the scene’s most underrated gems, Streets Kill Strange Animals (now based in Nanjing) return with new material alongside newly signed Xinxiang post-punk band Muzzy Mum, and Beijing’s own post-punk torchbearers Lonely Leary. If that wasn’t enough, the label will have new splits to grip including three seven-inch vinyls containing new singles from P.K.14, Lonely Leary, Dear Eloise, and Streets Kill Strange Animals. RMB 100

Lost Memory Machine, Uncle Hu, MFmachine at School
The new collaborative lo-fi pop project of David (of Nocturnes) and Wuhan singer Shii, Lost Memory Machine, whose music is a richly textured mixture of atmospheric guitar, synths, electronic drums, found sound, and samples, perform tonight at School Bar alongside lo-fi indie folk artist Uncle Hu and synth-pop outfit MFmachine. RMB 80

JaJaTao at Omni Space
Mad hat grunge revisionists Jajatao, a band who have been quietly working on their sophomore album, are back with a vengeance. The Beijing band, whose culturally radical and satirically rich live act has made them crowd favorites, finish off their tour across China at Omni Space – so expect them to leave it all on the stage. RMB 120

Maybe Percussion at 20% Space
Maybe Noise Records – the new avant-garde contemporary music label (made up of some of Maybe Mars most influential characters) – are back with their latest installment of genre-breaking sounds with a performance by Maybe Percussion – which consists of an array of top-notch percussionists (Wang Xu, Bi Yuanfei, Li Fan, Maote, Deng Boyu) getting their avant-garde on. 4pm start. FREE

UNIT, A.D.S, Hu Xiao Chur at Temple
It ain’t nothing but rock and roll – but what glorious rock and roll it is as this Sunday at Temple leaves nothing to the imagination as noise punk up and comers UNIT join hard rockers A.D.S and indie kids Hu Xiao Chur for some mischievous fun. FREE

Si Yaqin, Yan Jun, Pu Yuxing (JP) at fRUITYSPACE
Berlin-based media artist Si Yaqin, Tokyo-born composer, percussionist, and sound engineer Pu Yuxing, and the one and only avant-garde experimental mainstay Yan Jun perform and present The Strength of Strength and Weakness with the help of Zoomin Night regulars like Zhu Wenbo, Zhao Cong, Liu Wei, and more. RMB 50

Daan Kleijn Trio at Modernista
Dutch jazz musician Daan Kleijn whose journey brought him to New York performing at some of the city’s finest jazz venues (Blue Note Jazz Club, Bar Next Door, Kitano) and made him a sought-after studio guitarist with over a dozen records alongside jazz greats like Rodney Green, Ron McClure, Mike Rodriquez, and many more, hits up Modernista. FREE

Wu Zhangfa, Idiot at Jianghu Bar
Crossing-talking folk-rock outfit Idiot brings their modern take on the classic genre alongside world music group Wu Zhangfa who use the guqin and other traditional instruments to explore new sounds. FREE

Fancy stuffing your face instead? Read up on the best Easter brunches this weekend.

Photos: Will Griffith, courtesy of the venues