Talking Tunes: Backstreet's Back (and so is Beijing CD Blues Festival)

How did you enjoy your holiday? Hope you're suitably rested for what remains of this two-day week, before we can relax again for a couple of days. Hurrah! And how did you enjoy Strawberry or Midi? Did you make the right choice? By all accounts both had their pros and cons. We'll have a comprehensive end of festival report for the pair on TheBeijinger.com tomorrow. And the best part is, it's not over yet as we've barely got going on this year's musical festivities.

This coming weekend marks the start of the 2013 Beijing CD Blues Festival; Dongpai Folk Festival goes ahead a week later at 2 Kolegas; Hanggai Festival returns at Shuangjing's Mako Live House on June 14, 15 and 16; and there's still a good chance we'll see a reboot of the China Music Valley Festival before the summer's out, too. Add to that The Great Wall Music Festival, and INTRO 2013 and there's till plenty to look forward to on the horizon.

Looks like we've got a former Pussycat Doll coming to town as well. Kaya Jones has gone solo and has two June dates penciled in at a venue TBD.

And we mustn't forget that Backstreet Boys launch a world tour at the MasterCard Center on May 25. After some mild scolding from Backstreet fans on the official website, the on-off date seems to have been confirmed as the start of the Asia leg of a 20-year anniversary world tour. However, either tickets for the show sold out in one day, or they're still not on sale yet.

How about a story with an unusually happy ending to see us into the weekend? You've probably heard of Carsick Cars, one of the most famous of the Maybe Mars brood, the Chinese rockers are currently working on their third studio album in the US. But as we were told earlier today, the story of the band's third record was over almost before it had begun. Maybe Mars' Lolly Fan takes up the story:

"Late one night, after a solo show at XP, the tired (Carsick Cars guitarist) Shouwang took a taxi. All he wanted to do was get home and have a good rest. When the car stopped in front of his house he paid the bill, got out and after a few steps felt suspiciously light-footed. Something was very wrong. His heart nearly stopped when he realized why, and he turned around as fast as he could only to find the taxi was already out of sight. The equipment left in the trunk included his original Gibson SG (1965) guitar and all his effect pedals as well as original (and sole) loops and samples for White+.

"Shouwang had just lost the stuff Carsick Cars and White+ are made of. And he was due to record new material with his idol. He had no choice but to look to the heavens and say "No! Not now! Not me! Not like this!". In a clever act of defiance, Shouwang mobilized the world around him. The "Beijing taxi telegraph" started to spread word, he watched traffic surveillance videos recorded where it happened, called one thousand and one phone numbers. Friends and acquaintances started spreading the word over myriad social media platforms, but it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The only information about the cab that contained this valuable stuff was the color of the car, and the pickup and drop-off times and locations, since he'd forgotten to take the receipt from the driver (a lesson for all of us).

"In a matter of hours, Shouwang's cry for help had already been forwarded 2,000 times; a silent but honest sign of support from his friends and fans. Some even called Maybe Mars to see how they could help him retrieve his material. One particular Weibo user said he'd take 7 or 8 taxis a day only to inquire if any of the drivers had come across this unusual bounty.

"A few days later there was still no news on the whereabouts of Shouwang's stuff and hopes plummeted. Shouwang without his Gibson is like Carsick Cars without a soul, and White+ without its demos are a black hole of nothing.

"Then, someone had a brilliant idea: call a detective who specializes in retrieving things lost and forgotten in cabs. Even though this sounded dodgy and everyone was dubious, this was the trick that did it. In return for a fee, the kind and competent detective got Shouwang back his 'precious'".

Heartwarming and very fortunate indeed.

To a quick blast of what to look forward to in the coming days:

• The 2013 Beijing CD Blues Festival gets underway on Friday night (May 3) and runs every weekend thereafter at Cafe CD Blues until the end of May, and features a host of top international bluesmen and women.
• Alpine Decline bow out for a while with a show at School tomorrow night (May 3).
• Pacalolo perform close by at V.A Bar tomorrow night (May 3), too.
• Not There are back, and the dance rockers perform at Temple this Saturday (May 4).
• The regular Reggae Party goes ahead at 2 Kolegas on Saturday (May 4).

Playing us out this weekend is Bob Marley in celebration of the weekend's reggae party and the return of shorts weather.

Check out our events section for more of what you'll be missing if you don't get out over the weekend.