Noise Pollution: Joyside at Tango, Fujiya & Miyagi at Omni Space, Bang Bang Mary at Temple, Manic Sheep at DDC

Will Griffith | Jun 14, 2019 9:30 am | Add a comment | 184 reads

Congrats! You’ve made it through the week in one piece. And that fire in your eyes tells me you’re looking for some excitement – an excuse to unwind in the most gloriously fashionable way possible, one foot-tapping, body thrashing song at a time. You’ve earned it – here’s your consolation prize – heaps of gigs to satisfy music goers of every ilk.

Friday, Jun 14

Pool of Light, Zafka, Li Jianhong at DDC
Live Beijing Music and Jingweir welcome Siberia-born, Shenyang-based ambient artist Anton Bogdanov aka Pool of Light. The one-man, multi-instrumentalist utilizes an arsenal of components to form his sound including; guitars, bows, zhongruan, drums, vocal loops, and other tools to lead the listener on a pilgrimage of trance-like meditations. He’ll perform with left-field electronic musician Zafka and guitar noise demi-god Li Jianhong, two of Beijing’s most arch and distinctive artists. Read our interview with Pool of Light here. RMB 80

Mengqi, Fenni x Shining Dimensions at Aotu Studio
Shining Dimensions – the new series curated by Guiguisuisui and Aotu Space that aims to create an intersection between different dimensions of creativity hits its fourth edition under the theme ‘Meet A Stranger’ where audiences will be paired up at random and asked to interview one another. Meng Qi and Fenni, the Tagtool visuals of Nan Guazi and Shui Wong, and the dancing of Emily Wong and Pan Xiaonan will be on hand to lead audiences into an experience unlike any other. RMB 50

Joyside at Tango/School
Ten years ago Joyside broke up and Beijing lost its kings of rock n' roll. Members went on to work on side projects, played in Casino Demon and The Dancers and other bands, bassist Liu Hao opened the one and only School Bar, and so on. But a couple of months back, the band announced their return and tickets to their comeback show immediately sold out. So while you might not be able to snag a ticket to their epic return at Tango you can get your drink on at the School Bar afterparty which as per usual, will get saucy. Sold out (Tango), FREE (School)

WHAI, Boss Cuts at Temple
Everyone’s favorite prog-rock group WHAI, who have been together since 2012 and have committed themselves to their heavy, offbeat brand of psychedelic rock and roll are back and with the help of Beijing’s premier surf rock outfit Boss Cuts, fresh off their breezy and riotous fun EP, look to ignite Temple once again. FREE

The Messenger Legacy at Blue Note
The Messenger Legacy is an elite line-up of alumni members of one of Jazz’ most influential bands, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. The current configuration is Bobby Watson, Essiet Essiet, Geoff Keezer, Brian Lynch, Bill Pierce and at the drums, the last drummer chosen by Art Blakey to play at his side, Ralph Peterson. RMB 260-400

Ayasa (JP) at Mao Livehouse
Ayasa has been described as a musical saint who completely governs the five-stringed violin. She’s a soul musician who crosses boundaries, bringing pop, rock, and much more to her performances. She’s joined by Jae, the first female expert of the bamboo flute for a special performance in Wukesong. RMB 380

Djang San at Modernista
East-meets-West fusionist and veteran show stopper Djang San – a jack of trades including ‘zhongruan player, philosopher, poet, composer, guitar hero, DJ, one-man orchestra, and explorer of new sounds’ gets the band together for some buck-wild tunes at Modernista. FREE

Ma Xiao & Band at Jianghu Bar
Sun Yat-sen University philosophy major Ma Xiao came to prominence with his first release Love Me or Give Me a Gun. Known for his simple but elegant melodies, the artist brings his philosophical background to his lyrics. He releases his latest album 27 alongside his newly formed band. RMB 100

Better Off Alive, The Soops, BeiMangZhiZhong at Soi Baochao
Eclectic, raw, and fun, Better Off Alive weaves in and out of psychedelic rock and folk with punchy drums and bass. Their music floats on the sound of various woodwind instruments, vocal harmonies, and distorted guitar riffs. Catch them as they release their new EP. FREE

The Cucrachas, Day Day Rock at Caravan
The Cucrachas, made up of Fernando and Roberto bring their sly flavorsome Latin, pop, and blues to Caravan alongside up-and-coming indie-pop duo Day Day Rock. FREE

Xu Jun, Steve Blaque at 69 Café (Changping)
69 Café just won’t die! The cozy singer-songwriter venue lives another day, this time in the north of Changping. They host Xu Jun of the Qin style rock band Che Nian Po as well as Steve Blaque. FREE

Xi Er, Donghong Lei, Ding Wei at Mogu Space
Touching upon soul, funk, blues, and pop, the duo of Xi Er and Dong Honglei bring their family-friendly sound to Mogu Space tonight. FREE

Saturday, Jun 15

Fujiya & Miyagi (UK) at Omni Space
British Krautrock, electro-pop and disco act Fujiya & Miyagi – the brainchild guitarist David Best and synth player Steve Lewis (with help from bass player Ben Adamo and drummer Ed Chivers) – swing through Beijing with their sound that pays tribute to both vintage '70s Krautrock and the '90s dancefloors. Together since 1999, they’ve recently released a brand-new album Flashback, which saw them leaning further into disco and electronic pop territory. RMB 200

SNSOS, Wonder Sea, Stranding Imbrium, 2D-Foil at School
The “Keep Calm and Fly On” series returns to School Bar showcasing some of the indie scene’s most attractive outfits – this time with a focus on the post-rock gazing sounds that have ignited the scene again and again. Set to play are surefire instrumental rockers SNSOS (teasing their new lineup), rising post-emo outfit Wonder Sea, up-and-coming math rock infused rockers Stranding Imbrium, and dream pop soundscapers 2D-Foil. RMB 60

Rupture, Holy Arrow, Holokastrial, R.N.V, Dressed To Kill, Execution at Yue Space
Metal United! What else do you need – some of the metal scene’s most buck-wild characters bring their ferocious sounds to Yue Space in a nationwide coordinated effort to unleash as much metal as possible across the country, including thrash metal renegades Dressed To Kill, black metallers Holy Arrow, and more. RMB 180

Macondo, Paths, Joker’s Belief at DDC
Pay your respects and give back to Magic Hospital – an organization of clinic clowns determined to bring heart and laughter to hospitalized and disadvantaged children in the Greater Beijing area. To help the cause, three powerhouse local bands will bring the noise including instrumental rock dynamite setters Macondo, funk rock groovers Joker’s Belief, and poet rock troublemakers Paths. RMB 80

Bang Bang Mary, Hugh Reed & The Electric Shadows, PizzaFace at Temple
Rock steady alt-rockers Bang Bang Mary, who draw Arctic Monkeys, Fokofpolisiekar and more as influences celebrate the release of their debut EP with the help of the ever-mischievous and riotous Hugh Reed & The Electric Shadows, and garage punk fire starters PizzaFace. FREE

The Hot Sardines at Blue Note
The Mercedes-Benz Jazz Master Series welcomes The Hot Sardines, the eight-piece who got their start in Brooklyn’s underground neo-speakeasies before bringing their brand of hot jazz to international audiences. RMB 300-400

Jo & The Hot Water at Caravan
Explosive classic dancing rock that you’ll fall head over heels in love with – topped by the charismatic and sensual voice of Jo – all at Caravan this evening. FREE

Stevie Mac & the Mac Daddies at Modernista
The ever-expanding (10 members deep at the moment) jazz-pop troupe Stevie Mac and the Mac Daddies bring their vintage approach to contemporary music to Modernista for some good times and a farewell show as they depart for the summer. FREE

Maki Ohguro (JP) at Tango
With a long and storied career in Japan, Ohguro Maki has been killing it since 1989 when she passed the third annual BAD audition, and from there it was to the races. Catch the renowned singer tonight. RMB 480

Liu Donghong at 69 Café (Changping)
Liu Donghong, dusty blues singer of Sand, China’s first ‘cold rock’ band, and a scene player for over 20 years gives an intimate performance at the newly opened 69 Cafe. FREE

Zhou Yusi at La Plantation
Get up close and personal with a jazz virtuoso – pianist Zhou Yusi – born in 1994, and who has gone on to a prosperous career as a performer and teacher at the Berklee College of Music. RMB 200

Bang Jianing, Steve Blaque at Pink Moon
The BUA Seven guitar club whose motto is “We are abstract singers in the sense that we abstract.” – get down and jiggy at Pink Moon this evening alongside American artist and producer Steve Blaque. FREE

Latitude-30°N at Jianghu Bar
Roots hard-rockers Latitude-30°N keep the good times rolling at the hutong spot. RMB 60

Sunday, Jun 16

Manic Sheep (TW), The Claptraps at DDC
Taiwanese indie rock band unleash their brooding, indie pop sensibilities onto DDC tonight. Since finding global success with their 2010 debut, the Taipei band has expanded their shoegaze sound needling a more through a melodic thread that punctuates and balances out the band’s darker and more disruptive tendencies. The band is on the road in support of their new EP. Read our interview with Manic Sheep here. RMB 100

Suchmos (JP) at Tango
Six-piece Japanese band from Kanagawa Prefecture, Suchmos, who take cues from acid jazz, funk, hip-hop, city pop, and rock into an intoxicating contemporary cocktail of music that’s one in their own, touch down in Tango as part of their 2019 China tour. Nicknamed after Louis Armstrong, they’ve been praised for their sophisticated musicality. RMB 380

The Playcat, Beacon Tower, Hard Shell, White Papers, Red Beard at Mao Livehouse
The new indie rock series ‘New Gravity’ hosted by Wukesong’s Mao Livehouse looks to showcase up and comers around a loose theme – in this case, the subtle changes that overcome us. Concept aside, there’s some serious care and curating going on here and tonight they’ve gathered an intriguing batch of bands including noise rock favorites The Playcat, post-punk ruffians White Papers, punk-pop outfit Hard Shell, and more. 7pm start. RMB 120

Agoraphobia, Diving, Alipu at School
Local promoters Zing, still riding hot after only one month in business, ends the weekend with a surprisingly solid and robust Sunday night lineup – featuring shoegaze-inflicted indie pop outfit Agoraphobia (very happy to have these cats back), indie rockers Diving, and Xinjiang folk artist Alipu who’ll be on hand with his band. RMB 90

Cao Fang at Omni Space
Among the country's most popular female folk singers, Chinese folk singer-songwriter Cao is known to her fans for her ballads. Hailing from southwest China's Yunnan province, the artist has amassed legions of fans with her down-to-earth, melodically pleasing indie pop. RMB 180

The Diagon Alley, Panda Eyes at Yue Space
Two of the indie pop scenes biggest contenders – the indie swaying Diagon Alley and the more pop-punk oriented Panda Eyes join forces as the two rising bands take on the nation one city at a time, bringing their infectious and yes, sugar-coated, brand of rock and roll to the masses. RMB 99

Tokunaga Jazz Quartet at Modernista
Modernista welcomes back Japanese guitarist Hideaki Tokunaga for an evening of classic jazz tunes and legendary jazz lyrics. Accompanying Tokunaga on stage is vocalist Gillian Jie, keyboardist Feng Wei, and drummer Scott Silverman. FREE

Antonio Fusco Jazz Quartet at Jianghu Bar
Italian drummer Antonio Fusco together with three excellent musicians of the Beijing Jazz scene including Dan Callaghan on bass bring some robust jazz tunes to the cozy hutong spot. RMB 80

Jin Wenbin at La Plantation
A special piano recital from the one and only Jin Wenbin, who has studied and performed all over the globe. He’ll be offering his lush interpretations of Mozart, Schumann, Chopin, and more. RMB 200

BUA Seven, Ariane at 69 Cafe
The BUA Seven guitar club whose motto is “We are abstract singers in the sense that we abstract” – get down at 69 Café’s new digs alongside American singer-songwriter Ariane. FREE

Thirsty? See all of this weekend's boozy happenings right here.

Photos: Will Griffith, courtesy of the venues