How’s that seven-work day itch treating ya? Bet you could use a drink by now. Or better yet, blast away any semblance of your past work week with decibels upon decibels of live music. You’ll never knew what hit ya and you’re be thanking me come next week. And between juggernaut visiting post rock bands, Pitchfork approved indie folk demigods, and yet another beer-soaked rock and roll showcase from your esteemed editor here, there’s plenty of tunes to wash away the pain. Hope you’re up for it – here’s your weekend update.

 

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Friday October 14^th

 

Mono (Japanese) at Yugong Yishan

 

Japanese post rock heavy weights, Mono, fresh of the release of their latest acclaimed album Requiem for Hell, full of the band’s signature orchestral, shoegazey post rock, perform two nights at Yugong Yishan – a sign that this is will be a show that’ll sell out sooner rather than later. 220/260 RMB 

 

Day Dream, Duff Beer, Secret Club at School

 

Making a name for themselves since kicking off their scrappy rock and roll careers in 2014, the punk outfit Day Dream, made of some of the scene’s hardest working musicians present their debut Day is a Dream on the D.O.G label with support from their friends and compatriots. FREE

 

Me Guan Me, Mr. Honey, Drunkard, Hind Brain at Ao Livehouse

 

Things get ‘electric’ as grunge vets Drunkard, join indie rock trio Me Guan Me, ska magnets Mr. Honey, and the razor sharp hard rockers Hind Brain, an underrated gem of the hard rock scene. 80 RMB

Song Yuzhe at Jianghu Bar

 

Song Yuzhe, the frontman for the world music collective Dawanggang, gives a special solo outing at the cozy venue where his particular brand of world fusion music which mixes everything from of Tibetan, Mongolian, and classical Chinese music to create soundscapes ripe with wonder and beauty will grace ears. 80 RMB

 

Malnutrition, Lost in Space, Ramblin’ Roze, Daoci at 13 Club

 

Wudaoku continues to make room for some rock and roll shenanigans as hardcore thrashers Lost in Space join tight jeans hard rockers Rambln’ Roze, and more ‘fresh on the scene’ bands for some Friday night moshing. 60 RMB

 

Summer Sunshine, The Flyx, Labor Glory, Joking Tasty, Need A Name, Mind Walker in Rye at Mao Livehouse

 

Rock it out with the cool kids as Mao Livehouse gets back to basics – good old fasion rock and roll. Catch pop punk faves Summer Sunshine alongside punk faves The Flyx and a slew of up and comers eager to please and get your ass moving. 80 RMB

 

Miga, Hard Candy Revolution, Ma, All Unknown, Bear and Catnip at DDC

 

Indie pop, hard rock, glam numbers, and bumble gum folk pop – every genre gets its due at DDC this evening with this female heavy lineup. 50 RMB

 

UMU (New Zealand), Meng Qi, Vavabond, do you have a bio and photo at fRUITYSPACE

 

New Zealand experimental music and art platform Pyramid Club hosts an evening of experimental musicians including modular synth warlord Meng Qi, laptop noise artist Vavabond, synth computer duo Do You Have A Bio And Photo, and las but not least, New Zealand DIY electronic artist UMU (of Orchestra of Spheres). 40 RMB

 

Click #15, Kue Yue at Temple

 

Funk glam rockers Click #15 bring their sexy sound to Temple alongside the latest band to fall under local promotion juggernaut Cold Neo’s wing, Kue Yue. FREE

 

Slap at Modernsky Lab

 

Genre-hopping, satirical cross talking folk rock outfit, one of the scene’s best kept secrets with the biggest fan bases out there, perform at Modern Sky’s digs. 120 RMB

Xie Chunhua, Chen Hongyu at Tango

 

Folk pop singer-songwriter Xie Chunhua presents her latest feathered-pillow lite ‘slice of life’ album alongside fellow scene mate Chen Hongyu at the massive Tango. 120 RMB

 

Tang Huabin at Mogu Space

 

Yunnan folk pop singer-songwriter brings his street singer down to earth sensibility to the Xizhimen space. 60 RMB

Bye Bye Kitty, Redundant Seconds at Hot Cat Club

 

Get your fix of all the hits of the nineties and early oughts with a Bye Bye Kitty and Redundant Seconds and relive the glory years. FREE

 

 

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Saturday October 15^th

 

Perpetual Motion Machine, The Twenties, The Hotline, Russian Roulette at Temple

Live Beijing Music stumbles into the mouth of madness aka Temple for an evening of righteous rock and roll featuring three bands ready to rock your socks off including veteran rockers Perpetual Motion Machine whose heavy riffs, smoothing melodies, and head bopping hard rock with Chinese elements has made them one of the scene\’s most beloved acts. Also on hand will be one of the hottest indie acts right now, the 90s invoking alt rock outfit The Twenties, a fully charged female fronted guitar driven machine that\’s unloads catchy single after catchy single, electro rock outfit The Hotline, and up and coming punk trio Russian Roulette looking reek havoc on the scene. FREE

 

Malox (Israel), Division Control, Johnny Utah & the Utards, Solaris at DDC

 

A diverse lineup full of unexpected visitors, including Israeli jazz alt rock duo Malox, Tianjin post punk outfit Division Control, Suzhou pop rock Johnny Utah & the Utards, and Beijing psychedelic outfit Solaris. 60 RMB

 

Mr. Honey, Funky Monkey, 0190, DaLeiYin at School

 

Local promotion team XinShengLang brings a foot-tapping, dance worthy lineup tonight at School including ska, rockabilly, big band shakers Mr. Honey, pop rock trio 0190, and more. 50 RMB (ladies free)

 

Recluse Buddha, Death Penalty, AM Rock, Born Hunter at Wo Ju Society Livehouse (禾•聚社LIVEHOUSE)

 

Located in the nether regions of Shilihe District (and who says the scene doesn’t get its due outside of the second ring road?), Chinese Rock Concentration Camp (!?) will host some local and not-so-local bands, including the sweetly dubbed Recluse Buddha for some hard rock swaying. 60 RMB

 

Residence A, Black Mint, Broozers at Blessing Livehouse

 

Down in Shaungjing, indie rock staples Residence A bring their electric performance to Blessing Livehouse alongside rising indie pop outfits Black Mint and Broozers, both of whom have their fair share of followers. 100 RMB

 

Steignyr (Spain), Spirit Trace at Mao Livehouse

 

Get your LARP attire ready and join European folk metal outfit Steignyr as there explore ancient ways in the best way possible – bone crunching, bagpipe infused metal that invokes the mystical forests of the old land. Dope. 160 RMB 

Liu Donghong, Carlo at Mogu Space

 

Blues breathing folk-turned renegade Liu Donghong brings his popular homegrown style to the new Mogu Space alongside 70s rock time traveler Carlo (of Death Narcissist). 60 RMB

 

The Hot Club of Beijing at Jianghu Bar

 

Go back to 30’s era jazz with Beijing’s premier gypsy jazz outfit The Hot Club of Beijing who’ll kick up a swing dance storm over at Jianghu Bar. 60 RMB

 

Black Lotus, Skyfire, Thank Ray, Three Quarters Dead at Ao Club

 

Thrash death metal and various head banging worthy takes on metal just south of Mao’s final resting place. Say it ain’t so. 80 RMB

 

Wootacc, Murukao, DJ Fake at fRUITYSPACE

 

Digging the eclectic diversity of fRUITYSPACE more and more as it gives the hip hop scene a home away from home – the third volume of Zhejiang hip hop label Groove Bunny Records’ hip hop party goes down at the basement venue with guest of honor rapper Wootacc, producer Murukao, DJ Fake and more. FREE 

 

Better Off Alive at Caravan

 

‘When folk meets the swing of the blues, the groove of bossa nova, and the middle finger of rock’ – that’s quite the tagline for folk outfit Better Off Alive, who’ll be performing at Moroccan yum central Caravan. FREE

Liu Xingke, Nick Parsons, Jordan Darling, Camellia at 69 Café

 

A free whelling folk off at the petite 69 Café with these acoustic singer-songwriters. 50 RMB

The Beijing Beatles, LSD at Hot Cat Club

 

Two of the greatest rock bands get the high act cover treatment as the Beijing Beatles and Last Stand Doer (Led Zepplin tribute band) bring the hippie vibes to the Fangjia Hutong venue. FREE

Depapepe (Japan) at Yugong Yishan

 

Japanese acoustic duo whose heart-warming melodies and delicate guitar work has made them an Asian sensation bring their talents to Yugong Yishan. 280 RMB

 

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Sunday October 16^th

Kurt Vile (USA) at Tango

 

‘Bonafide indie-folk mastermind’ Kurt Vile, hailing from Philadelphia, checks in to Beijing, courtesy of Split Works, and he’s bringing along his band the Violators for an evening of critically acclaimed evocative, dreamy, guitar hymns. It’s not often you get one of the indie scene’s top ranked artists so jump on the opportunity and head over to Tango and see if the jammy wistful lo-fi charm of Kurt Vile will be the perfect weekend closer. 260/300 RMB

 

Johnny Utah and the Utards, Motorbike Girls, The Beauty at School Bar

 

The awesomely named Suzhou band, Johnny Utah and the Utards, whose love of the 1991 action blockbuster Point Break is the template for the band’s pop rock spectacle perform alongside local acts Motorbike Girls and The Beauty. 40 RMB

 

Cara Dillion (Ireland) at Yugogn Yishan

 

Irish folk singer, a staple of the UK folk scene since her big break in 2001, when she released her first solo album, and since then has garnered acclaim across the world. 200 RMB

 

Single Winged Angel, Summon Soul, Dr. V’agent at Mao Livehouse

 

Keep it painted black as Tianjin symphonic gothic metal band Single Winged Angel celebrates eight years with a special Mao Livehouse performance. 100 RMB

 

XuJunHao at DDC

 

Dali based folk singer-songwriter presents his latest homegrown tunes based on the artist’s experiences and relationship with the famous Erhai Lake. 50 RMB

Early Bus at fRUITYSPACE

 

‘Ska! Ska! Ska! Rocksteady! Rocksteady! Rocksteady! Dance! Dance! Dance! Skanking! Skanking! Skanking!’ – what more do you need from Beijing’s longstanding ska outfit Early Bus who’ll be throwing a late afternoon showcase at fRUITYSPACE. FREE

 

High Hopes (UK) at Modernsky Lab

 

British melodic metal core outfit High Hopes lets it all hang at Modernsky Lab with their frantic hardcore-laced brand of rock and roll. 100 RMB

 

Funland at 69 Café

 

British folk, reggae pop, and post punk – just a few of they elements Chinese pop outfit Funland integrate into their set. 60 RMB 

 

Zhao Peng at Snail Club

 

Take in the lo-fi and tranquil melodies of singer-songwriter Zhao Peng, a name that’s familiar with many folk and poets in China, at the adorable Snail Club. 120 RMB

 

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Monday October 17^th

 

Azoik, Vavabond, Ding Chenchen, Li Jianhong at School

 

A extra dose of righteous insanity to kick off the week – there was no way I could let this one slip by – as experimental noise collective Nojiji starts their new weekly series at School – with an opener featuring noise musician Azoik (Li YangYang), laptop improviser Vavabond, free improve guitarist Li Jianhong, and ‘anything goes’ noise artist Ding Chenchen. Bring it out you noise freaks! 50 RMB