Weekend Update

After laying comatose all week after Golden Weekend madness, it’s time to jump back on that dragon and check out what the weekend holds – and you know what – things are looking pretttyy good. Oh and if anyone is thinking of checking out the wine fair in Shuangjing, it’s not a bad way to start off the evening to get yourself in the mood – just stay away from the French.

FRIDAY

Can’t go wrong at Dos Kolegas people – place doesn’t know how to have an easy night – tonight Buyi, Me Too, and Residence A will send the place into a frenzy. Mao Livehouse is holding pretty strong too with the solid lineup of Carsick Cars, Casino Demon, and Steely Heart. If you’re still the mood of taking it easy, then Jianghu Bar is the place to be as acclaimed French experimental drone-electronic artist High Wolf is joined by our own Djang San. Down at the Old What? artists and friends will celebrate local singer/songwriter Liu Yusi’s fund-raising bike trek from Shanghia – expect lots of guests including thruoutin, Trevathan from the Randy Abel Stable, and Yang Li – most proceeds will go to charity. Funktastic R&B; group Gao Feng & G-Eleven release their long-awaited album tonight at Yugong Yishan – expect things to get jazzy. Meanwhile, at Zajia Lab, the Swiss group Sonic Calligraphy will take avant jazz to a whole new level as they join local artists. If you want some lick with your rock n’ roll get over to the Hot Cat Club where Devils at the Crossroad and Illness Sickness take the small stage. If you want your rock with a little more grit and reckless abandon than XP might do it for you – Pork, Brother Tough, and Air Donor. For something on the lax end of things there’s always Temple where gypsy jazz group The Hot Club of Beijing play, VA Bar where indie folk artist Wang Shengnan performs, 3098 where Perpetual Motion Machine let it rip, and Blue Stream Bar where Brendan Power brings the blues home.

SATURDAY

Like mentioned before, Dos Kolegas is on a roll – the people’s favorite – tonight they’re bringing out Perpetual Motion Machine, Devils at the Crossroads, The K, and Rolling Bowling. If that’s too much to handle than I’d recommend checking out the Hot Cat Club, cause my darlings Skip Skip Ben Ben are back in town gearing up for their album release early next month – they’re joined by jamtastic Dwaas. Nearby, some of Beijing’s young pioneers are taking over VA Bar including Pacalolo, thruoutin, and The Last Three Minutes. The big event of the night is most certainty one’s of Beijing’s oldest loudest punk bands, SMZB, celebrating sixteen freaking years of rocking out, over at Yugong Yishan with support from A-Boys and Ai Yo. Temple is mixing it up again as they welcome the Beijing longboarders crew with local metal band Suffocated, The K, and MC 小老虎. Over at the cozy Blue Stream Bar, Buyi will do what they do best, while the Old What? Bar welcomes French harshnoise maker Ecoute la Merde to stir shit up and 69 Café brings over The Randy Abel Boys’ next project The Ring Road Ramblers. Mao Livehouse hosts 8/31 who I guess can quite huge on the Mandopop spectrum of things, already selling out shows in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Finally, you can expect some headbanging over at 13 Club with Line Up, Hide Out, Dayfly, and Re.Name.

SUNDAY

Rock at dusk at XP with Me Too and Residence A – not a bad way to cap the weekend I say. Or if you’ll looking for that youthful feeling head over to Mao Livehouse where Summer Tribe, Disturb the Radio, HD, Life Test, and Key Band play. Lastly, catch folk pop singer Diana Liu as she keeps the mood bright and cheery over at Jianghu Bar.