Weekend Update 19/02-21/02

Hope everyone had a swell Chinese New Year!! And well I’ll be missing the scent of firework debris and afternoon baijiu sessions, it’s good to the city back in the swing of things. Best yet, the music returns to the venues this week and we couldn’t be happier. The Year of the Monkey kicks off in glorious style this weekend so let’s get right into it. And be sure to check out our calendar for more details.

Friday February 19^th

 

Secret Club, Free Sex Shop, Baxian Chophouse, SNSOS, The Blue Moon at School

School 3.0 is up and running and they’re coming out the gates swinging this weekend with a full helping of down and dirty rock and roll to get your blood boiling. Grunge indie rockers Baxian Chophouse join girl punk outfit Free Sex Shop, alongside britpoppers Secret Club, new wave synth trio The Blue Moon and post rock enthusiasts She Never Sings Our Songs. Plus, the one-two combo punch of DJ Compact Dicks and Chairman Wow keeping the party buzzing late into the AM. 50 RMB

 

Social Boar, Sound Sculpture, Comp Collider at DDC

Ambient Post Rock evening at DDC features post-rock in it\’s many different definitions of the genre and it\’s different influences. The lineup includes Comp Collider, the improv rock duo and newest project from Dan Lenk (Luv Plastik, Death Narcissists) and Michael Cupoli (Noise Arcade, Cat AIDS), Social Boar, the newest (and soon to be extinct) incarnation of Mammals and Fake Weed, and finally Sound Sculpture, the open musical project of improvised ambient music laced with psychedelic vibes. Groovy. 50 RMB

 

Hot & Cold, Menghan, Yang Wenliang at Aotu Studio

The prodigal synth happy brotherly duo of Joshua and Simon Frank, Hot & Cold, reunite for a special two-day gathering at hair salon/art space Aotu Space playing an entirely new set. Evening one finds the steely abrasive post punk team joining electronic producer Menghan and young composer Yang Wenliang. 50 RMB (80 RMB for two day pass)

 

Macondo at Temple

Killer instrumental math rockers, Macondo, look to ignite Temple get the Year of the Monkey off to a rocking start. FREE

 

Su Qing at Jianghu Bar

Self taught indie pop musician Su Qing presents her latest EP this evening at the cozy Jianghu Bar. 100 RMB

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Saturday February 20^th

Metz (Canada), Future Orients at Mao Livehouse

Ontario noise rock trio Metz, whose frenetic hardcore live performances have made them sought after in indie circles around the world come to Beijing courtesy of Split Works. Watch them smother out melodies in noise and grit at Mao Livehouse with opening duties presented to Future Orients, formerly The Eat, and one of my best new bands to emerge in this city. 100/120 RMB

 

Simon Frank, 工工工, Earsnail at Aotu Studio

Evening two of Hot & Cold’s Beijing spell finds the two brothers splitting up as Simon Frank goes solo for some synth punk drone action, and Joshua Frank joins Tom Ng for 工工工，a percussion band described as ‘an abstract folk music boogie’. Rounding out the lineup is Earsnail, the 4/4 live electronic duo of White+/Gar drummer Wang Xu and Da Bang guitarist Yan Shuai. 50 RMB

 

Elenore, The Power Powder, Self Portrait, The Diagon Valley, Sardine is Back and the Wheel is Broken at School

Night two of School’s welcome back weekend offers another dosage of rock and roll as indie Britpop favorites Elenore, join female led rockers The Power Powder, britpop smoothers Self Portrait, electro-rockers The Diagon Valley, as well newbies Sardine is Back and the Wheel is Broken, which wins points solely on their name. Join the fun. 50 RMB

 

Hutong Yellow Weasels at Jianghu Bar

An evening of stories, music and dance, as the Hutong Yellow Weasels, Beijing’s premier bluegrass outfit mark the end of an 11-city tour of China and the launch of their podcast, Fiddling Up the Middle Kingdom. Get your fill of fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and guitar and listen to the band recount their adventures of playing playing traditional American country music in China. 80 RMB (w/ free recording)

 

The Hot Club of Beijing at DDC

Tap your feet along to the gypsy jazz stylings of the Hot Club of Beijing, whose 1930s France invoking music will surely get you swinging by the end of the night. 50 RMB

 

Mr. Honey at Temple

Big band outfit Mr. Honey, veterans of the scene, throw down their infectious dance grooves this evening so bring your high spirits and dancing shoes for some fun. FREE

Liu Donghong at 69 Café

Blues breathing folk-turned renegade Liu Donghong brings his popular homegrown style to the petite 69 Café on Nanluoguxiang. 50 RMB

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Sunday February 21^st

 

Ryosuke Kiyasu, Zhu Wenbo, Ding Chen Chen, Li Jianhong, Wang Ziheng at fRUITYSHOP/Aotu Studio

Japanese musician Ryosuke Kiyasu, best known as drummer for noise grindcore band Sete Star Sept, returns to Beijing for some musical experimental mayhem with some of the scene’s most radical figures. At 4pm, the artist will perform at vinyl safe haven fRUITYSHOP’s new space, aptly named fRUITYSPACE, at 77 Meishuguan Houjie with Zoomin Night head houncho Zhu Wenbo, before hitting up Aotu Studio in the evening for a collaborative performance with guitar freak Li jianhong and saxophone madman Wang Ziheng. Ding Chen Chen will also be on hand to obliterate your ears. Free (fRUITYSPACE) 50 RMB (Aotu Studio)

Update: Ryosuke Kiyasu\’s performance has been cancelled at at least fRUITYSPACE – the venue will still hold other performances for their opening

 

Lynn Cassiers at DDC

The stirring Belgium classically trained jazz-electro fusion artist Lynn Cassiers presents her latest work ‘The Bird the Fish and the Ball’ as she stops by DDC as part of her China tour. 70 RMB

 

YeXi (Tianjin), Jungle Fever, Disaster Chat at School

Electro-metal rock outfit Yexi, out of Tianjin, perform alongside punk emo kids Jungle Fever and indie rockers Diaster Chat for some Sunday evening rough housing. 40 RMB