Alright, another silent but deadly weekend – while all the indie players look to serenade audiences at festivals across the nation, all the heavy hitters have been left with the keys back home. Things are gonna get rowdy this weekend. Check it.

FRIDAY 

Hardcore rap crew Beijing Thug Brothers are celebrating four years and they’re doing it in style at Yugong Yishan with an all-star lineup of nu metal that’s filled to the brim with quality, ‘you bet your ass you’re gonna be moshing’ bands – Twisted Machine –will guarantee tear it up. Ego Fall adds a Mongolian twist to the genre to great degree. AJK are fucking ace if you ask me – love me some Rob Zombie-esque industrial metal. And Nuclear Fusion G I’ve only heard good things about. The rest of the lineup is rounded out by Sick Pupa, Pinocchio, Time Machine, and Scae Construction – best leave the kids at home for this one. Beauty in the simplicity boys and girls – ska and Dos Kolegas. Two bands – Toyhead and Early Bus – ska-tastic times. Get your dancing shows on for this one. Some more heavy lifting and elbows flailing about at School where the hardcore crew gets to work with Unregenerate Blood, Return the Truth, Provocation, The Last Resort, and xitneverhappenedx bring it full circle. An unplugged session from loverboy Li Yan at the Old What? Bar gets happening as some Xinjinag flavored folk with flamenco flair gets down at the Hot Cat Club with Ismat. A bit of psycho folk from acclaimed singer songwriters Lin Xin Tong and Xiao Yang at Jianghu Bar. Some fun is to be had at Blue Stream Bar with Chaliangfen and the Jolly Fellow Ukulele Band while things get funky at Temple with Sha Sha & The Funkadelic All Stars. Finally, pop sensations Liu Guang Rui make an rare appearance at Mao Livehouse. And for those looking to get in some movie time before the night turns young –  filmmaker Ting Liu will be screening her Bedstars-centric short film at XP tonight – check it out.

SATURDAY

Temple turns two! Two years of mayhem, cold brewskis, blurry memories, dancing without a care, and bad decisions. Congratulate one of Beijing’s true hangouts as they bring out livetronic mischief-making dance crazed hooligans Not There for some topsy turvy fun. Expect this one to go late into the night. Two of my favorite bands in town hit up XP –the loose canons rock n roll wankers Bedstars, whose high-octane jolly self-abusive ‘give it all or nothing’ mentality is glorious in itself, and the more restrained (yet equally explosive) indie shoegazin outfit Skip Skip Ben Ben, who I’ve professed my love for all too often. Good one-two combo here. Beijing Power!! Expect to hear that as hordes of fist pumping, leather-wearing punks scream on Discord, the long-standing punk band who are finally coming around to releasing their latest album of punk mischievous, Break Away, at School. They’re joined by the equally rowdy and scrappy skinhead outfit Misandao, new wave rockers with a taste for tearing it up Steely Heart, and new kids on the block The Diders – solid solid lineup, solid solid fun to be had. For something different, I\’d head to The Audi-sponsored Urban Electronics showcasing the peak of avant-garde electronic music culture in an unmatched lineup of Chinese and international artists, including Monolake, FM3, Dead J, Wang Meng, FAR/∞, SU, and Lupen (RSVP here with your full name and phone number to attend). Mao Livehouse hosts the Metal Core Festival with a heavy lineup of bands looking to shake you loose including Four Five, Mulit–Ego, Nower, The Lifeless, Saving Molly, Eternal Wings, NewTank, and The Sweet Escape. Chun Qiu and Nine Treasures warm up their amps and vocal chords at 13 Club before they head off to Germany for the Wacken Festival – say them off on a good note. Modernista is closing its doors for the rest of the summer (word is, they’re putting in a massive rooftop) and they’re going out with a blast in the form of Mademoiselle et son Orchestre – gypsy jazz and then some. Tianjin rockers, Fatiaokamusuo visit the Forbidden City’s dingy hangout the Old What? Bar for some rebellious mayhem, while at the lyrically mischievous Chiren perform at the Blue Stream Bar. Finally, for all you Beyond fans out there, the hugely popular Ka Kui In June tribute show brings the legacy over to Yugong Yishan.

SUNDAY

What’s the story? over at School as Britpop gets its moment to shine with Elenore, Thosands of Public, Lazy Camels, and Locomotive Gentlemen. Mao Livehouse’s Power Series continues tonight as Collision Dreamer, Jelly, and Time Street take their turns rocking it out on the day of rest. Hot Cat Club is looking to get in on the action as well with P318, Screaming Kong, and Canned Watermelon bring it. Lastly, Tibetan musicians Marnyi Stone mix classic terz guitar, melodious XuanZi, phantasmal Mandolin and modern guitar, hand drum from India, inverted bell, alms bowl, Dhama drum used in Buddhist event – that’s a mouthful – check them out over at Yugong Yishan.