As much as the weather’s tempting me to leave the city and get ‘outside’, it’s simply getting harder and harder, as September is bringing a lot of muscle with it, and this first weekend ain’t looking too shabby.

 FRIDAY

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous of Jonathan Alpart’s web series The Sound Stage – which gives bands across Beijing their moment to shine through interviews and a music video. Lying through my teeth – tonight the show is throwing a bash at Yugong Yishan with a solid lineup – with disco rock darlings Nova Heart joining rockabilly punks Rolling Bowling, oi-punks Misandao, and brit rockin outifit Dirty Little Secret as well as indie rockers The Twenties, and metal group Dream Spirit. A meaty lineup with something for everyone. For those looking for uptempo jazzy night of fun get your butts over to Dos Kolegas where funk, jazz, electro masher uppers Acid Live look to cause an uproar. Liu Donghong and his band, The Sand, will be at 69 Café with their dusty guitar-driven rock and roll tunes while closeby Rolling Bowling continues their claim on this town with their rockabilly ways. Poetry and music combine forces over at School where rock legends He Yong, Zhang Chu, and Ding Wu take to the stage for a low-key night of poetry and rock. Down in Shaungjing at Mako Livehouse, Xinjiang progressive rocker Jurat T.T is joined by post punk Me Too, as well as new to the scene expats group The Great Plains and Missy & The Four Guns. Finally you can catch folk songstress Wang Juan at the Blue Stream Bar with Mirror and multi-national poet rock group Bu Yao! At the Old What? Bar.

SATURDAY

Time for your dosage of hardcore at Mao Livehouse. Last year, was riding on fumes after leaving Hardcore Festival – it’s literally like running on a treadmill for hours straight. It’s relentless, and better yet, thrown by some of the down-to-earth genuine people in the business- King Lychee, out of Hong Kong, a force to be reckoned with, our own Unregenerate Blood, Return The Truth, xitneverhappenedx, and Provocation, and out of Shanghai, Loudspeaker and Spill Your Guts. Bring lots of water (read up on Josh’s piece over at SmartBeijing here for your history lesson). Maybe Mars’ fans will be delighted to hear, psychedelic rockers Chui Wan and electronic mavericks white + will be showcasing their new material at XP, while fans of tough as nails, balls to the wall, trance rock will want to swing by Temple to catch WHAI. Grammy-nominated world music composer Vahagni looks to wow audiences at the One Club with his wicked original flamenco style compositions – check out my interview with him here. Meanwhile, trip hop, rap rockers CMCB will gloriously celebrate their latest release, aptly titled 2013, at Yugong Yishan tonight – not a bad way to get your mosh on. Former Rustic frontman Li Yan swings though School, with chick rockers Miss Mix in the mix. Daniel Taylor and Eric join forces as The Peppercorns tonight at 69 Café, while ska heads Early Bus throw a freebie over at the Old What? Bar. And finally, for those looking to dance wildly into the night, head over to Dos Kolegas’s Reggae Party with One Drop and more, or to Mako Livehouse where capoeira, DJs, and music get down to celebrate Brazil’s Birthday.

SUNDAY

I’m itching for my fix of ska nowdays and tonight School’s lineup of ska and punk, oldies and newbies, is enough to perk my interest. The silverback gorillas of the pack are Toyhead, who have been all over the past half decade performing sweet sweet ska. Then we have the new kids – Magic Bus’s breezy ska-influenced funk n roll, garage indie goodness of Bye Bye Noise , and The Mushrooms, who got a whole late 90s thing going, for better or worse. Sounds like a jolly good ol’ time. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s always Aussie exteme metal band Thy Art Is Murder at Yugong Yishan and a slew of heavy metallers at Mao Livehouse including Drug For Hunger, Banro, Goodbye Sunset, and more. Also, check out the last minute addition of thruoutin and new resident guiguisuisui rocking out XP with their offbeat electroncia and lo-fi blues. Catch visiting Japanese singer songwriter Emi Inahata at 69 Café along with SiMoN, chick rockers Red Cash at the Old What? Bar and finally Armenia-born, American raised renowned world music champion Vahagni’s gives an encore performance tonight at the One Club.