Another stellar weekend chalk full of music – with an emphasis on the epic. Epic electronic sounds, epic mosh pits, epic post rock cascades – simply too much epicness to go around. Just check out the latest LBM Mixtape to get a taste of what’s in store and as always take a peek at the calendar for more listings and details. Go BIG or go HOME.

Friday March 28^th

The latest venture to bridge the gap between Chinese music and European music is the China Drifting Festival kicks off tonight at Yugong Yishan featuring some of the scenes’ most engaging (both here and aboard) groups, including edgy synth post punk trio Re-TROS, psychedelic indie rockers Duck Fight Goose, party electro rockers Pet Conspiracy, and 2013 Swiss band of the year, One Sentence. Supervisor. Expect big theatrics, big visuals, and big sounds. Mao Livehouse continues to shake things up with intriguing lineup – the ever-reliable indie darlings Residence A will effortlessly bust the crowd into a frenzy, while blues-heavy psychedelic-tinted duo 16 mins. will emit their sensual grooves with a front women whose voice is simply breathtaking. Meanwhile, The Twenties bring their highly infectious 90s-era alternative rock and finally shameless Britpop of Ideal Garden and Penicillin, which depending on my mood, will either turn me into a ecstatic junior high schooler or into a jaded almost thirty year old. So yeah, lotta potential here. WHAI have pretty much cemented themselves as one the city’s best live acts – simply put, they’re is the soundtrack to the most badass action movie I’ve yet to seen – the quartet, whose hypnotic, trance-inducing, balls to the wall rock and roll gives their monthly performance over at Temple. At the newly opened (for season) Dos Kolegas stoner rockers Devils at the Crossroad sport their newest lineup while ska party frenzies End of the World support. It’s a 70’s rock and roll shitshow over at School where Bedstars, The Syringe, visiting Changsha outfits Motorskirt and Thousand Tons plan to get the crowd nice and rowdy. The Other Place will use some of the scene’s more offbeat electronic artists including FAR/∞, iimmune, and Charm. Meanwhile, folk gets its due over at Mako Livehouse where Chuan Zi, Zhong Lifeng, Li Jin, Longjing and more perform in celebration of a folk compilation record. Alternative rock outfit OOC (Out Of Control) give a special unplugged performance at Jianghu Bar, while bluesy Chicago Brothers play at the cozy Blue Stream Bar. Norwegian born Mandarin rapper Xiao Ou ends his nation-wide tour tonight at the Old What? Bar along with DJ Peewee. Finally, catch Swiss metal group Niura at XP along with Seven Light Years and Nakoma, and up and comers Sleeping Pills, Dirty Party and more at the Hot Cat Club.

Saturday March 29^th

If you’re any bit intrigued to see what the metal scene offers on any level then there is no better introduction than the 330 Metal Festival which kicks off late afternoon at Tango Club. This is a masters degree in metal right here – trash, black, pagan, speed, death, every nook and cranny is even it’s set. You have the godfathers of metal themselves, Spring & Autumn headlining along with a host of other greats – trash metal kings Suffocated, pagan metal sensations Nine Treasures (fresh off an amazing 2013) and The Samans, as well as Ego Fall, Stone Glory, Punisher, Explosicum, and Chenmi – a solid mix of the old and new. Pace yourself folks – it’s gonna be a long one. As great as it is to see Nova Heart on the big stage, with all the lights, theatrics, and whatnot – there’s nothing like seeing the dark electro rock stars cut their teeth on the small stage – catch Nova Heart up close and personal and this evening at School along 2013’s reigning champions, The Big Wave, who’ll bring  their infectious offbeat synth powered rock and roll to the stage. Joy Division comes to Beijing in the only means possible – though bassist Peter Hook’s tribute band Peter Hook & The Light who’ll perform plenty of fan favorites at Yugong Yishan along with original works – post punk heaven for a lot of you folk. It’s a folk hoedown at Dos Kolegas where the Randy Abel Stable join The Beijing Dead and bluesmen Zhenren for a night of festive spirits and dancing galore. Swiss metallers Niura get their assses over to Temple to tear it a new one along with local stoner metal outfit Never Before. Down in Shunagjing, things get rowdy as The Diders, Electric Lady, Los Crasher, Miss Mix, and Bye Bye Noise take stage at Mako Livehouse. Meanwhile, MC Han & Song release China’s ‘first piano rap’ album at Mao Livehouse. with a slew of guest rappers. Xinjiang flamenco outfit Tursun hit up 69 Café, while over at Jianghu Bar folk outfit No Phase serenades audiences, and finally, over at Blue Stream Bar indie poppers Mr. Kr celebrate a birthday.

Sunday March 30^th

One of China’s most sought after post rock groups, Zhaoze (Swamp) return to Beijing to sport their distinctive brand of post rock with chinese elements, which exquisitely utilizes the ever badass guqin – epic, romantic, and the closest I’ll probably ever get to seeing a symphony, Zhaoze are the real deal – check them out over at Yugong Yishan. Changsha rockers Motorskirt and Thosuand Tons perfrom at XP before making the journey back and finally, Mao Livehouse hosts a slew of eager scrappers including Magic Bus, Rolling Rolling, Thousand of Public, and L-Gentlemen.