For Those About to Rock
Concerts this weekend -- are you ready Freddy? - By Morgan Short, May 28, 08
We're gearing up for a big weekend of live music in Shanghai -- and then an even bigger month -- because June sees pretty much every band in China performing in Shanghai. As you very well know, Windows Tembo is picking up stakes and moving a block north and a couple blocks east on Nanjing Lu to a larger basement space with increased capacity, increased stage size, and a better sound system (698 Nanjing W Lu, near Wujiang Lu).
The grand opening of Windows Underground is this Saturday, May 31 and will see China's most beloved cross-dressing (sometimes) glam / folk / dongbei opera band Second Hand Rose take the stage. Veterans of the "underground scene," Second Hand Rose is a must-see for anyone wondering what it would have been like if Brian Ferry grew up in rural Heilongjiang province. Turns out it would have been quite splendid and this band is proof -- and they had one of the year's best shows last year at 4 Live.
Also, if you're keen on having a look at the new Windows, Hard Queen will be playing the day before this Friday. Rumors abound that Hard Queen will be releasing some recorded material in the near future (with some producing work by DJ Boya no less) so watch out for that too.
S.T.D. Pres. Tookoo and Banana Monkey
Also on this Saturday, S.T.D. hosts emo powerhouse band Tookoo at LOgO bar, with Banana Monkey opening. Tookoo are a pretty big-time BJ band on Scream Records, and they've been around for a few years playing big festivals and other shows all over Asia. Originally they were China's answer to the emo/screamo thing going on in the States (sleeve tattoos, tight black Converge shirts, white belts -- you know the score) but now they're more dancey. They're also really, really cute. ...Well, they are.
Also opening is some dudes called The Rovers and they are -- OMG-- a Led Zeppelin Tribute band! You might remember Led Zeppelin as the band that was playing in the background when your parents busted into your older brother's room and started yelling at him for smoking so much pot and not having a job.
And then just as your dad starts bellowing, "you're out of this house, mister!" you brother cranks "The Immigrant Song," flips the bird, and lights a joint. Ahh, memories!
Check this out: my friend's uncle was once hired to break in a new pair of skin tight jeans for Jimmy Page. That's right. Apparently back in the '70s, Page had people to break in his new jeans for him. How rad is that. It's got nothing to do with this concert or anything but maybe you can use that story at a cocktail party of something. Just change "friend's uncle" to "friend of a friend's uncle."
YYT Shows
A full weekend as well at Yuyintang as they host a "Hard Rock Night" with Wang Wei and Kidney Stone this Friday and ...whoa... Japanese industrial goth act GOD DAEDalist on Saturday. GOD DAEDalist is the revamping of old school Japanese goth outfit DEAD DOG -- get it? The act features rotating members and performers, with the guitarist as the main impresario dude. Sometimes he wears a gas mask 'cause its cool, industrial, and evil-looking.
This band (or whatever) is so evil that every time I try to listen to their MySpace page, my computer crashes. It happened three times and then I got really freaked out and thought I was in that horror movie with the haunted website.
So you can try to listen to their MySpace here but you have been warned! You may be dead in twenty four hours!
Anyways, all I caught before my computer died (!) was a glimpse of their album which is called "Crushed and Suffocated" or "Suffocated and Entombed and Crushed" or maybe just "Crushed and Entombed" -- sounds cheerful. GOD DAEDalist will be supported by Everbreed (punk from JP) and Mig21 (Nu metal from SH).
June Shows
As mentioned earlier, for some reason -- karmic alliance, quantum vicissitudes, cosmic ballet -- next month Shanghai will welcome some 900 rock bands on stages across town for a veritable "perfect storm" of live music.
Xie Tian Xiao and Cold Blooded Animal will be performing on June 6 at Live Bar (support from Crazy Mushroom). Xie Tian Xiao is a pretty famous Chinese musician known as the "face of Chinese alternative rock." Homey is like China's Billy Corrigan or something. But less bald.
***
BJ drunk rockers Joyside will be performing at Windows Underground on June 7 at "Get in The Van II: The Empire Strikes Back" so don't miss out on that. I've only seen them once but Joyside to me sounded to like (good) Aerosmith and The Strokes meeting up for 30 beers -- and that's okay. They're really big in both BJ and SH so expect a packed beer bus for that.
***
S.T.D., the apparently offensively named rock promoter/DJ collective, will be celebrating their one year anniversary with two major, major shows: June 13 is New Pants, who can probably lay claim to having the best live show out of any band in the country. You will not be disappointed with New Pants. The very next night they've got the Re-TROS, which are also a really amazing post punk band, and even Brian freakin' Eno thought so and twinkled some keys on their Cut Out! record. You can google some pictures of the Re-TROS hanging out with Brian Eno, but be warned: Eno isn't nearly as dazzling as he was in his heyday -- especially when he's just chillaxing in the studio, being all middle aged and professional.
***
The grand opening of Windows Underground is this Saturday, May 31 and will see China's most beloved cross-dressing (sometimes) glam / folk / dongbei opera band Second Hand Rose take the stage. Veterans of the "underground scene," Second Hand Rose is a must-see for anyone wondering what it would have been like if Brian Ferry grew up in rural Heilongjiang province. Turns out it would have been quite splendid and this band is proof -- and they had one of the year's best shows last year at 4 Live.
Also, if you're keen on having a look at the new Windows, Hard Queen will be playing the day before this Friday. Rumors abound that Hard Queen will be releasing some recorded material in the near future (with some producing work by DJ Boya no less) so watch out for that too.
S.T.D. Pres. Tookoo and Banana Monkey
Also on this Saturday, S.T.D. hosts emo powerhouse band Tookoo at LOgO bar, with Banana Monkey opening. Tookoo are a pretty big-time BJ band on Scream Records, and they've been around for a few years playing big festivals and other shows all over Asia. Originally they were China's answer to the emo/screamo thing going on in the States (sleeve tattoos, tight black Converge shirts, white belts -- you know the score) but now they're more dancey. They're also really, really cute. ...Well, they are.
Also opening is some dudes called The Rovers and they are -- OMG-- a Led Zeppelin Tribute band! You might remember Led Zeppelin as the band that was playing in the background when your parents busted into your older brother's room and started yelling at him for smoking so much pot and not having a job.
And then just as your dad starts bellowing, "you're out of this house, mister!" you brother cranks "The Immigrant Song," flips the bird, and lights a joint. Ahh, memories!
Check this out: my friend's uncle was once hired to break in a new pair of skin tight jeans for Jimmy Page. That's right. Apparently back in the '70s, Page had people to break in his new jeans for him. How rad is that. It's got nothing to do with this concert or anything but maybe you can use that story at a cocktail party of something. Just change "friend's uncle" to "friend of a friend's uncle."
YYT Shows
A full weekend as well at Yuyintang as they host a "Hard Rock Night" with Wang Wei and Kidney Stone this Friday and ...whoa... Japanese industrial goth act GOD DAEDalist on Saturday. GOD DAEDalist is the revamping of old school Japanese goth outfit DEAD DOG -- get it? The act features rotating members and performers, with the guitarist as the main impresario dude. Sometimes he wears a gas mask 'cause its cool, industrial, and evil-looking.
This band (or whatever) is so evil that every time I try to listen to their MySpace page, my computer crashes. It happened three times and then I got really freaked out and thought I was in that horror movie with the haunted website.
So you can try to listen to their MySpace here but you have been warned! You may be dead in twenty four hours!
Anyways, all I caught before my computer died (!) was a glimpse of their album which is called "Crushed and Suffocated" or "Suffocated and Entombed and Crushed" or maybe just "Crushed and Entombed" -- sounds cheerful. GOD DAEDalist will be supported by Everbreed (punk from JP) and Mig21 (Nu metal from SH).
June Shows
As mentioned earlier, for some reason -- karmic alliance, quantum vicissitudes, cosmic ballet -- next month Shanghai will welcome some 900 rock bands on stages across town for a veritable "perfect storm" of live music.
Xie Tian Xiao and Cold Blooded Animal will be performing on June 6 at Live Bar (support from Crazy Mushroom). Xie Tian Xiao is a pretty famous Chinese musician known as the "face of Chinese alternative rock." Homey is like China's Billy Corrigan or something. But less bald.
***
BJ drunk rockers Joyside will be performing at Windows Underground on June 7 at "Get in The Van II: The Empire Strikes Back" so don't miss out on that. I've only seen them once but Joyside to me sounded to like (good) Aerosmith and The Strokes meeting up for 30 beers -- and that's okay. They're really big in both BJ and SH so expect a packed beer bus for that.
***
S.T.D., the apparently offensively named rock promoter/DJ collective, will be celebrating their one year anniversary with two major, major shows: June 13 is New Pants, who can probably lay claim to having the best live show out of any band in the country. You will not be disappointed with New Pants. The very next night they've got the Re-TROS, which are also a really amazing post punk band, and even Brian freakin' Eno thought so and twinkled some keys on their Cut Out! record. You can google some pictures of the Re-TROS hanging out with Brian Eno, but be warned: Eno isn't nearly as dazzling as he was in his heyday -- especially when he's just chillaxing in the studio, being all middle aged and professional.
***
- Gone Dark: The Ins and Outs of China's Total Eclipse
- Reading China's Past with Earnshaw Books
- A Laos Motorbike Adventure
- Our Guide to a Healthier, Happier You
www.talkmagazines.cn
- Jul 2 » Swing Low
- Jun 25 » Moving On
- Jun 17 » Seeking Big 'Uns
- Jun 11 » Getting wet and scared in Shanghai
- Jun 4 » Strip Teased
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