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Phasers on Rock

Live music on local stages in Shanghai this weekend - By Morgan, Sep 10, 08

It's been a while since there was enough going on in the local live music arena to warrant a weekend preview but with this Friday and Saturday the stages of Shanghai welcome a real wealth of acts, each more awesomer and rockinger than the last. Click on the names of the bands to be redirected to their MySpace pages.

Friday, Sept 12

Tookoo + Echo Rush + Hard Queen + Wildcat @ Yuyintang


A packed line-up for Yuyintang out of the gate as they host Tookoo's return to Shangahi. Tookoo, you might remember, are like a dance-rock emo band from Beijing and they were last in town for an S.T.D. show before the summer depression. They've pretty big-time and have played Midi festival almost every year of its existence and a bunch of national tours. They've also got a new 2008 album and they're super-fucking-cute in an AFI-kind of way.

They're joined by Echo Rush, also from Beijing, who are a punk rock band or garage rock band or something. I've never seen them and my sound is broken on this computer so I can't listen to any of their mp3s. They look absolutely wonderful though. Hard Queen, you know and love and are awaiting their first recorded stuff, possibly on a new Shanghai indie label? We'll see... And Wildcat are like a pop rock/indie rock kind of thing. Starts 9pm. Cover: 30rmb

Saturday, Sept 13

P.K.14 + The Rogue Transmission + Boys Climbing Ropes + Hard Queen @ Zhijiang Dream Factory


This one's being put on by local scenster/music guru/live music savior Brad Ferguson and SmartShanghai caught up with Brad to get this ultra-special, hyper-exclusive scoop: he was thinking about having NYC Deli for lunch today but instead he went noodles from his local.

How Brad's choice of lunch will play out in the Shanghai live music community is anyone's guess. As you know Shanghai struggles both commercially and creatively to maintain a healthy live music scene and it we'll have to just wait and see how it will be impacted by this latest, breakingest Brad-Ferguson-Development.

Another big bill, though, on Saturday night at the Zhijiang Dream Factory with BJ post-punk band P.K.14 joined by a cavalcade of local acts: Hard Queen, Boys Climbing Ropes, and The Rogue Transmission. The Rogue Transmission (or "The Rogue Trannies" to their friends), are planning an album release in October with material recorded over the summer and we're all looking forward to that one. They had Albert Yu working on it too which is neat-o because Albert makes Phil Spectre look like a little bitch (sorry, I've been watching The Wire). They and Boys Climbing Ropes are playing at the Midi Festival in BJ at the start of October (as well as a few of your fav Shanghai DJs -- Ozone, Drunk Monk, and Fish), unless Midi Festival is just some giant fantasy in someone's head.

Don't know what to say about this Boys Climbing Ropes but it's a real terrible name and I hear they suck... BAD. Starts 8:30pm. Cover: 50rmb

S.T.D. pres Echo Rush @ LOgO


So if you want your cup to doth runneth over, after the P.K.14 show race on over to LOgO to catch Echo Rush, who played the previous night at Yuyintang but you either missed them or liked them so much that you want to see them again. Promises to be sweaty, drunken, filled with people sneaking Bicardi Breezers into the bar, and crammed with lots of French dudes backed up against the walls wondering when the goddamn DJ is going back on. Starts 12am. Cover: 30rmb

This is the first rock show S.T.D. is putting on for the new "season" and we're all expecting a lovely Halloween bash from them. You can be sure Mr. R3 is already scheming for that, and ideas are slugging through his booze-addled brain as we speak.

Blues Night @ Live Bar

There isn't anything going on at Live Bar for Friday (at least there wasn't anything mentioned in the press email they sent earlier this morning), but on Saturday night they've got Blues Night with Xiao Miyan, so that's something if your want to see some blues. Starts 9pm. Cover: 30rmb

They've got a full month planned with various shows by out-of-town bands, no doubt in China for a festival or two in Beijing. They're also doing a "Don't eat friends - Vegan concert" on Sept. 27. A bunch of bands playing at Live Bar along and a coinciding concert taking place in Beijing. Bands are rock, pop, indie and you should get all X'ed up just like in the old days and head down, str8-edger.

Keep an eye out for these international rock/indie/punk acts in the coming weeks. They tend to play everywhere they can in Shanghai so that they can to recoup some costs and show their stuff, but you might want to head out and see them at Live Bar for a change of scenery.

Sunday, Sept 14 and Monday, Sept 15

China Now Music Festival @ Huaihai Park

See how easy it is to put on a festival? No fuss, no muss, and it's free. Well... it's a Tourism Festival thing I guess. 14 bands in two days at Huaihai Park (Huaihai Lu, Pu'an Lu). So... doing the math that's seven bands on each day. Both days start at 3pm and feature a bunch of local and expat talent in a variety of genres including jazz. If you've got nothing to do on Sunday afternoon head on down, or if you're a jobless reprobate you can go on Monday too. Starts 3pm Sunday and Monday. No cover.

Lead image taken from me getting 100% on Expert on Slayer's "Reign in Blood."

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