I rocked up to one of the parking lot guards in the Gongti Stadium Thing, trying to figure out where this new rooftop bar Uper is, and he goes: "Hello, wild man. You're a wild man." And then he begins to furtively and lovingly caress my arms and beard. For like a good thirty seconds. So, pretty good start to this. Uper is the new rooftop in Gongti, connected to banging, banging nightclub chain MGM. They've just renovated the place and hired some of the concerns behind BJ party cru NB Noise to start running events. The result is a Gongti rooftop, sort of angled at a Migas aesthetic, catering to a Lantern-slash-Gongti crowd. So MGM is the laser lights and leather couches club on the first floor, and Uper is up an elevator ride on the second. But MGM... MGM is giant and opulent and purple and flashy and ritzy and lush and lavish and kind of looks like a retirement home for senile vampires. There's golden candelabras, arcane pre-fab nicknacks, and all manner of steampunk manufactured in suburban Guangzhou. But yeah, kind of feels like where a past-its-prime romantic supernatural killing machine that's really into Downton Abbey would hang. Drinks are 50rmb. This is what a few look like. They were aiiiiiiight. There's also a band. This is one of those band-as-entertainment nightclubs. So maybe it's for a Gongti clubbing crowd that's a bit too old for the EDM bullshittery of some place like Elements, but still likes to blast bottle service in golden environment. I didn't stick around for the band but the drum kit was in a glass box and the keyboard was the biggest keyboard available to anyone in 1996, and that's not a good sign. Mandopop maybe. Philippine cover band doing bubbly and well-meaning Guns and Roses covers. But upstairs.... ...is Uper, which I'm taking for a drug reference. I'm hip to it. It's pretty nice, actually. Kind of Will Smith's "Miami", maybe. I've never been. But it reminds me of that music video. It's big and nice and tasteful and pretty baller. White furniture with situated lighting accenting everything. Big bar in the middle, with private couch seating on two tiers. Fits a couple hundred people maybe. The DJ is in a cage. That's... something. These are drinks. Same menu as downstairs. 50rmb for cocktails. A martini and a daiquiri. Both quite great. The Take-Away: Yeah, it's real nice, actually. It feels like it's definitely angled at the rooftop Migas built. Is there room in this town for two of those? The environment is there, for sure. It looks good. And the drinks are fine. Guess these things always hinge on if someone can bring them people out... Uper is in the West Gate of Gongti. Look for MGM. The elevator is right next to main entrance of MGM. Third floor.