ROCKBUNDLESS Soundstage (hosted by ROCKBUND and OKOK) is a three-day music festival celebrating and revitalizing the Capitol Theatre, located on the banks of Suzhou Creek just before it meets the Huangpu River. Inviting seven bands to perform inside the theater before its upcoming renovation, the project is a perfect meeting of old and new, as some of the scene's most exciting voices look to "reawaken" the landmark building. The lineup includes the indie rock godfathers Carsick Cars, along with genre-bending electro-pop supergroup Mola Oddity, featuring renowned Mandopop singer Amber Kuo. The second evening hosts Shanghai spiritual jazz craftsmen Pu Poo Platter, NaraBara — blending Mongolian musical traditions with modern rhythms — and the Disco King live art project, initiated by Shu Zi-jun and Ricky of Click #15 fame. Night three closes with Beijing live electronica duo white+ and Shanghai dance art-punk renegades Absolute Purity, known for their explosive mix of post-punk, electronica, and psychedelic music. Beyond the concerts, the festival also features DJ rhythm fitness sessions, behind-the-scenes talks, dance healing workshops, and more, extending the experience beyond the stage and into the surrounding neighborhood while inviting people to form new connections with the century-old building. A distortion-blurring collision of past and present — it sounds like one heck of a way to reintroduce the Capitol Theatre to the public.
NEO BAR returns! The legendary live music venue deep in the heart of Shanghai’s university district has been giving solace to the young, corruptible souls and raising some of Shanghai’s most beloved music acts for over twelve years! The bright red lights; the dueling movie screenings; the fridge full of Asahi bottles; and its motley crew of rabble-rousers keeping the place afloat - it’s iconic! Now, after lying dormant for two years, the bar is entering its latest phase - with a new set-up in Huangpu (with two spaces!). This weekend they’ll be hosting a soft opening of sorts - a three-day festival with a lineup that is being kept under wraps till the evening of. Trust me - it’s gonna be good. Free of charge, but appointments are required for the shows (comes with a drink), so best be sure to claim your spot before the big unveiling. Things will likely get messy.
Vol. 31 of the Yuyintang Channel series continues to spotlight emerging (or unsung) bands over at their Basement space - and it’s got an eclectic spread of indie tunes for you. From Nanjing, you’ve got JellyfishInn bringing their bubbly fusion of jazz and psychedelic harmonies; Shanghai act Lunar Eclipse who blend post-rock, shoegaze, and math rock; and Sunflower Rain from Beijing who aren’t afraid to lean into the tender edges of their sound.
Long-standing Beijing electronica outfit Supermarket continued to bask in their newfound melodic resurgence last year with back-to-back releases - veering comfortably into downtempo rock territory whilst retaining their cold techno veneer. Expansive and fleshed out in surprising and rewarding ways - such as in Tian Peng’s vocals, which veer wildly across the ten tracks - putting its cold, rhythmic, techno-laced mechanisms in motion. Cool, calm, with a melancholic streak running through its core, at nearly thirty years old the band has still got it. Catch the seminal act at Modernsky Lab as part of their latest nationwide tour.
Volatile emotions spill forth over at Mosh Space in Yangpu as a trio of bands looks to capture the messy sentiment and visceral musicality of the youth today. On the docket, you’ve got Zhejiang250 - the emo punk superband made up of members from The Farmers, Falling Nana and The Beneficial Society - a cathartic, chaotic, red-blooded and visceral punch of a band. Joining them are emo-inflicted pop punk veterans Tiny Time, who first cut their teeth in Chengdu, and freshly formed melodic punk outfit Strawberry Says.
Psych blues rockers Poetry in Shorts are taking over Cedar Land in C-Park! And they’ll be bringing their signature cigarette-stained romanticism in all its glory. With a sound that’s rich in its details and swagger - its cabaret avant-pop sensibilities simmering just beneath its rustic rock and roll veneer and jangly jazz-inflicted instrumentation - it’s dangerously alluring stuff, one that has earned them accolades across the country. Support comes in the form of chefcochef. Expect the compact space to be jam-packed.
Prolific Xinjiang Kazakh musical savant Mamer - a staple of the experimental and world music scene for just about ever - returns with his latest release, All the Joys, All the Pains. Following up on 2024’s quietly graceful Sleepless - Mamer once again moves freely between the contemporary avant-garde and tradition. Utilizing a secondhand acoustic guitar and his gravelly, deeply resonant voice, which he layers over itself to create the illusion of a folk choir - it’s the most earthbound and ethereal the multi-faceted artist has ever sounded, finding sadness and beauty, and intrepid curiosity within the nomadic songs which have followed him through life. Elegiac. He’ll be presenting his latest at Yuyintown Basement.
