This weekend, Live China Music is throwing a two-day festival at Shanghai music institutions Specters and Yuyintang Park. It's the second edition of their underground showcase *This Band Could Be Your Life*, and it's going under the name *Indian Summer*. Expect 12 bands, vinyl and zine stalls, DJs, and the kind of chaos you can only get when a group of new bands try to outdo each other on stage. We asked the organizer to explain what's going on.
What exactly is Indian Summer?
It's a two-day music festival celebrating some of the freshest, most hot-blooded new acts coming out of Shanghai's underground rock scene. We're doing it across both Specters and Yuyintang Park. Six bands per night, plus an outdoor market with vinyl, tapes, zines, and all that good stuff. We'll also have DJs spinning your favorite autumn jams. It's about giving these new bands a proper stage and making some noise.
Why this format? Why two nights, twelve bands?
We get a lot of people telling us they want to get into local music, but they have no idea where to start. They don't want to spend time digging, or they don't know who's worth seeing. So we put together this compact lineup: 12 bands that are doing exciting stuff right now. No filler. You might not know any of the names, but you're going to walk away with a favorite.
What can we expect sound-wise?
Night one at Specters is punchier: surf rock, post-punk, some psych, and goth. We've got Fiery Medusa—a new all-girl band from Tongji University—and Moya, who might be the most unhinged live act in town right now. Night two at Yuyintang Park leans melodic: dream pop, city pop, jangle indie. Bands like Autistic Radio and Nerve Passenger are doing this emotional, guitar-forward sound that's super tight.
Why focus so much on new bands?
Because they need it. Rock and roll is alive and well in Shanghai, but it doesn't move forward without support. You don't need to spend 300 kuai to see an international band when there's raw talent right here that just needs a crowd and a little encouragement. This is how scenes grow.
Why should someone who's never been to a local show come to this?
Because you never forget the first time a band surprises you. That feeling of walking into a venue with zero expectations and getting completely blindsided? That's what this is about. *Indian Summer* is a reminder that things are happening right here, right now—and you're invited.
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This Band Could Be Your Life! Vol.2 Indien Summer: Friday at Specters and Saturday at Yuyintang, both days from 6pm. Tickets are 77rmb presale, 99rmb at the door, or 120rmb for a two-day pass, available through the QR code below.
