The biggest week of the year for shit happening in Beijing is almost upon us, and in addition to hot, sticky festival action (click here for a rundown on rock stuff and click here for electronic blah, blah, blah), venues all over this fine city have amped up their entertainment schedules for your spending bliss. Here's a rundown of what your favorite bars and clubs have on for each of the holiday nights. It's time to double-fist it from the banquet of life, Beijing... ***

Although you're probably tilting head-long into some festival, here's one that's a mini-festival in it of itself. To wit: Antidote hosts in all three founders of Brit electronic label du jour, Hessle Audio. Pretty big deal. Ben UFO, Pearson Sound, and Pangea all performing at the Beijing stop of the Asian tour. Music is that grime plus dubstep, spining out to touch on left-field electronica, glitch, techno, and house proper. Not to be missed if you're looking for the freshest sounds out of the UK these days. Cover is 80rmb before 11pm and 100rmb after. Doors at 9pm. 5/1 - Strawberry After-Party: GoaProductions GoaProductions is dialing in the first of several Strawberry Festival after-parties with a bunch of their electronic stage line-up jumping back on and keeping it locked on psytrance at Dada into the morning hours. Entry is 50rmb without a Strawberry ticket and free with one. 5/2 - Ralph Zuckermann Record Release Recent Berlin transplant Ralph Zuckermann has been a highlight of the Gulou club's calendar since relocating to Beijing a few months back. On Saturday night, he's kicking out his latest record Serendipity and manning the decks all night. Music is dance-floor orientated Berlin techno, techno, techno. Great stuff. No cover. 5/3 - Strawberry After-Party: AC Slater Strawberry Festival closes out for another year and here's the officialest of the official after-parties: Trouble and Bass' AC Slater doing an encore set at Dada after headlining the electronic stage earlier in the evening. Big cast of local DJs in support (Blackie, Howie Lee, Oshi, Shackup) -- this one's going to be rammed. 50rmb cover. Line-up Schedule: 10:00 - 11:30 / Se7en-Ei8ht 11:30 - 01:00 / Howie Lee 01:00 - 02:00 / Oshi 02:00 - 03:00 / AC Slater 03:00 - 04:00 / Blackie 04:00 - 05:00 / Shackup

Temple bar is home base for Midi Festival after-parties, and for each night of the holidays, they're hosting in one of the Midi international bands to do a show on their smaller stage. This Wednesday, seasoned funk/soul act LMT Connection are back in town after lighting the place on (sexy) fire just last year. Easily one of the top three bands I've ever seen play there, music is classicist soul and funk purveyed by a band that's done played with the greats: Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, and more. 50rmb at the door. Trust me, if you're a soul fan, this is the best thing you'll see all year. Starts 10pm. 5/1 - Midi Parties: The Ignition Midi parties continues at Temple with German hard rock act The Ignition doing a free show on May 1. 5/2 - Midi Parties: D.O.A. + Guests Talk - Action = 0! Canadian punk legends D.O.A. (they coined the term "hardcore" FFS) are back in Beijing playing Midi festival on their band retirement tour. This is the last chance you'll get to see them, and they're doing an encore performance at Temple with German hardcore purists Sick Times and two local street punk (ish) acts, Gumbleed and The Flyx. This shit's going to be righteous. 60rmb cover. Starts 9pm. 5/3 - Midi Parties: Lys Rounding out the Midi run-off at Temple bar for the holiday weekend is French pop/alt rock act Lys, joined by local ska/rock band End of the World. Free show. Starts 10pm.

Local tech house/house crew FOOTPRINT hosts the holiday kick-off party at Lantern, with special guest Sian as the featured DJ. Expect a slow and hypnotic slant on techno from the Irish producer. Tickets are 60rmb in advance (available here) and 100rmb at the door. Starts 10pm. 5/2 - Strawberry After-Party: Warren Fellow & NB Noise Lantern hosts in post-Strawberry hoopla for Day Two of the festival, and to celebrate after people make the trip back into town, NB Noise is with Dutch techno/tech house DJ Warren Fellow. He's the main act on the electronic stage for the second day of Strawberry; catch him at Lantern for more of a clubby club thing. Entry is 40rmb with a Strawberry ticket, 80rmb without.

Last Friday night got rained out a bit but last Saturday kicked off Migas' patio season with a packed house. For weekend two, local promoters Dim Sum Disco are hosting in Belgian house music producer San Soda, up on the popular rooftop. You might have caught his 2013 acapella mix of “It’s You” -- was a hit. 50rmb cover or free if you get in before 9:30pm. 5/2 - Funk Fever's Third Annual James Brown Day Funk Fever night tributes James Brown up on the roof -- funk for your junk and trunk and... plunk, sunk, bunk, monk, spunk -- can't think of another rhyme. 50rmb entry fee. 5/3 - Los Residents Rounding out the holiday, Los Residents are playing up on the roof. Music is that funky house shiz. 40rmb cover. Starts 10pm.

Aussie ska rippers The Bennies play a club gig to supplement their appearance at the 2014 Midi Festival. They're joined at School Bar by Bedstars, The Flyx, Gum Bleed, and Luvplastik. 50rmb cover, 9pm start. 5/1 - Sete Star Sept (JP) + Niura + Sick Times + Mafeisan + Dr. Liu and the Human Centipede The heaviest jam of the holidays, we gave these bands their own article right here. Read it, know it, love it. Obviously we're flipping 90 thumbs up all over this event. Don't miss this one. 50rmb at the door.

A little somthin' somethin' for the lay-days. This one's a weekly event down at Ink, but we figure since it's a holiday, there's going to be more fine females than usual enjoying the free libations. Free alcohol for all y'all honeys until midnight. No entry fee. 5/2 - House Night - Steblinkskiy with Max At Large Straight ahead with that house music programming at Ink. Couple of DJs holding it down with old and new house sounds at the Sanlitun Nan Lu club. Drinks deal is buy-one-get-one-free until midnight. No entry fee.

Competing with the festivals somewhat, headbangers Painkiller are throwing another mini fest out at Yugong, this time featuring Israeli symphonic prog metal band Orphaned Land. Yes, you read that right: Israeli prog metal. Taste the goods. Israeli-Arabian, symphonic metal -- definitely a unique mix of shit going on there. Plus the singer is dressed like Jesus a lot of the time. So that's like... yeah, that's what that is. 150rmb at the door. Doors at 8pm.

Mort Productions makes the trip in to a sane part of town from their home stage out at 13 Club to host some true evil at Mao Livehouse. Singaporean black metal band IMPEITY are rolling through town on their "Crusade of Armageddon Tour" (ooo scary). These dudes are seriously pissed at Christianity. We like. Here's a delightful little ditty called "Christfuckingchrist" off the album, Skullfucking Armageddon. I am seriously not making that up. Wonder if this band and Orphaned Land are going to get together over some hot pot this weekend. I would so love to be at that dinner. Tickets are 180rmb at the door. Starts 9pm. I'm there.

It's a weekly event, but I'm thinking it might be a bigger swing night than usual this week down at Modernista. No one's working eh? Plus at no cover, it's a cost-effective way to kick off your holidays if you're also planning on hitting up the pricier bills in town when May Days kick off in earnest. Local gypsy jazz band Hot Cat of Beijing has got that swing. Starts 9pm. 5/1 - Sambamania Brazilian Party The special party at Modernista for the holidays is a Brazilian-themed thing, with decor, drinks, and music recalling the South American nation. 10rmb Samba shots. 80rmb for 2 caipirinhas. No entry fee. Starts 9:30pm. Sounds like fun.

-Parlor - 5/2: The lounge/time machine to the 1930s hosts a Mixologists Menagerie on May 2 to celebrate the opening of their patio space. Molecular vodka cocktails on offer. No entry fee. Starts 9pm. -Mas - 5/3, 5/4: Hutong cocktails favorite Mas turns two year young with a two-day-long party this Saturday and Sunday. Their Summer Luau party is a BBQ in the afternoon, new summer blended drinks on the menu, and outdoor seating in the hutong. Runs 1pm to late on the first day; 1pm to 7pm on the second. -DMC - 5/1: The loose confederation of Tongzhou punx behind Dirty Monster Club have just confirmed the second annual Strawberry Music Fucktival, which will go down on May 1. The theme, as you might imagine, is "Fuck Strawberry." Fuck yeah. Live sets from Beijing punk heavies Demerit, Discord, D-Crash, and a grip more. 60rmb cover. Starts 2pm. -Au Goulot - 4/30 French-leaning Goulou bar has a nice roof and they're kicking off the holidays with a Sangria deal this Wednesday: 15rmb per glass and they come with a shot. Hey, that's right-on. Starts 8pm. No entry fee. -4corners - 5/3: The legendary 4c is still working out their holiday plans but it's probably more demolition parties like last Saturday's. (They're renovating). But they've got a Jing A beer launch on for May 3. The Airpocalypse Jing A beer (8.8% abv and 100+ IBUs) is going to be available for 10% off for every 100 points of AQI, e.g. 20% off if it's a 200+ day. If the AQI hits "Beyond Index," drink The Airpocalypse for free. Starts 9pm. No entry fee. -Home Plate BBQ Sanlitun - 5/3: Home Plate voltrons with Kentucky Ale to celebrate Kentucky Derby Weekend. Live music, eats, and 2 minutes of heart-stopping action. 30rmb mint juleps, 30rmb Kentucky Ale beers. Runs 2pm to 7pm. No entry fee. -Basement - 4/30: One of Beijing's most established hip-hop crews Natural Flavor is back at Basement in Sanlitun with a "New Jack Swing" party. Starts 10pm. 50rmb cover. -Cantina Agave - 5/3: They're probably not the only ones but they've probably got the biggest one: Cantina Agave celebrates Cinco de Mayo on May 3 this year. Okay then. 200rmb entrance gets you free-flow margaritas, sangria, beer plus some Mexican street snacks from 7pm-11pm. ***