Don't Miss:
John Legend
American superstar, 12-time Grammy Award winner, John Legend returns to Shanghai for a solo show six years after his last show in Shanghai.
Live Music Picks By Will / LiveChinaMusic |
Will Griffith is a photographer, videographer, writer, and music promoter living in Shanghai. He’s the founder of LiveChinaMusic - a platform dedicated to China's evolving underground music scene.
MAO Livehouse
Date: Friday, 8pm
Address: 3/F, 308 Chongqing Nan Lu | Details
Price: 130rmb, Double ticket: 180rmb
After years of riding high on a wave of success and, more importantly, a wave of distorted vocals, simmering bass Iines, jangly guitar riffs, and propulsive drums - The Bootlegs are at the top of their game. The Qingdao band’s signature lo-fi dream pop sound - embedded with a retro surf pop charm and a nostalgic indie veneer that plucks those heartstrings while keeping your head bopping have kept indie fans enticed for years - its grooves dug in deeper, and its textures taking on richer meaning. Catch them amid their nationwide tour as they pay tribute to their first EP - ‘I Feel Good’ - the release that started it all.
Modern Sky Lab (Ruihong Tiandi)
Date: Saturday, 7pm
Address: 3/F, Ruihong Tiandi, 188 Ruihong Lu | Address & Details
Price: Presale: 240rmb/person, Full price: 260rmb/person
A mammoth Saturday night - as music patrons gather for 2nd Crescendo - a festival highlighting the transporting, mystifying, and beguiling world of experimental, instrumental, and improvisational rock music. An audial feast - the diverse lineup features a wide array of characters and bands from across Asia - with a bit of something for everyone. Highlights include Tokyo’s Green Milk From The Planet Orange - a psychedelic noise rock trio whose madcap live performances are a pure adrenaline kick - a riotous glorious descent into the mouth of madness. Also on hand, Indonesian duo Senyawa - combines traditional Indonesian folk music with experimental music - showcasing the unique auditory flavor of Javanese music - doomy, otherworldly, and captivating stuff. Rounding out the lineup is string chamber music collective PENG, multi-national improvisational trio Fluflafen from Beijing, and Shanghai instrumental rock outfit An Corporation - known for their grandiose, exploratory, and almost apocalyptic sound. If that wasn’t enough - expect a full-on jam session afterward. Simply put, EPIC.
Specters
Date: Sat, Sep 21, 2024, 9pm
Address: Bldg D, 753 Yuyuan Lu | Address & Details
Price: Free entrance
Things get appropriately heavy over at Specters with a trio of acts who bring the grit back to rock and roll, including old-school metal outfit Lithium, technocore trip Soulitude, and grunge act Prank, offering up tense sludgy side-splitting rock and roll that’s not afraid to get down and dirty. Mosh pit heaven.
Singer Space
Date: Sun, Sep 22, 2024, 8pm
Address: 3/F, Changning Worker's Cultural Palace 1250 Yuyuan Lu | Address & Details
Price: Full price: 150rmb/person, Two ppl: 240rmb, Five ppl: 550rmb
Longstanding Beijing indie rock outfit Glow Curve, known for their evocative mix of atmospheric post-rock theatrics and grungy indie rock gravitas, has made them one of the most dynamic live acts out there, are on the road once again. The band finds solace in the industrial dissonance of their sonic world and the futuristic electronically-enhanced looping rhythms while putting a stronger emphasis on the ghostly, gruff vocals of Xue Ran. Tapping into something more rustic and world-weary, Glow Curve’s sound is both grand and intimate, carving out its own stage at the center of a black hole.
Yuyintang Park
Date: Sun, Sep 22, 2024
Address: B1/F, 1398 Yuyuan Lu | Address & Details
Price: Presale: 99rmb/person, Double ticket: 188rmb, Full price: 120rmb/person
Beijing-based black metal band Ritual Day, known for their elaborate makeup and gut-retching vocals, is one of the scene’s most esteemed acts - finding the rustic and rugged spirit between light and dark and weaponizing it for emotional depth. They’re swinging through as part of their nationwide tour - presenting their latest riotous and scorching take on the myths and stories that have been passed down for thousands of years. It’s music that marches into the depths of hell.
Dirty House (INS)
Date: Friday, 10pm-late
Address: 4/F, INS Fuxing Park, 109 Yandang Lu | Address & Details
Price: 138rmb includes 1 drink
Inspired by the groove and party spirit of the 90s & early 00s, Ukrainian female DJ Dana Montana will take you on a musical journey of house, hard house, trance and beyond.
SYSTEM
Date: Friday, 9:30pm-late
Address: 3/F, Yunhai Mansion, 1329 Huaihai Zhong Lu | Address & Details
Price: 180rmb/person
Legendary producer J Dilla (James Yancey) passed away in 2006 at the age of 32, leaving behind a significant body of hip-hop work from the 1990s to the early 2000s. To mark what would have been his 50th birthday, CARHARTT WIP & fRUITYSHOP are organizing a tribute event in Shanghai, Tokyo, and Osaka. System has brought together three "Yancey Boys"—Dilla's longtime collaborators, the Detroit duo Frank N Dank, and his younger brother, Illa J, for live performances. Alongside these acts, the Shanghai event will feature performances from Wes, Sdewdent, and several DJs from fRUITYSHOP—KaleidoJazzlegs, Gkamkbns, DaDa, Vertigob, as well as dancers Nicky & ZenZen. In Tokyo and Osaka, the lineup includes local artists Budamunk, 5lack, Issugi, and a new generation of musicians inspired by Dilla’s sound.
Sofu Club
Date: Friday, 11pm-late
Address: 523 Huaihai Zhong Lu | Address & Details
Price: 228rmb/person
UK DJ and producer Brad Littler, known as OCULA, has become a notable presence in the melodic house scene over the past few years. After releasing several albums on deadmau5's label, mau5trap, this Staffordshire-based producer gained attention for his melodic style, characterized by vibrant and warm elements. OCULA has also become a recognized figure on This Never Happened’s roster.
ALL Club
Date: Sat, Sep 21, 2024, 9pm-late
Address: 2/F, 17 Xiangyang Bei Lu | Address & Details
Price: Presale: 100rmb/person, Door: 130rmb/person
In 2013, a documentary titled Girls Gone Vinyl was released, featuring the stories of over 40 women in electronic music from around the world. It was the first film to explore the challenges faced by female DJs. Despite their growing influence, they have often remained "invisible" at major international music events. This Saturday, Fruity Groove is bringing together several talented female DJs, with Donna Leake from Europe headlining the event, to create a space centered around women’s musical contributions. Girls Gone Vinyl highlights how women’s skills and taste for vinyl records are just as notable as the men who dominate the scene.
SmSh Territory
Date: Sat, Sep 21, 2024
Address: Shanghai | Address & Details
Price: 500-2000rmb
Good eats, good times, good causes. Shanghai has these cards in spades, but what if we add GOOD DEEDS to the table? That’s what Chi Fan for Charity is all about. How Does CFFC Work? Each year, CFFC selects one night to hold the event across numerous restaurants in the city; invites top restaurants to participate; and gathers the city’s best-known personalities to be Table Hosts. Before the event, Table Hosts invite nine friends to book tickets at their table, ranging from 500-2,000rmb per person for a special multi-course menu and drinks, with the restaurants donating the cost, and the proceeds all going to charity. After the fabulous dinners, all guests and supporters get exclusive access to the After Party. At this venue, everyone comes together to mingle, share experiences of their fabulous meals, dance and score raffle prizes. This year, the Chi Fan for Charity Shanghai event will be held on Sept 21.
The University of Manchester China Centre
Date: Sat, Sep 21, 2024, 18:30
Address: Suite 2901, 29/F, L'Avenue, 99 Xianxia Lu | Address & Details
Price: Free Entry
On September 21st (Saturday), the University of Manchester China Centre is delighted to invite you to an exclusive Educational Leadership Forum. The University of Manchester China Centre is honoured to host distinguished senior academics from The University of Manchester, along with leading international education experts. Join us for an engaging discussion on the pivotal topic of Educational Leadership, exploring its nuances within the dynamic contexts of China and the UK.
Shanghai International Dance Center
Date: From Sep 20 until Sep 22, 7:30pm/2:00pm
Address: 1650 Hongqiao Lu | Address & Details
Price: 180-1080rmb
The Russian stylish guy water dance drama "Show In the Rain" was created and put on the stage in 2009 by Rustam Nadyrshin, one of the top five Russian choreographers. This dynamic performance combines real rain with stunning dance sequences, showcasing the talents of a cast of skilled performers. It is known as “The Pride of St. Petersburg", popular in Europe for 15 years, and also has been rated as “The Best Performance Project in Russia” for three consecutive years.
Jasmine Theater
Date: on Sep 20 and Sep 21, 2024, 7:30pm/2pm
Address: 247 Beihai Lu | Address & Details
Price: 80-380rmb
The play “The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes”, is a powerful and urgent exploration of humanity's current stage. Three disability activists hold a public meeting to raise the alarm on the dangers of artificial intelligence only to find their own prejudice and bias is the biggest obstacle to saving the world. Don't miss this thought-provoking and emotionally resonant performance. The play is presented by Back to Back Theatre Company, Australia's renowned trailblazers in global theatre, Winner of the prestigious 2022 International Ibsen Prize and the 2024 Venice Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre.
Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre
Date: on Sep 20 and Sep 21, 2024, 7:30pm/2:00pm
Address: 288 Anfu Lu | Address & Details
Price: 180-380rmb
Dance theatre: Wilde draws from the universe of Oscar Wilde, and his play Lady Windermere’s Fan – a satire on Victorian moralism. It is an attempt to appropriate a radio version of the play, produced by BBC Radio 7 – an object from the past, itself an appropriation of a play from its past. The performers – all dressed as Lady Windermere – move around illustrating the recording, lip-sync, act over the recording, come together to play some characters, sing in an operetta register, and fulfill choreographies. The formal aspects acquire a progressive freedom as the libertarian narrative unfolds. Portuguese theatrical troupe Mala Voadora and Portuguese choreographer Miguel Pereira will present the Wilde Asian premiere.
New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center
Date: Sun, Sep 22, 2024, 7:30pm
Address: 777 Gaoqingxi Lu | Address & Details
Price: 180-680rmb
The world- renowned Spanish Iberia Flamenco Dance Company will presents the iconic dance drama "Carmen" on 22nd of Sept at the New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center. "Carmen" brings to life the irresistible charm of flamenco, showcasing the passionate solo dance of Carmen and the intense duet with Don José, embodying their tumultuous journey from romance to tragedy. The performance also features a dynamic dance battle among cigarette factory workers, highlighting the company's impressive strength and coordination.
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