Where the Olympic year saw the demise of outdoor rock, the post-Olympic spring finds new groove in the ashes. The Strawberry Music Festival (May 1-3) promises to wrestle back the capital’s right to party and then some. On the Woodstock-reminiscent muddy meadow of Tongzhou Canal Park, Strawberry heralds a trippier age in Beijing music—one with less guitar solo posturing and a little more peace, love and understanding.

“If we’re going to have another festival, I want it to be completely different. I want to take people out of the city. I want it to be hallucinatory,” says Shen Lihui, founder of Modern Sky Records, which is organizing Strawberry. Tongzhou Canal Park is in the countryside but still easy to reach by bus or subway.

Three stages will be set up at the lowest point of a valley by Tongzhou Canal. Revelers can frolic on the muddy banks to mellow indie tunes, dance to Yen DJs or just wander the 90,000 acres of park land. “The whole experience is going to be warm, loving and close to Mother Nature,” Shen enthuses.

This is why the line-up, which includes more than 60 Chinese and international bands, is on the mellow side. Modern Sky let bands pick between Strawberry and Modern Sky Festival (in October). Hedgehog, Arms and Legs and Zhou Yunpeng in the line-up, as well as U.S. acts Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu have chosen the Strawberry slot.

“I think Tongzhou is a great place for a music festival,” says Atom from Hedgehog, “I can’t wait for spring weather and a chance to have fun and be totally silly.”

“Tongzhou is actually our natural habitat” says Hua Dong of ReTROS. “Lots of bands live out there because it’s cheap.”

In addition to music, Shen promises Strawberry will be a place for your inner child. He describes his vision of the festival: young people jumping in trampoline castles to the sounds of Hedgehog while holding cotton candy the size of their heads. “Nothing is sweeter than childhood memories. I want that to be part of our dream as well,” says Shen. He is still working on acquiring the trampoline castle.

By Mia Li

SCHEDULE

Day 1 - May 1

Strawberry Stage 13:00-13:40 SKO (死扣) 14:00-14:40 Omnipotent Youth Society (万能青年旅店) 15:00-15:40 Perdel (逃跑计划) 16:00-16:40 Nancheng Erge (南城二哥) 17:00-17:40 Hedgehog (刺猬) 18:00-18:40 Xiu Xiu (US) 19:00-19:30 Joanna Wong (王若琳) 20:00-20:40 Zhang Chu (张楚)

Love Stage 13:30-13:50 He Li (何力) 14:00-14:20 Hong Qi (洪启) 14:30-15:10 Youth (青年小伙子) 15:30-16:10 Steely Heart (钢铁的心) 16:30-17:10 Wu Zhuoling (吴卓玲) 17:30-18:10 AOK 18:30-19:10 The Lones (former L.A.B.F, 浪) 19:30-20:10 Left Right (左右) 20:30-21:10 Yu Yang (虞洋)

Electronic Stage 14:00-15:30 Shenyue 15:30-16:45 Donald Summer 16:45-18:00 Patrick Yu 18:00-19:15 Ben Huang 19:15-20:30 Eddie Lv 20:30-21:30 Dio

Day 2 - May 2

Strawberry Stage 13:00-13:40 Hua Lun (花伦) 14:00-14:40 The Offset: Spectacles (憬观：像同叠) 15:00-15:40 Arms and Legs (US) 16:00-16:40 Zhou Yunpeng (周云蓬) 17:00-17:40 The Life Journey (旅行团) 18:00-18:40 Brain Failure (脑浊) 19:00-19:40 Cao Fang (曹方) 20:00-20:40 Re-TROS (aka Rebuilding the Rights of Statues重塑雕像的权利)

Love Stage 13:30-14:00 Zhang Zhilin & Band (张志林与乐队) 14:20-15:00 Blue Garden (兰色花园) 15:30-16:10 Flying At Midnight (午夜飞行) 16:30-17:10 Lava OX Sea 17:30-18:10 Silent G 18:30-19:10 Kelly Cha & Orange Factory (查可欣 & 桔子工厂) 19:30-20:10 PANTHER (US) 20:30-21:10 The Thin Man (瘦人)

Electronic Stage　 14:00-15:30 Dan 15:30-17:00 Lydnb 17:00-18:30 Kay C 18:30-20:00 Blackie 20:00-21:30 Usami

Day 3 - May 3

Strawberry Stage 13:00-13:40 The Chinos (基诺) 14:00-14:40 Casino Demon (赌鬼) 15:00-15:40 Guai Li (怪力) 16:00-16:40 Wan Xiaoli (万晓利) 17:00-17:40 Sound & Toys (声音与玩具) 18:00-18:40 Lao Lang (老狼) 19:00-19:40 Sound Fragment (声音碎片) 20:00-20:40 Deerhoof (US)

Love Stage 13:30-14:10 Camel (骆驼) 14:30-15:10 Bigger Bang (大棒) 15:30-16:10 Pet Conspiracy (宠物同谋) 16:30-17:10 Hao Yun (郝云) 17:30-18:10 Shuangzi (爽子) 18:30-19:10 Amguulan (阿穆隆) 19:30-20:10 Long Shen Dao (aka The Dragon God 龙神道) 20:30-21:10 Xiao Juan & Residents from the Valley (小娟 & 山谷里的居民)

Electronic Stage 14:30-15:20 Iloop 15:20-16:10 Sulumi (孙大威) 16:10-17:00 Zigzag 17:00-17:50 Dead J (邵彦鹏) 17:50-18:40 LIman 18:40-20:05 Ouyang 20:05-21:30 J Swarz

Getting There

Take the Batong Subway Line to Tongzhou Beiyuan. There, you will find Modern Sky free shuttle buses, which depart every 20-30 minutes between 10am and 6pm. Return buses are available every 20 minutes from 6-10:30 pm with the last bus at 10:30pm. Alternatively, you can take a cab to Tongzhou Canal Park (通州运河公园) from the Tongzhou Beiyuan stop for about RMB25.