It's official. This weekend, 11/21-23, is the highlight of this Fall's live rock-and-roll / independent music offerings. The past month has been chalk-full of great shows, but this tri-fecta of rad gigs cements a drastic improvment in Shanghai's "scene" (even if all the headliners are from out of town).

• Friday, November 21st @ Yuyintang: Casino Demon w/ The Rogue Transmission and The Fire Balloon. It's been 14 months since the Casino Demon last played Shanghai and since that appearance they've been signed to Modern Sky Records, recorded an album (release pending) and repeatedly dazzled Beijing audiences. I won't hold back my praise for this band, I've seen them four times and every time they've straight up killed it. For more information, click here

• Saturday, November 22nd @ Zhejiang Dream Factory: New Pants w/ Boys Climbing Ropes and The Fire Balloon. The show that been the hot topic of bloggers, promoters and scenesters since a controversial post by anonymous blogger PunkNotJunk, Beijing's New Pants are set to release their new album 'Equal Love'. Armed with a set that combines tunes from their diverse back-catalog, New Pants are always the toast of China, and their performance at October's Modern Sky Festival solidified that claim. Joining 新裤子 will be Shanghai favorites Boys Climbing Ropes and The Fire Balloon. For more information, click here.

• Sunday, November 23rd @ Yuyintang: Arrows Made of Desire w/ Moses Hazy While Finland's Moses Hazy may be the official headliner, the real draw here is Beijing's Arrows Made of Desire. Tough to peg into any singular genre, Arrows Made of Desire are an eclectic indie rock band. Singed by Tag Team Records, AMoD's debut 'Songs that Sell Fish' was labeled an instant classic by the Chinese media and the band has maintained continued interest and mystique giving rare performances, while completing their follow up disc. For more information, click here

Without a doubt, these shows are gonna be killer and I recommend you all pony up your savings, crack open the piggy banks and shell out a couple bones to support the artists, promoters and venues that have been keeping Shanghai alive. Who knows, your generosity and support may be rewarded with continued live offerings in 2009.