Like reverse vampires, a hodgepodge of Shanghai-based artists you may never have heard of step into the sunlight on the longest day of the year (June 21) for the MusicMatters showcase. It’s a 12-hour marathon of live performances running the gamut from hip-hop to punk rock to stand-up comedy.

Like a big-top circus spread out over the city, MusicMatters brings together everything from African drummers and indie-folk bands to electro DJs. The genre-agnostic promoters scheduled acts like conscious-rap duo Evil Einsteins alongside New Age girl group Eva Ren & Liquid Dreams and ukulele-strumming reggae rockers Break for Borneo. “MusicMatters has always brought together a very eclectic mix of acts,” says DJ Maculate of Evil Einsteins. “The showcase is going to be all over the place.”

Unpredictability will be the order of the day, exactly what you’d expect from a group whose motto is “bringing you events you didn’t even know you wanted to go to!” Originally from Scotland, MusicMatters helmsman Anthony Caw began organizing events in Shanghai last year with the simple aim of bringing people together and showing them a good time. As MusicMatters’ most ambitious event to date, the showcase amplifies this laid back vibe on a larger scale, with a whopping 21 acts confirmed to date. But Caw warns that “there may be cancellations. Some of the musicians like to drink–heavily.”

If you’re also a fan of a mid afternoon tipple–or 12–you’re in luck: ¥100 gets you an all-you-can-drink ticket to the event, and there will even be a street meat vendor on hand to satisfy those post-booze yangrou chuan cravings. Details are still being ironed out, but you can expect plenty of other munchables, and everything from a pool table to a paddling pool to keep you entertained between sets. There are also rumors of a county fair staple: the-bouncy-castle. We recommend abstaining from the meats on sticks until after you’ve had your fill of that inflatable slice of heaven.

This massive variety show looks to have something for just about everyone. But even Caw admits that, “if you manage to complete the 12 hours, then you’re mental!”


Where: Red Town, 570 Huaihai Xi Lu 淮海西路570号
When: June 21, 2pm-2am
Cost: ¥150 all-you-can-drink