The good, bad and ugly of 2007
With all of the benefits that come with being a columnist (and I'm sure at some point, they'll come to light), the least I can do is play Father Christmas and hand out a few prizes to those who’ve made ... Read More
Cheap, strong and, well, cheap drinks
What is it about this town that gives us such a delusional sense of self? We're better-looking, funnier and, despite making less than we did back home, we don't even bat an eye at shelling out ¥50 (US$7!) for a pint ... Read More
Shanghai has recently been bombarded with bands, international and local. Problem is, a lot of people have no idea which local names to grab tickets for. This is where we come in. Not to brag—OK, maybe a little—but last year, we named Banana Monkey as the band to ... Read More
When 2006 came to an end and the party pulse calmed down during the holidays, I was thinking (perhaps wishfully, except for all the free drink, thanks) that a foolish, overheated period of big club openings had finally come to an end and all those investors from Wenzhou had learned ... Read More
Someone just informed me that next year China will host the Olympic Games. How is it that I wasn't aware of that until just now?
Truth is, I couldn't care less. I remember last year when the World Cup was going on, and it completely killed all the ... Read More
Working the door at a busy party can be one of the most stressful jobs out there. Imagine dealing with hundreds of people who are all trying to get in for free. They all seem to write for some magazine, or they have a cousin who works in TV, or ... Read More
In the past year we've seen Shanghai's music and nightlife scene struggle to mature and become more dynamic. While it's still far from stable, and far from what we'd consider "world-class," at least now we're finally feeling spoiled for choice every week.
Last summer everyone ... Read More
Since 2002, China has sent its champion turntable DJ to London for the annual DMC World Champion DJ competition. Not to be confused with the over-hyped DJ Mag list of Top 100 DJs—which are usually trance and house DJs selected by popular vote—the DMC focuses on hip-hop-inspired turntable ... Read More
In the past few months we've seen a blossoming of Latin-themed parties around Shanghai, from tame salsa lessons to upscale cocktail parties to rowdy all-you-can-drink nights. On an average week there's between 5-10 places in town offering up Latin rhythms and theme parties.
DJ Lin (from Shanghai) is ... Read More
Techno music, we can safely say, has been around for a solid 20 years now. I won't go into the typical list of name checks, but let me just say that in the mid-80s there was a group of innovative young men in Detroit, U.S., who laid the ... Read More
After-hours parties are often spontaneous affairs, with a group of drunken revelers wanting a change of atmosphere–a more comfortable spot to end a wild night and keep the party going.
We often end up taking our after-party to Xin Wang or City Diner or Charmant (much to the delight ... Read More
In cities with a more mature nightclub scene, music fans and party people focus more on "who" rather than "where," when planning for a night out. Not the case, yet, in our beloved Shanghai.
I often hear people say, for example, "Oh, I like to go to Park 97, it ... Read More
I never paid much attention to alcohol sponsors at events back home, but in Shanghai, you can't avoid the bombardment of bar beverage-brand promotions. Each liquor label decides its target market and plans parties to suit the chosen demographic. Wyborowa Vodka does hip-hop parties for younger crowds, Chivas aggressively ... Read More
Thank goodness the holidays are over and done with. Now, we can get back to some serious local partying. The gods of spring are blessing our town with a variety of new party concepts, new homegrown talent, and more interesting international acts.
Australian drum and bass act Pendulum at bonbon ... Read More
How did Thursday become the default hip hop night in Shanghai? To paraphrase DJ Vnutz, former resident DJ at Pegasus and now running The Lab, back in the day people were only familiar with house/trance clubs, so it was impossible to compete on a weekend. They started hip hop ... Read More
Jamaican music–reggae, dub, dancehall, rockers, roots and not to mention the seminal influence on dubstep and drum and bass– there's something infectious about this small island's rhythms that have caught on around the globe and now in China. In fact, the indelible Bob Marley's "Legend" album ... Read More
2046 Shop near Fudan University is Shanghai's best CD store for independent Chinese music, with a good selection – over 50 – of rock, electronica, hip hop and experimental. Unfortunately, there's usually only one of each in stock, so if you buy one, it might be months before they stock ... Read More
The old Block 60 space on Tongren Lu is again being put to good use. We loved this space, but the management seemed absent-minded at the previous incarnation. Now it's called UnderLounge, and we've seen the preliminary schedule – keep an eye on this space.
One of China's ... Read More
2006 was a frustrating, over-heated, but always interesting, year for Shanghai's party scene. Venues opened and closed and opened again faster than anyone could keep up with. 2007 promises to be dramatic also and we don't see a nightlife recession on the horizon. More clubs are sure to ... Read More
Time Passage has always been one of our favorite hang-out bars in Shanghai. It's a down home place with historical jazz and reggae posters, knickknacks and kitschy elements scattered around the room. They've got a nice CD selection behind the bar, so it's a good place to ... Read More
Last week I had some friends in town that wanted to check out the city's gay and lesbian nightlife. Thankfully, there are several good options now, whether you're looking for a quiet conversation or a rowdy dance party.
We started out at Eddy's Bar on Tianping Lu ... Read More
October brought us the most diverse selection of music events we've seen in a long while, from goth bands to outdoor jazz, and even a group of drunken Finnish guys doing Detroit-style booty tech at the Sounds Like Suomi party. The Fuxing Jazz Festival gave us a rare chance ... Read More