No fakes here, just flakes, old faves and operatic reggae

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 more innovative contemporary musicians, Wang Lei, will return to Shanghai for a weekend of live Sichuan opera music mixed with dub reggae. It might sound gimmicky, but Wang Lei has training and experience in both Sichuan traditional music and dub reggae, and he always delivers a groovy, fascinating performance. Catch it at 4 Live on Jan. 19-20.

Club dkd celebrated another anniversary recently, and we have to say, the place remains one of the best places to party in Shanghai. We always find good vibes and solid music here, and a more amiable crowd compared to most places. You can actually make new friends here. Imagine that.

Remember those Sven Vath records from the mid 90s, when he dressed as a clown and made records that were goofy, tripped-out excursions? Well he's now gone more minimal, but we hope not more down-to-earth. See what this visionary German techno veteran is up to lately on Friday, Jan. 26 at Bon Bon, supported by local faves Tootekool and Ben Huang – smart booking! The following night, also at Bon Bon, another clown by the name of Roc Raida will drop some mad acrobatics on the turntables – no one is more fun to watch DJ than this man, so get a good view of the booth. Safety goggles encouraged.

If you're looking for a decent cocktail for a change, we're happy to see places like the new Volar are, uh, raising the bar on the art of mixed drinks in Shanghai. We're also wishing success to the new Tara cocktail bar, above Boona 2 on Fuxing Xi Lu. They've got an impressive menu of specialty cocktails, and an intimate and inviting setting.

And how did you spend your New Years? We hopped around to a few good parties, but the highlight was Fake Flakes at the Zendai Museum in Pudong. Good people, good music, and unfettered creativity. It takes some magic (and guts) to throw an underground party in Pudong with bare walls and raw music. We walked in to a crowd of over 1000 people dancing. Hope to see more like this in 2007.