Sensory overload with a packed party scene

There's this great scene in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, where big fatty Augustus Gloop, after falling into a river of chocolate, becomes stuck in a tube, only to eventually be shot out the top from the pressure built ... Read more »

Can cover bands fill the live music void?

It's been a long, hot, slow summer and my usual release, moshing around local venues to the thrashing sounds of Chinese rock, has been ripped from my clutches. With no other options, I decide to do the unthinkable, and steal my ... Read more »

Eradicating complacency and trying new things

And thus began the summer of my discontent, my fanciful daydream crushed and shattered to pieces ...

I thought I had it all figured out, but somehow, in my effort to avoid the visa exile, I find myself locked behind a desk, boxed into the ... Read more »

Aric throws in the towel

I'm leaving town for a bit, but I'll go ahead and skip the numerous metaphors that usually begin a columnist's final entry. Shanghai got to me and instead of kid myself into that whole, "the scene is going to get better," I ... Read more »

A new quartet spreads gypsy jazz rhythms

Shanghai has made great strides toward expanding its musical palette in recent years with jazz, funk and even bluegrass artists making inroads into what was once the sole territory of DJs and live music hopefuls. One upcoming group that's pushing the boundaries ... Read more »

Five tracks to help you deal with riding Line 1

With visa issues being on everyone's lips, it's no shock that spirits seem to be a bit down this summer–mine included–so once again, I look to the experts for guidance on the local scene. While good ... Read more »

Why girls totally act gay in pictures

Yesterday while I was Face-book-stalking my ex-girlfriend's newest pictures, making sure that I was sleeping with more people than she was, I ended up having a bonus educational experience as well upon discovering a new phenomenon: females that temporarily trade their sexual ... Read more »

Why they open, why they close and what goes wrong

I've recently had people ask me why I never cover the dance music and club scene. Let me explain: Dance music is silly and per the club scene, it's impossible to cover. The moment I start writing, they ... Read more »

My favorite acts' favorite acts to catch

Last week I had the traumatic experience of hearing what I thought was a great blues song in Tesco, writing down a few lyrics on my hand and Googling it only to find out it was John Mayer. Resigned to the fact that ... Read more »

Where to waste even more of your life this summer

In the words of my prom date ("Already?"), it's that time of year when the ESL teachers start kneeling down to talk to their female students and the crowd at Attica starts doing their rails on the terrace rails ... Read more »

YSP! WSD!'s Devon Clifford recalls his shoe-snatching nightmare

We somehow get a good international band over to Shanghai and how do we show our appreciation? Apparently, by bamboozling footwear, which is exactly what happened to YSP! WSD! drummer Devon Clifford, who spent what should have been time making out ... Read more »

Why the new restrictions on visas is another shot to our scene

Funny that our favorite visa started with F, the same letter that represents what the "temporary removal" of that visa is going to do to a town built on the backs of musicians and artists. Looking past the ... Read more »

Why our brazen attempts will always fall short

Bob Dylan said it best in Ballad of a Thin Man; "You have many contacts, among the lumberjacks to get you facts when someone attacks your imagination" ... and attack the creative minds is exactly what I'm going to do. Not a ... Read more »

Why Shanghai bands aren't opening for international shows

During my latest nightlife show, the subject of local bands being included in the large international concert bookings in Shanghai was brought up. After the Bjork show, I couldn't help but think what a perfect addition Cold Fairyland would've ... Read more »

Would a “Bund Bar” manager comp a round of drinks?

I haven't been fair. At least, that's what some have said following my recent blog about the "Bund Bars." Yes, they're overpriced, soulless and full of people wearing the same belts. To prove this, I decided to ... Read more »

The laowai lexis for the New Year

As I walked down Shanxi Lu the other rainy day holding what I refer to as my "Shanghai Beauty Queen" stride (arms at a 90 degree angle while hands wave back and forth deflecting the points of umbrellas), I realized that with the ... Read more »

How this now available space can be made glorious

Act as surprised as you want at the closure of 4Live, but things were just going far too well for our little music scene so, of course, something had to give–but Shanghai's all about bouncing back. Much like the ... Read more »

Are House and Minimal music really different?

In a town that prioritizes fashion over fidelity, it should come as no shock that hyperbole often ranks higher than the product we actually get. In no niche is this more evident than the electronic music scene. DJ rankings are even more skewed ... Read more »