Tucked away in north Jing’an is the latest addition to Shanghai’s already overcrowded bar scene. This one has every amenity to make it the latest “it” spot—expensive leather couches, exposed brick and an intimate outdoor patio. The catch? You can’t go. Not if you beg and ... Read More
As news of 2012's JUE Festival begins to surface, constant concert goer and music aficionado Rabshakeh breaks down the Shanghai festival scene:
“If you plant the seeds and water it, it’ll grow.” Such are the hopes of Nathaniel Mallon, head of the Three Chord Truth event company. They ... Read More
Music master Rabshakeh gives us the lowdown on Shanhai Livehouse and why we should all be going:
Underground music lovers unite in a squeal of glee. Shanghai has a promising new livehouse on the radar.
What makes it promising you might ask? There are countless venues in the city, most ... Read More
S.T.D.'s Reggie Laxatives gets loose with CW writer, Rabshakeh, and tells us what the future has in store.
Have you experienced an S.T.D. in Shanghai? Lots of us have. Well, you can blame Reggie Laxatives (R3) for that.
He’s been spreading infectious grooves all ... Read More
“A Go Go” is a French expression meaning “in abundance” or “galore.” So Trash A-Go-Go means a whole lot of garbage–filthy, stinky garbage–but in Shanghai, it means parties with a whole lot of trashy, thrashy, punk music. Anyone who enjoyed one of the many Trash A Go-Go parties ... Read More
Shanghai’s nightlife scene is constantly evolving, but there’s been some tumbling changes over the past month. Expo is over, which means foreign artists won’t visit the pavilions or have any extra shows downtown. And LOgO is history as well. It wasn’t LOgO’s fault–it was ... Read More
The DJ industry is divided into two different worlds: the commercial world and the world of music enthusiasts. This becomes even clearer when talking about girl DJs.
For an industry that is notoriously male-dominated, Shanghai has quite a few female DJs, including stalwarts like Jane AKA DJ Siesta, who has ... Read More
Australian “disturbed folk” guitarist Jeff Lang returns to Shanghai after last year’s sold-out tour. Check him out at Yuyingtang this weekend.
How did you enjoy playing China in 2009?
It was a bit of a blur, but really interesting. I had five days here playing back-to-back shows. One night ... Read More
Who among us will make the next move?
By the time this column goes to print, Avril will have already dazzled us all and Linkin Park’s highly-anticipated return will be at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts, signifying the dawning of a new post-(para)Olympic era and a ... Read More
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