The long (boat) weekend has a bit of Nordic pop, a Shanghai jazz album release, a psychedelic festival and a bizarre, entertaining-sounding same stage face-off between two locally-based rock bands - plenty of gigs for you to work off all those zongzi at basically.
WEDNESDAY
Tarra Conner Jones
Florida native Tarra Conner Jones has drawn comparisons to the likes of Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, knocking audiences off their feet with her varied repertoire of jazz and soul classics. Book a table early to avoid disappointment.
Heyday 50 Taian Lu. May 24. 9.30pm. Free.
FRIDAY
The Meantraitors
Russian psychobilly act The Meantraitors return to Shanghai as part of an extensive China tour that's taken them as far afield as Chengdu, Dongguan and Hefei.
Yuyintang 851 Kaixuan Lu. May 29. 9pm. 80RMB; 60RMB (presale).
Rough Lover
Two of our favourite Shanghai bands - Mirrors and Dream Can - combine at Chair Club, with funk act Peace and Wave rounding out the bill for this free show
Chair Club (Jingan) 555 Haifang Lu. May 26. 9.30pm. Free.
title
Face Me On the Stage
So this sounds nuts. Shanghai-based bands Dirty Fingers and Round Eye are going face-to-face on the same stage at the same time. Will it be absolute carnage? Probably. Will it be worth seeing? Almost certainly.
Inferno 658 Longhua Dong Lu. May 27. 10pm. Free.
Immanu El
Swedish dream pop/post-rock pioneers Immanu El return to Shanghai as part of a five city China tour from promoters New Noise. The band will be plugging their new album Hibernation, which was recorded with Grammy-nominated producer Johan Eckeborn. Support comes from Rubur.
MAO Livehouse 308 Chongqing Nan Lu. May 27. 9pm. 150RMB; 120RMB (presale).
Loudspeaker
Long-running Shanghai hardcore heroes Loudspeaker headline at Harley's with support from Moaning Lisa and Pixel Prism.
Harley's 265 Nandan Dong Lu. May 27. 9.30pm. Free.
SUNDAY
Zhang Xiongguan Album Release
Talented Shanghai-based jazz guitarist Zhang Xiongguan celebrates the release of his new album Struggles with backing from Li Shihai, Danny Zanker and Ryan An and an afterparty headed up by endy and Damacha.
On Stage 570 Huaihai Xi Lu. May 28. 9pm. 100RMB; 70RMB (presale).
Little Wizard
It took Shaoxing-formed instrumental rockers Little Wizard seven years to get around to releasing their first proper album, but two years on from their debut LP they're back with a follow up, the straightforwardly-titled II.
Yuyintang 851 Kaixuan Lu. May 28. 9.30pm. 80RMB; 60RMB (presale).
Gumei Jazz Festival
The Royal Hombres, Little Happiness and Tom Peng's New Grass Band are among the acts performing at this street-side jazz festival for Dragon Boat weekend. The festival will also feature a kids play area and a selection of market stalls.
Venue TBA 28-30 May. 1pm. Free.
SUNDAY
Christopher
Danish pop singer Christopher - or Christopher Nissen if you're Googling him and want any hope of returning relevant results - makes his Shanghai debut with a show at Bandai Namco Shanghai Base's Dream Hall. Christopher apparently got his record deal with EMI by showing up at their Copenhagen offices and demanding one, which seems easier than it ought to be, but they presumably saw something in him beyond mere gumption. He's since won a host of awards back home for his Bieber-esque sound, including New Thinker of the Year from Spotify.
Bandai Namco Shanghai Base 179 Yichang Lu. May 29. 8pm. 480RMB.
Triangle Psychedelia Festival
Excellent local band Dream Can headline this music and market event also featuring Dolphy Kick Bebop, Shuimending and Acid & Aming performing live, plus tattoo artists, vinyl stalls, silk screen printers and lots more.
On Stage 570 Huaihai Xi Lu. May 29. 2pm. 120RMB; 100RMB (presale).
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