From a globe-conquering comedy star to some of the world's finest men in tights and even a spot of dragon boating, this week's got a bit of everything. Read on for the best things to do in Shanghai this week.
MUSIC
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).
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.
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).
NIGHTLIFE
Summer of Haze & Saburov
Antidote brings Moscow 'goth trap' and witch house producer Summer of Haze back to DADA. Apparently witch house, which we always thought was a fake genre made up by bored music journalists, is an insane hybrid beast in Russia. Who knew? Summer of Haze is joined by Hyperboloid label runner Saburov and local DJs from the Antidote orbit.
DADA 115 Xingfu Lu. May 26. 10pm.
Room 303 x Black Cotton launch party feat. Unjin
MIIIA's monthly Room 303 space techno exploration session invites Korean talent Unjin to celebrate the launch of fashion designer Daven Zang's new Berghain-inspired line Black Cotton. Installations by Daven Zang, and DJ support from MIIIA.
Elevator 218 Xinle Lu. May 27. 10pm. Free.
THINGS TO DO
Russell Howard: Round the World
Produced by Kung Fu Komedy, British stand-up Russell Howard is bringing his world tour to Shanghai. An energetic, enthusiastic performer whose jokes range from satirical to observational to downright absurd, Howard has many impressive TV credits to his name including Mock the Week (BBC), Live at the Apollo (BBC) and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC).
Shanghai Art Theatre 466 Jiangning Lu. May 25. 7pm. 480RMB.
Unravel: Home
The live unscripted storytelling series returns to District, doling out real stories from real people. This time the theme is 'Home': 'There's no place like it. New ones or old ones, the ones we make and the ones we share. Where the heart is or where we left it.' It's a nice dose of humanity in this city, and given how previous events have gone down you can expect this one to be packed out. Stories start at 7.30pm.
District 284 Yuyuan Lu. May 25. 6.30pm. Free.
Dragon Boat Festival Fair at Yuyuan Gardens
Immerse yourself in traditional Chinese culture at Yu Gardens and participate in Dragon Boat customs such as eating zongzi (a rice dumpling wrapped in a palm leaf), making your own fragrance sachets, and trying your hand at palm leaf handicrafts. Come early, because we all know that Yu Gardens can get really crowded really quickly.
Yu Gardens 137 Anren Jie. 17-31 May. 9am.
FILM
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales private screening and cocktail party
Time Out Shanghai and 247tickets present another exclusive cinema screening, this time featuring Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. You may not think you need more Jack Sparrow in your life, but this fifth and final instalment of the seafaring franchise has been dubbed a pleasant surprise by critics, with particular praise for Javier Bardem's performance as the terrifying leader of deadly ghost sailors Captain Salazar. The evening starts at 6.30pm with a free welcome drink and private happy hour at Avenue bar, followed by a lucky draw. The screening at the art deco SFH Hengshan cinema starts at 9.15pm including a complimentary drink and popcorn.
SFC - NEW HENGSHAN 838 Hengshan Lu Xuhui Shanghai Shanghai. May 26. 6.30pm. 175RMB. Long press and extract the QR code to buy tickets.
Power Rangers
'It’s morphin’ time!' fans will yell, as waves of light explode, colour-coded armour creeps onto bodies, and tears of recognition are wiped away. Rarely has a franchise dominated childhoods as thoroughly as the ’90s-era live-action Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, devoured on TV and cemented with action figures and toys. Today’s grown-up kids aren’t ready for the reboot, but they should be.
On general release now. Long press and extract the QR code to buy tickets.
PERFORMANCE
Les Ballets Eloelle
Les Ballets Eloelle is an all male comedy ballet company, and the newest member of only a handful in the world. Founded and directed by Victor Trevino, former director and founder of Les Ballets Grandiva and featured dancer of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Ballet Eloelle features over 15 active ballets in the repertoire, all laugh-out-loud funny with plenty of slapstick. These are sendoffs on famous ballets, and will resonate with balletomanes and neophytes alike.
Shanghai Majestic Theatre 66 Jiangning Lu. 26-27 May. 7.30pm. 180-580RMB.
ART
Our Time on the Moon
Our Time on the Moon is a series of seven silkscreens made by the Chilean artist Camila Pino Gay. The fascinating works are inspired by the great space race, and the first images of UFOs discovered in the 1950s. The work examines an exciting time of exploration, and one that has permanently altered humanity's perception of the universe around us.
FLIP Pop Gallery 361 Xinfeng Lu. Until 28 May. Free.
Chinese Artifacts
In the latest show at Duolun Museum of Modern Art, emerging Dutch artist Peter Riezebos presents over 40 of his captivating paintings. Having been based in Shanghai for a number of years, his work created during this time encompasses drawings and paintings in neo-expressionistic traditions.
Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art 27 Duolun Lu. Until 25 May. Free.
BOOKS
Xiaolu Guo: Once Upon A Time in the East
British-Chinese author Xiaolu Guo joins Literary Shanghai for a talk about her new book, Once Upon A Time in the East. Her memoir is a fascinating and unflinching look at a childhood in poverty, the Beijing art scene of the 1990s, her quest to become a free film maker in China and then in London, and her sense of dislocation studying in the UK. In this talk, moderated by Time Out Books Editor Helen Roxburgh, Guo will talk about her work, the challengers of writing the memoir, transnational identities and her relationship with her home country.
The Tavern Bar & Grill 78 Xingguo Lu. May 26, 7pm. Free.
More from Time Out Shanghai
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