Thursday:

Five Corners + Verneri Pohjola Quartet, 10:30

Fresh off an Expo jaunt, two Finnish jazz bands (plus local collabos, including the Big Duck) cool down at JZ. Pohjola, Mark Bai, Mike, and drummer Joonas Riipa play a long set from 10:30, followed by Five Corners. Quick jab at the jazz scene: The Finland Expo site said that they sold 50,00 copies of their first CD. That makes it the Thriller of jazz records. I kid because I care.

JZ Club, 46 Fuxing Lu near Yongfu Lu, no cover

Hel Yes, 9 PM-late

Xingfu Lu turns into The Finland of the East tonight, with Finnish electro artists taking over the holy trinity of LOgO, Dada, and Anar. Woe unto the neighbors! How many will be happy when the shows are Finnished? New low, dude, new low.

LOgO, Dada, and Anar, Xingfu Lu between Pingwu and Fahuazhen Lu, no cover

Break for Borneo, 7 PM

Break for Borneo busts The Nut, an alternative art space in Jing An District. Come for the art of Ziggy and Break for Borneo, stay for the Italian eats, wine, and conversation.

The Nut, 1/F, Bldg E, 1147 Kangding Lu near Wuning Nan Lu, no cover

Friday:

Miniless Cyber Punks, 9 PM

Miniless electro artists bust out at YYT, including MHP, who was featured on the NeoCha and Shanghai Restoration Project’s eXpo compilation.

Yuyintang 851 Kaixuan Lu at Yanan Xi Lu, 40 RMB

Back to the Classics Pt. 3

The old, reliable late night option tonight will provide real hip hop. Not sure what that means these days, but I imagine it will be of the mid-90s to early ‘Aughts vintage. The Lab Crew holds court in this regard.

The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Lu, 30 RMB

Saturday:

The Fever Machine Present

This is obviously the biggie of the weekend, in my opinion. In the past two weeks I have interviewed two of the bands on the bill, X is Y and The Fever Machine. I wanted to get to Rainbow Danger Club and Pairs, too, but I ran out of time. Another occasion, then. But, seriously, get the hell out to this show. It could be one of those packed nights at YYT and will feature some of the better bands that Shanghai has to offer right now on the indie tip.

Yuyintang 851 Kaixuan Lu at Yanan Xi Lu, 40 RMB

NOIShanghai 35, 9 PM

I still have never been to one of these and I think my streak is going to stay intact this week, but I will get to one someday, mark my words. And then I will wallow in the noise, the glorious noise. Performers this time include Melanie Velarde from Berlin, Wang Chang Cun from Hangzhou, and, of course, Torturing Nurse. These dudes are so pro-noise they don’t even like Sonic Youth. They’re noisy for life.

696 Livehouse, 188/A/15 East Jiang Wan Road (188 Creative Industrial Park), 40 RMB

Sunday:

Duke Ellington Big Band

I mean, what can you say about this one? You will hear some lovely swinging jazz from the Ellington songbook, with which you cannot go wrong. So take the A Train (actually, Line 2) to the Shanghai Oriental Art Center.

Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Northern side of Pudong Century Ave. – Science and Technology Museum stop on Metro Line 2, tickets between 380 and 600 RMB at this point

A KU SI DI KE

I’m a bit confused by this band because they always spell their name “Sulants of Swing”. They have to mean “Sultans”, right? Shouldn’t someone just tap them on the shoulder and clue them in a bit? It’s going to be all acoustic, so it will be a bit quieter. Can someone just tell them how to spell “sultan”, please? Oh well, maybe we should just listen to the blues and not give a damn about spelling.

Yuyintang 851 Kaixuan Lu at Yanan Xi Lu, 30 RMB