13 brilliant things to do in Shanghai this week
MUSIC
Cafe Lanai
Cafe Lanai may hail from Montreal, but it seems their heads are permanently at the beach: the summer holiday vibes don’t stop at the referencing of a Hawaiian getaway in their name, it’s a theme that is at the core of their sound, too. Support comes courtesy of local outfit Running Blue.
Yuyintang Fri 10. 10pm. 60RMB.
Fun
Dark folk outfit Galēən (formerly Band O' Bros/Split Pants) host an evening of local rock fun at Yuyintang with dreamy post-rock band Pixel Prism and long-running local hardcore act Loudspeaker also on the bill.
Yuyintang Sat 11. 8.30pm. 40RMB.
NIGHTLIFE
X&G
The SHFT crew present the Trapdoor Records-signed duo, who are shaping the experimental trap sound with their lip-smacking productions. They’re earmarked to be up with the label’s heavyweights before long.
DADA Thu 9. 10pm. 100RMB.
Manuel Fischer
Swiss talent Manuel Fischer writes music on synthesizers and drum machines and his first record was released by Berlin Deep house institution WHITE. On the verge of a string of EP releases he’s brought to Elevator courtesy of Shiny Shoes.
Elevator Fri 10. 10pm. 50RMB; (30RMB pre-sale).
Love Bang & Yeti: Mystic Lanterns
Love Bang and Yeti Out are getting the city LIT at Dada for Lantern Festival 2017. Expect bass, hip-hop, cyberdisco, grime, cartoons, trippy decor, and chill lantern gods. Party starts early and goes until the jianbing sellers come out.
DADA Sat 11. 9pm. Free.
FILM
Arrival
When 12 mysterious spacecraft appear around the world, linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is tasked with interpreting the language of the apparent alien visitors.
Cinemas around town.
La La Land
The musical that's sweeping the globe after sweeping up at the Oscars, Damien Chazelle's La La Land finally comes to Shanghai cinemas this weekend. A story of an asipiring actress (Emma Stone) and a dedicated jazz musician (Ryan Gosling), it's being hailed as a genre-reviving work.
Cinemas around town.
Kubo and the Two Strings
Animation studio Laika (Coraline, Paranorman) is responsible for this typically gorgeous 3D stop-motion cartoon about a young boy in ancient Japan with magical powers.
Cinemas around town.
ART
James Turrell: Immersive Light
World-renowned Californian artist James Turrell arrives at the Long Museum, bringing with him works of epic proportions, showcasing a lifetime of experimentation with light, space and perspective.
Long Museum West Bund Until May 21. 200RMB.
The King and I
Originally held as an exhibition at the Royal Palace in Milan in September 2016, The King and I now travels to the majestic Shanghai Gallery of Art. Commissioned by Alcantara, the show tells the tale of a faraway Palace and its imaginary stories.
Shanghai Gallery of Art Until Feb 9. Free.
Head Without Brain
Zhu Changquan’s solo exhibition at the M50 gallery analyses a variety of factors that potentially contribute to the overwhelming nature of modern daily life. Displaying works influenced by the media, society and the routines around us, Changquan questions our own abilities to absorb endless information.
Vanguard Gallery Until Apr 2. Free.
Song Dong: I Don't Know the Mandate of Heaven
RAM hosts a monographic exhibition by leading avant-garde installation artist, Beijing-born Song Dong. In a show that transforms the entire building both inside and out, the museum presents some of the innovative artist’s best-known works and imposing installations.
Rockbund Art Museum Until Mar 26. 30RMB.
PERFORMANCE
Kunqu: Romeo and Juliet
Although xiqu, or traditional theatre (opera), kunqu is the oldest codified form, dating back to Shakespeare's time. Xiqu Shakespeare is seen by many to be a blend of two ancient art forms that can build audiences and expand genres of both. Romeo and Juliet is, among other things, an excellent introduction to a complex art form.
Shanghai Grand Theatre Feb 11-12. 7.15pm. 80-580RMB.
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