Beijing Weekly Gig Guide: May 17-23
May 17: Dogadana
A portmanteau of the names Daga and Dana (the band’s founders), Dagadana drop Ukrainian and Polish influences in a melting pot of folk, jazz and electronica. With Daga on electronics and Dana on keyboards, the pair regularly tour Europe and Asia. For a taste, check out the 2010 album Maleńka, which earned the band a Fryderyk Award (a Polish Grammy, essentially).
Wed May 17, 9pm; RMB80 (advance), RMB100 (door); Yugong Yishan, 3-2 Zhangzizhong Lu 东城区张自忠路3-2号(6404 2711)
May 18: The Music of Cole Porter Played by the Nathaniel Gao Quintet
Cole Porter was a legendary composer and songwriter in the 1920s and '30s. He's best known for his work on Broadway, where he wrote and composed songs for musicals. The musicals he worked on include Fifty Million Frenchmen, DuBarry Was a Lady, Anything Goes and Silk Stockings to name a few. The Nathaniel Gao Quintet will be performing some of Porter's hits at Blue Note on Thursday.
Thurs May 18, 8.30-10.30pm. Blue Note Beijing, 23 Qianmen East Street Dongcheng 东城区前门23号(6527 0288)
May 19-21: Douban Wetware Festival
Music networking site Douban had the brilliant idea of avoiding the drama that surrounds many Beijing music festivals and taking things indoors. The Wetware Festival will be at Tango and School Bar from Thursday to Sunday. The festival will feature a ton of DJs but there are also some great live acts sprinkled in there, including indie-rock band Low, Shanghai favorites Duck Fight Goose and American folk rockers Cass McCombs Band. You can check the whole four-day lineup here and click here for our picks for the festival’s best acts.
Fri-Sun May 19-21, Times and prices vary; Tango (79 He Ping Li Xi Jie, by South Gate of Di Tan Park 东城区和平里西街79号 (近地坛公园南门) 6428 2288) and School Bar (53 Wudaoying Hutong 东城区五道营胡同53号 6402 8881)
May 19-21: Peace & Love Festival
Featuring 20 acts altogether, 69 cafe's Peace & Love Festival brings all the good vibes. With artists including Shannon, Ani, Nick Parsons, Kamau and Dooder, expect three evenings of indie-folk and a lot of love. Tickets are RMB66 (door) or RMB55 (advance), with each ticket including a free beverage.
Fri-Sun May 19-21, 5.30-11pm. 69 Cafe, 109 Nan Tongluoxiang 南锣鼓巷109号院(6403 2869)
May 20: Rappers Afterjourney and Boom @ Modernsky Lab
Rappers Afterjourney and Boom are in the midst of their Fire Tour. The two have won tons of rap battles and they're known for putting on some great live shows. They'll be stopping off at Modernsky Lab on Saturday night.
Sat May 20, 8.30-10pm. RMB100 (presale), RMB150 (door). Modernsky Lab, 5-108, Floor B1, Building D, Galaxy SOHO, Dongcheng 东城区朝阳门银河SOHO D座B1层5-108(5773 3620)
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