5 Best Live Music Shows in Beijing This Week

Sep 13: TOY

Once branded by The Guardian as ‘London’s hottest new hypesters,’ TOY is set to take Beijing on a journey through Krautrock, post-punk and psychedelia, with music that sounds like a (groovy) lesson in rock history. Added bonus: all five of these dudes have killer shaggy haircuts. Seriously, check out that 70s fringe. Listen and watch at Yugong Yishan, where the band are stopping off before their slot at Shanghai’s Concrete and Grass festival (see below). Support comes from China’s own hot hypesters, Hedgehog.

Wed Sep 13, 9pm; RMB150 (advance), RMB200 (door). Yugong Yishan, see event listing.

Sep 15: Motorama

Post-punk rockers Motorama are based out of Rostov, Russia, and will be landing at Yugong Yishan on Friday night. Their first two albums have received all sorts of buzz and some have compared them to the likes of Joy Division. Crispy Balls will open.

Fri Sep 15, 9-10.30pm; 150RMB; 120RMB (presale). Yugong Yishan, see event listing.

Sep 15-16: The Harold Lopez-Nussa Trio

Cuban-native Harold López Nussa has been creating music since he was eight years old. The acclaimed musician was actually the first Cuba-based musician to release an album internationally, following the recent changes to the US embargo. You can check out the Harold Lopez-Nussa Trio at Blue Note on Friday and Saturday night.

Fri-Sat Sep 15-16, 7.30-9.30pm; RMB280-380. Blue Note Beijing, see event listing.

Sep 16: Sydney Symphony Orchestra Concert

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is celebrating 45 years of diplomatic relations between China and Australia with a special performance. Chief Conductor and Artistic Director David Robertson will the lead the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in a program including, Ligeti's Concert Romanesc, Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 and Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto.

Sat Sep 16, 7.30-9.30pm; RMB180-880. NCPA, see event listing. 

Sep 16-17: Concrete & Grass Festival

Concrete & Grass Fest is this weekend and we're sure a lot of you Beijingers are going to be heading down south for the occasion. So we figured we'd include it in this week's gig guide.

Shanghai-based music promoters Split Works, who just celebrated 10 years in the game last November, have a history of putting on unique and memorable festivals, from Black Rabbit in 2011 to JUE Music + Art, which ran every March for several years. Now on its third year, Concrete & Grass brings together over 60 Chinese and international artists from nearly every imaginable genre. For a full guide on who's performing and what to expect, click here.

Concrete & Grass, September 16-17. Shanghai Rugby Football Club, see event listing.

Have an event to list? Head here to list your upcoming event. We’ll choose the best new additions to feature on next week’s edition of ‘Beijing Weekly Gig Guide.’ Not sure where to start? Here's a full guide on how to list your upcoming events on our website.