Now entering its fifth year, the Split Works-presented JUE Festival is an open-ended multidisciplinary arts extravaganza that takes over Shanghai from March 7 to 24. Mixing acclaimed international acts with local favorites over 40 events, JUE touches on everything from music to art to dance to urban biking. Here’s our attempt to cram it all in.
Lee Ranaldo
The legendary Sonic Youth guitarist has had a major impact on China’s indie music scene after inviting Carsick Cars to open for his iconic group during a European tour. While named with bandmate Thurston Moore as Spin’s greatest guitarists, Ranaldo has also enjoyed a varied solo career. He’s released several records and had a dozen books published, including travel journals and works of poetry. Also an acclaimed artist, Ranaldo is set to perform a multimedia piece with his wife Leah Singer as Drift, in a show that is guaranteed to be packed by scenesters young and old.
// Mar 14, 7pm, RMB120-150. Power Station of Art, 200 Huayuangang Lu, by Miaojiang Lu 花园港路200号, 近苗江路 (3127 8535)
// Mar 13, 8pm, Free entry (strictly limited RSVP spots available). YunCai Cafe, (jue-festival@spli-t.com)
Baths
The chillwave age may have come and gone but this 24-year-old producer continues to win props with his emotional dance music. Post-modern pop mixes with falsetto vocals and lo-fi beats for an intoxicating stew that led Southern California Public Radio to declare him as “LA’s big new electronica musician.” Signed to respected avant-garde hip-hop label Anticon, Baths released his sophomore album Oblivion last May to rave reviews.
// Mar 12, 9pm, RMB80-100. 390 Bar, 390 Panyu Lu, by Fahuazhen Lu 番禺路390号, 近法华镇路 (136 1866 4301)
My 17 Gay Friends
Moxie Peng is one of Beijing’s most renowned underground filmmakers and his 2012 documentary Micro Search has been viewed over a million times on iQiyi.com. This documentary is his first to use the Chinese crowd-funding site Dreamore and examines the capital city’s gay community. Rather than gloominess, the film examines the light-hearted side of gay life by offering glimpses of 17 of Peng’s friends while poking fun at the stereotypes and labels that run through LGBT society.
// Mar 23, 2.30pm, RMB50. 390 Bar, 390 Panyu Lu, by Fahuazhen Lu 番禺路390号, 近法华镇路 (136 1866 4301)
China Heavyweight
This documentary is Chinese-Canadian director Yung Chang’s follow-up to the Golden Horse award-winning Up the Yangtze. This time, Yung focuses on former boxing star and state coach Qi Moxiang as he travels through southwestern Sichuan Province and other rural areas hoping to find potential champions among ordinary peasants. China Heavyweight follows the training of two of those recruits, Miao Yunfei and He Zhongli, as they prepare for the provincial finals.
// Mar 21, 8pm, RMB100. New Hengshan Cinema, 838 Hengshan Lu, by Tianping Lu 衡山路838号, 近天平路 (6437 7418)
Blak Twang
Straight outta Deptford comes this super dope rapper. Famed around the world for his live performances and ability to include South London slang in his rhymes, Blak Twang’s rise should have started earlier. After releasing his debut single in 1995, record label issues conspired to keep the original hip-hop geezer from releasing his debut album until 2002. Since then, he’s released three albums and was nominated for Best International Hip-Hop artist by industry bible The Source. His new single ‘Badda Dan Dat’ dropped in October and he’ll be backed by DJs from Conrank’s Rankadank crew.
// Mar 22, 10pm, RMB60. The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu, by Fuxing Xi Lu 永福路5号, 近复兴西路 (thesheltershanghai@gmail.com)
Mars en folie
Back for another year, this festival celebrates the cultural diversity of the global francophone community. Their national musical tour stops in Shanghai for a number of JUE events highlighted by this MAO Livehouse show featuring Swiss MC Greis and rock veterans Epsylon, who will be previewing their upcoming album Manufactre du Temps.
// Mar 14, 8pm, free emtry. MAO Livehouse, 3/F, 308 Chongqing Nan Lu, by Jianguo Zhong Lu 重庆南路308号, 近建国中路
JUE Live Photography Workshop
Get truly involved in the festival as professional photographer CK leads a pair of sessions that tackle the challenges of photographing live shows. The first session takes place before the festival and will include hands-on tips with admission to two JUE shows. The final workshop happens at the end with a second session devoted to photo editing.
// Mar 5&26, RMB300 (two workshops and entry to two shows), 7.30-9pm. 2nd Floor, 2/F, 810 Changle Lu, by Changshu Lu 长乐路810号2楼, 近常熟路 (137 6113 3471)
Jesse Brand
Inspired by Saul Williams, Brand was recently crowned Australian Poetry Slam Champ for his heartfelt poem Joshua that recounts his brother’s experiences with bullying in school. He is also performing at the Bookworm International Literary Festival.
// Mar 18, 8pm, free entry. YunCai, Changshou Park, 260 Changshou Lu, by Xikang Lu 长寿路260长寿公园, 近西康路
Liu Yusi Green Biking Talk and Concert
This year, the JUE Festival awarded bursaries to independent artists in several different fields. The recipient of the JUE Talks bursary is cycling enthusiast Liu Yusi. He’s organized an epic bike tour that starts at Nanjing and passes through Wuxi and Suzhou before finishing in Shanghai in time for this talk about his cycling experiences. Also a member of Beijing-based country act The Randy Abel Stable, Liu will perform an intimate set following the talk. All proceeds go to The Library Project to build a full-on JUE multimedia library featuring books, CDs, VCDs and arts programming for under-financed schools and orphanages in China, Cambodia and Vietnam.
// Mar 23, 8-10pm, RMB30. YunCai, Changshou Park, 260 Changshou Lu, by Xikang Lu 长寿路260长寿公园, 近西康路
Alpine Decline CD release
This LA group recently moved to Beijing, where they’ve immersed themselves in the city’s thriving rock scene. They’ve recorded with P.K. 14 frontman and indie hero Yang Haisong and will be releasing their newest CD, Go Big Shadow City, in a showcase for vinyl-only record label Genjing Records, featuring Shanghai favorites Duck Fight Goose and Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes.
// Mar 14, 9pm, RMB50. Yuyintang, 851 Kaixuan Lu, by Yan’an Xi Lu 凯旋路851号, 近延安西路 (5237 8662)
Paul Collins Beat
This power-pop pioneer is best remembered for writing ‘Hanging on the Telephone’, which became a hit for Blondie. He’ll be travelling by train on his ten-date China tour that includes a show at Yuyintang with leading Shanghai groups, Daydreamer, Round Eye and Psyders on March 8 followed by a free show at Uptown Records on March 9 starting at 4pm.
// Mar 8, RMB40-80, 9pm. Yuyintang, 851 Kaixuan Lu, by Yan’an Xi Lu 凯旋路851号, 近延安西路 (5237 8662)
Kick the Gong Around
The retro-party crew presents a ‘Double Death/Double Feature’ silent film screening complete with live piano accompaniment to commemorate the anniversary of the deaths of silent film icon Ruan Lingyu and Harold Lloyd. Ruan is arguably Shanghai’s most iconic early cinema performers while Harold Lloyd joins Fatty Arbuckle, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton in the Mount Rushmore of Western silent film solo comedians. There will also be a vintage market on-site full of vintage delicacies for all those flappers out there
// Mar 9, RMB50 (with popcorn), 2pm. The Pearl, 471 Zhapu Lu, by Wujin Lu 乍浦路471号, 近武进路
Groove Choreographer's Showcase
This modern-youth invited project will involve seven choreographers from five countries with five different dance styles competing to wow the crowd and win a RMB5000 prize. Three judges will evaluate each show but the audience will have the final vote.
// Mar 16, RMB50-70, 7.30pm. CA Club, Xintiandi North Block, 181 Taicang Lu, by Huangpi Lu 181号, 近黄陂路 (tickets@groove-ent.com)
0 User Comments