Top Live Music Gigs to Get You Through Golden Week

The Golden Week is here finally, and unless you’ve dipped out of the country, chances are you’re staying put and trying to avoid the crowds. But fear not young boys and girls, there’s still plenty to enjoy this week - from grand openings to hutong festivals, from anniversaries to release parties - so lay back, take it easy, and find your way to one of these fabulous holiday gigs, 'cause you’ve earned it! Here are some choice cuts for this week.

DDC Aranya Grand Opening & DDC Global Music Festival
Earlier this month, we reported on DDC’s surprise new venue located out in Changli (along the coast in Beijing neighboring province Hebei). And while there have been snippets over WeChat Moments of a soft opening a couple weeks back, this Golden Week holiday DDC Aranya will be having its grand opening with four nights of international and local acts including Chicago blues legends Billy Branch & Sumito Ariyo Ariyoshi, as well as Shanghai opera jazz troupe Xiban. If that sounds like too much of a trek, worry not, over at DDC home base, folks will be treated to a whole week of acts with what’s being trotted as ‘Global Music Festival’. Acts will include Hungarian gypsy punk group Bohemian Betyars, Danish electronic producer ML Bach (teaming up with our own ambient noise duo XY Pattern), Irish folk rock band Acting the Maggot from the Netherlands, plus Xinjiang world rock legend Askar Grey Wolf. Each night offers something wildly different - proof that DDC’s reach in the international music community is only growing.
Oct 1-3: DDC Aranya Grand Opening
Oct 1-7: Global Music Festival

New Joy Cover Hutong Festival
Who said the good times in the hutongs were coming to an end? The Dongcheng district government (aka the powers that be), local promoters Young Gun, and some of our local favorites have put together quite the October holiday treat - a gathering of artists, musicians, designers, and workers in the fields of literature, music, art, photography exhibitions, and design in the beloved hutong district. On the music end of things we’ve got some solid showcases at School Bar, Yue Space and fRUITYSPACE with bands like Britpop trio Elenore, psychedelic menders Solaris, Guangzhou electronic duo NoPangPang (made up of sususu & Nencol) as well as a special Spittunes gathering featuring collaborations being Noise Arcade and David Huntington as well as Wen Liang and Lethokuhle among others. If that wasn’t enough, the days will be complemented by treasure hunting events, markets of every ilk, and forums for those looking to exchange ideas and expand their minds over the week.
-Oct 3 at Yue Space
Market from 1pm-7pm
Solaris, New Generation, Dan Taylor starting at 9pm. RMB 80/100
-Oct 4 at School Bar
Elenore, Wasted Laika, Acid Accident, Bye Bye Noise , starting at 9pm. RMB 80/100
-Oct 4 at Yue Space
NoPangPang, TRUETRUE, Boc, Dokedo,  Joy Ginger, Luxixi, starting at 9pm. RMB 100/120
-Oct 5 at fRUITYSPACE
Spittunes, from 2.30-6.30pm. RMB 40/50

Hitorie
Riding the wave of bands that are seamlessly blending indie rock sounds such as math rock with potent Japanese pop sensibilities, itorHitorie are truly one of a kind. The four-piece band from Tokyo, since forming in 2011, has been riding high, signing to Hinichijou Records (under Sony Music) a year later and hitting up one major festival after another. Like a wrapped combination of Phoenix and Vocaloid (a popular voice synthesizer program in Japan which turned into a community of music makers in 2010) the band fronted by singer wowaka is a sugar rush of lighting fast guitar, frantically laid out melodies, and a youthful energy that is undenaibly Japanese. Color me intrigued.
Oct 4 at Omni Space, starting at 7pm. RMB 180/230

Maybe Mars 11 Year Anniversary (Alpine Decline, Chui Wan, Birdstriking)
Maybe Mars continues their 2018 streak, which has included a hefty amount of stellar debut releases, with a killer lineup to celebrate their 11 years of keeping the indie music scene alive and well. The most notable addition is the return of psychedelic fuzz rockers Alpine Decline,  led by the husband and wife duo of Jonathan and Pauline, who two years after breaking free of the shackles of China, returned with their most tender, melodically in-tuned release yet, Return to Desolation Lake, earlier this year. The band will join the fresh new lineup of Chui Wan - Beijing’s premier offbeat psychedelic rock band as well as the always dependable Birdstriking. As always with anniversaries, expect an emotionally packed evening, from both audiences and bands.
Oct 5 at Yue Space, starting at 9pm. RMB 100/150

The Sino Hearts Album Release Party
Fresh off touring and releasing their album in Japan, Beijing power pop trio The Sino Hearts will finally release their new album "Leave the World Behind” here on their home turf. Formed by signer Zhong while living in Vienna, The Sino Hearts have been on a tear since he moved back to Beijing two years back, touring all across China and gaining quite the reputation here for their upbeat, unfiltered pure rock n' roll vibes that hit you like a freight train. For the occasion, they’ve invited their old friends The Clean Boys from Denmark as well as local buddies Free Sex Shop and Hangnail to bring some much needed rambunctious joy to the holiday.
Oct 5 at School Bar, starting at 9pm. RMB 60/80

Never miss a gig: click here for a huge list of live shows in the city, updated daily.

Photos: Courtesy of the organizers