Arts & Stage

Welcome the New Year with a touch of Russian literary magic at Shanghai Culture Square! "Onegin's Demon," an original Russian musical, is set to make its debut, offering a fresh and enchanting adaptation of Pushkin's timeless masterpiece. This rendition of Onegin stands out with its heightened emotionality, contemporary flair, and a hint of enchantment. It's a modern twist on a classic tale, promising to captivate audiences with its blend of drama, romance, and mystique. Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience a beloved Russian story reimagined for the modern stage.

Shanghai legend Frank Bray will be headlining at Jazz at Lincoln Center with a Tony Bennett tribute performance on January 5 and 6. The quintet includes Tony Bott, Michael Hicks, Dmitry, and Reny Bao. Frank Bray, with more than 20 years of experience singing, has released two albums so far. Performances begin at 7:30 and 9:30 pm.

Award-winning baritone Matthias Goerne, from Germany, has performed and recorded extensively, both on the opera stage and in Lieder settings. The Chicago Tribune has referred to Goerne as "Today's leading interpreter of German art songs." Unlike his mentor and teacher, the renowned German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who focused on a more tangible stage style, Goerne prioritizes creating an abstract and immersive atmosphere that is uniquely his own. This time, he will present Die schöne Müllerin ("The Fair Maid of the Mill," Op. 25, D. 795), a song cycle by Franz Schubert from 1823 based on 20 poems by Wilhelm Müller. The performance is on January 5, Friday, at 8 pm. Ticket prices range from 180 to 880 RMB.

The classic cartoon has no dialogue, and instead, every plot is connected by jazz music. On January 7 and 14, Sunday evening, Jazz Lincoln presents Tom & Jerry in Jazz with Danny Zanker on bass, Murray James on saxophone, Peng on piano, and Fu Hua on trumpet. Single tickets start at 168 RMB.

Brace yourselves dear readers, Riverdance, is returning to Shanghai! The show has visited over 450 venues worldwide and has been seen by over 25 million people, making it one of the most successful dance productions in the world. Riverdance is a consistent favorite in China, ever since debuting here back in 2008. Experience the full show on a stage in Shanghai — they're back to celebrate its 25th Anniversary with a fresh, young, sexy company in a show that features new costumes, new lighting, new projections, and the addition of a thrilling new number. Riverdance is back and better than ever.

Live Music

An emo rock night to remember - tonight gathers some of the indie scene's most fraught and youthful bands that wear their hearts on their sleeves and tap into the angst that comes with adolescence. Serious Desperado brings explosive grunge-inflected pathos to their emo noise rock; they were one of last year’s best new acts and, sadly, this is their last show for some time. Also on the playlist are the touching and Midwest-evoking, young, evocative math rock troupe Zhu You Hui; the more combustible Acid Room from Suzhou; and finally, the female-led Decision at Night from Hangzhou. Let your guard down and let those emotions take over.

Two of the psychedelic scene's most elusive acts team up for a doozy of a show. The improvisational outfit Dolphy Kick Bebop, from Zhenjiang, is concocted from elements of Krautrock, free jazz, and prog rock, simmering together in a haze of sun-baked psychedelia and leading you down a path that's difficult to turn back from. They'll join the more topsy-turvy Duck Trick from Yiwu, whose avant-garde free-jazz musical stylings take from both Western and Eastern psychedelic music. Sprawling and abrasive in its musicality, lucid and seductive in its aura, it’s the kind of music that'll engulf and spit you out anew.

Hefei rockers Nemassle have been building up street cred over the past year for their tight, energetic, and sonically engaging sets. Now, they've got the goods to prove it: a hefty, tightly-wound debut LP. Skittering on the edge between some of rock and roll's more riotous cousins — grunge, pop punk, noise rock — with an ear for madcap and endearing lyricism, the trio have put together a hell of a showcase, one that feels both earnestly old school and determinedly of its time. Simply put, it rocks. They'll be swinging through NEO as part of their nationwide tour, with support in the form of Yangpu favorites, Sunken Square.

One of Shanghai's most unique and esteemed acts, the Shanghai symphonic metal outfit Urizen Society, had a strong 2023. They released their LP SOLIUM ARDENS: The Ring of Coagula last spring, a full-on opera fusion of black metal and symphonic metal that's as grand as can be, offering soliloquies before breaking out into blood-curdling screams. Tonight's showcase, entitled Epiphanes, will feature songs both old and new, with support (or a palette-cleansing warm-up) from synth dream pop veterans Forsaken Autumn.

Jimanica is a drummer and composer hailing from Tokyo whose most notable credit is drumming for World's End Girlfriend, the musical project of Katsuhiko Maeda that feverishly blends post-rock, electronica, and prog into magic (they have a show Sunday night if you have dough to spare). But this highly skilled percussionist also has some incredible solo releases under his belt, including the 2005 release Entomophonic, a sonic entomological field guide of sorts. Expect a beguiling mix of solo drumming, electronica, drum triggers, and more auditory delights.

Clubbing

A dynamo artist on and off the dance floor, Torus, hailing from The Hague, began his journey in the Tokyo scene before making his way to Oskaar Ekman’s music label in Europe. Infusing ambient electronic with hard trance, Torus delivers a so-called "pop-centric aesthetic" for music lovers. Prepare for that as you may Friday at All Club.

A host of hometown players and external threats, Friday at Heim, will fill one room with a collection of soft and sweet DJs of the techno variety and another with that nitty-gritty selection of electronics to churn you over. Expect late-night energy at Heim this Friday.