Beijing Live Music Quickslants: Amber Swift, Mademoiselle and Pairs

It’s one hell of a strange weekend music wise in Beijing with mostly humho shows and a few gems in the form of old faithfuls on the scene:

Friday 13th:

Mademoiselle @Vanguard VA Cafe & Bar:
I don’t think Marie-Claude and her crew need an introduction anymore on the ‘daze. Her playful voice, gypsy jazz, sexy motions and artistry have been covered ad-nauseum and for a good reason.. She can swing and Jazz with the best of them. This particular show might be a 6 person ensemble which could be cool.

Pairs @What Bar:
This one is intriguing! This duo is the latest “greatest thing since sliced bread” from Shanghai and they’ve been talked up by everyone from Dan Shapirom, the Kungfuology folks etc… Apparently heavily reminiscent of Handsome Furs who just played 2 Kolegas last sunday. If Indie electro punk/pop is your thing, this is where you need to be!

Saturday 14th:

Amber Swift @Jiang Jin Jiu:
I got one word for ya: Yummy! I saw Amber play a few weeks back with Jess Meider and was mesmerized by her presence, her voice and the stories she shared on stage during that set. Think Mellisa Etheridge meets
Janis Joplin, just prettier! This might just be where I’m gonna be hiding this weekend.

As usual, there are performances in just about every venue all weekend, nothing that jumps out though! That said, next week is promising to be quite a bit more eventful with festivals, Japanese Punk and what not.