Weekend Live Music Roundup: 2 Kolegas re-opens, Maybe Mars sail across the ocean, Uighur eagles fly into Beijing

This week we've got some visitors: AV Okubo (www.douban.com/artist/avokubo) are in town on Saturday (Mar 6) at Yugong Yishan. Coming with their debut album The Greed of Man (大时代), these disco punk heads from Wuhan will share the stage with P.K.14, Carsick Cars, Xiao He and White. After that, the gang of hipsters are leaving Beijing for South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, followed by another Maybe Mars US tour. Look at them (pictured above), they are obviously ready for the cold weather and street noise in Beijing.

But before the mars mayhem, on Friday night (Mar 5) we've got the regular Acid Live jazz session at Mao Livehouse, grungy D-22 rock night with Guai Li and Birdstriking, as well as a metal concert shaking the light out of 13 Club; Then Saturday sees the re-opening of 2 Kolegas with an outdoor (could be indoor if it's minus 10 degrees out there) reggae party - this is the kind of things that make you realize spring is coming. Then on Sunday (Mar 7), Xinjiang dongbula maestro Mamer returns to Beijing with his rock band IZ at Tiny Salt Coffee Club, supported by Glamorous Pharmacy’s accordionist Zhang Weiwei - a very nice treat for world music lovers, whatever that means.

Friday (Mar 5)

Acid Live
Vocalists and rappers backed up by jazz dynamites and DJs. RMB 50. 9pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)

Army of Jade Kirin, Unregenerate Blood, Return the Truth
Metal night pays tribute to Wudaokou. RMB 40. 10pm. 13 Club (8261 9267)

Bedstar
Alt rockers play beside Forbidden City. RMB 30 (includes a drink). 9.30pm. What Bar (1590 123 6743)

Birdstriking, Guai Li, Fat City, Mr. Graceless
Post punk meets noise rock. RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 10pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

Chi Ren, Nanwu, Li Mo, The Ghost Spardac
Rock with folk and emo. RMB 60. 8.30pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Hoochie Coochie Gentleman
Something Blues in Gulou. Free. 9.30pm. Jiangjinjiu Bar (8405 0124)

Leizi, Xiao Meng, Wang Shengnan, The Redness, Cao Qin, Cui Longyang
Peaceful folk on guitars. RMB 40. 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Mbeewan
French reggae dubbed into a Beijing Siheyuan. Free. 9pm. Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar (6401 4611)

Pierre Pradat Acoustic Trio
Virtuoso jazz pianist Pierre Pradat returns with his acoustic trio featuring Pierre Billiard on bass and Nico on drums. RMB 30. 10pm. Obiwan (8322 1231)

Saturday (Mar 6)

Flyx, Unsafe, You Mei You, Shochu Legion
Punk rocks Saturday night. RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 10pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

Free The Birds, Toyhead, Rolling Rolling, The Redness, FTKMS
Indie rockers meet blues cats. RMB 60, RMB 50 (advance, students). 8.30pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Hao Zi
Acoustic guitarist sings own composition with reggae and Chinese folk influences. Free. 9pm. Zuiyuefang Bar (6405 4482)

Jurat
Rock and roll meets Xinjiang folk. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9.30pm. Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar (6401 4611)

Ma Tiao
Folk rock from Xinjiang. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Reggae Night at 2 Kolegas
That’s right, the outdoor fun begins. 2 Kolegas reopens with DJ sets from S-Press, OP, Sinuvu, Zydon and friends. RMB 40. 10pm. 2 Kolegas (6436 8998)

SAMA
A night of flamenco. RMB 20. 9pm. VA Cafe & Bar (5844 3638)

White, Carsick Cars, P.K.14, Xiao He, AV Okubo
Maybe Mars invades Dongcheng before heading to America, with the rare appearances of experimental duo White and Wuhan guest rockers AV Okubo. RMB 120, RMB 80 (advance). 9pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)

Sunday (Mar 7)

Belcea Quartet
British string quartet plays Beethoven, Bartók and Schubert. RMB 30-580. Forbidden City Concert Hall (6559 8285)

Dongzi
Folk night at Wudaokou. RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 9pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

Mamer & IZ, Zhang Weiwei
Uighur hero rocks Beijing with Xinjiang brothers. RMB 50, RMB 40 (advance, students). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Smash Up, Larry’s Pizza, Caffeine, Overline, Dude
Japanese pop punk and local emo heads Larry’s Pizza, with support from maga kids of Caffeine. RMB 50, RMB 40 (advance). 9pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Check the Beijinger Directory for venue details