Talking Tunes: "LangTallica" (Metallica and Lang Lang Join Forces at The Grammys)

Kipp Whittaker | Jan 9, 2014 6:00 pm | Add a comment | 1583 reads

This is an amazing week for music with many great events to curb your Beijing rage into a more positive emotion. So don’t fret and harness your qi as we move into an exciting week of musical mayhem.

First some news. Famed pianist Lang Lang will perform alongside Metallica at this years Grammy Awards. As I heard from my secret informant, they will be performing The Rite of Spring and Flight of the Bumblebee. My source is pretty sketchy, though. This will be Lang Lang’s second Grammy performance. The first was with Herbie Hancock in 2008 when the duo performed a riveting version of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. 

As some of you may know, there was a little rumor that Akon would be postponing his Beijing concert on January 17th. This has since been shown to be heresay, but his Facebook still says the show is on January 10th. While it seems his shows for the rest of China have been pulled, the Beijing concert is still very much sold out. All we can do is wait and see. 

Also this week, Djang San released an amazing technicolor music video for your viewing pleasure. The song is from his forthcoming release “Music Dumpling,” It looks like it came straight from a Sega CD role playing game circa 1996. It is always a pleasure to see what this Bordeaux native gives birth to. If you haven’t experienced his live shows in the past, he has a very interesting east meets west approach: he first records live loops on the fly with as many instruments he can muster, then mangles it together like some kind of gypsy DJ. Catch him live at Temple Bar this Friday at 9:30pm (Jan 10), as he will first be performing solo and then with a full band. Don’t miss it.  

 

And some more music briefs:

  • Soviet Pop and Cloud Choir will be playing their unique forms of electronic music this Saturday (Jan 11) at The Other Place.
  • Twirl around like a freak at 4corners this Saturday (Jan 11), to the blissful sounds of the Beijing Dead. 
  • Finally, check out John Richards and his Dirty Electronics Workshop, on Monday and Tuesday at XP (Jan 13-14). He will teach you how to build a selection of easy electronic noise makers on Monday.  Then on Tuesday there will be a group improvised musical performance so you can show off with your newly built dirty devices.