Notes from the (totally radical) Underground: Weekend preview

As much as we hate to start out on a bad note -- and breaking our own rule of dissuading musicians in this town to “find themselves” -- we do feel the need to ask a big, big favor for Screeching Stripy Siren and Mr. Bongos who graced the open-mic stage at Tanghui on Wednesday evening:

Please.

Never.

Do.

That.

Again.

That being said, well done to the Rock Star Posers, who for a brief song-set, made everyone else forget they were now sterile.

Now, we love the 80s -- and we’re not ashamed to admit it (at least in written form), and it’s because of that love that we’re happier than Mary Stuart Masterson was when Eric Stoltz decided to leave that annoying Caroline and the City girl. While not necessarily “underground”, the weekend does kick off with our 80s Happy Hour at Freelance Bar & Grill. But how to tie that into original music? Hmmmmm. Well, where better to cheaply front-load before the Chinese answer to the Pet Shop Boys? I-GO, made up of B6 and JJ, play their first show since getting together in March (and don’t plan on playing that many shows ... next one in Sept) at Tanghui -- and fingers crossed all around that nothing like this or that happens again. And did we mention the opening band, Re-Tros, sounding more and more like an angry B-52’s to us? All this Friday. Let's just hope someone doesn't pull a Lloyd Dobber (pictured) and stand outside Tanghui with a boom-box. The neighbors would love that.

While The Falling, playing Saturday night at Yuyintang, doesn’t consider themselves influenced by a decade of loud and angry men with tight pants, we’re going to go ahead and say that to keep up with our “Decade of Regret” tie in. YYT doesn’t put on anything quiet -- but, then again, if Jeff Spicoli would have kept quiet, Van Halen would have never played his birthday party.

Now, how to compare experimental electronic at Live Bar to the 80s … okay, here goes.

• Sunday night, 48V plays Live Bar
• Hugo Weaving acted in V for Vendetta
• Keanu Reeves “acted” with Hugo in The Matrix
• Keanu acted in Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly
• Milla Jovovich acted in Linklater’s Dazed and Confused
• She also appeaed in Zoolander
• So did Christian Slater ...
• ... who acted in the greatest film ever True Romance ...
• ... along with Chris Penn ...
• ... who also was in 80s hit Footloose
• ... along with Kevin Bacon

We did it!

See you in four-and-a-half hours at Freelance ...

NOTE: Shanghaiist reader Will has kindly donated two tickets to tomorrow's White Heat Party to be held at the Dynamic Crystal Yacht Club near the Bund from 3-9 pm. The tickets are valued at RMB 130 each and we will be giving them out tonight. Thanks, Will!