Midsummer Mandopop madness

Although the heat and humidity are seemingly unrelenting, it's safe to say that summer is half over. This means that there are only a precious couple months for the city's beloved Mandopop stars to make pit stops at the local outdoor stadiums. JJ Lin and S.H.E. have already come and gone, but fear not, you one or two other Mandopop fans reading this, more superstars are on the way.

In August, on a weekend that will likely leave many young Shanghainese penniless, R&B heartthrob Wang Leehom (王力宏, Aug. 12) and pop-tart Angela Zhang (张韶涵, Aug. 11) will be making appearances at the Shanghai and Hongkou soccer stadiums. But pop-haters, don't fear. It's not all fluff. Venerable old rocker Wu Bai (伍佰), who is definitely not a pop artist but will be included nonetheless because he sings in Mandarin, will grace the Shanghai Grand Stage on Aug. 25 to rock those who enjoy his particular style of rock 'n roll.

As the heat hopefully begins to go easy on us in September, the stars will keep coming in a last gasp rush before October begins. Sultry little pop vixen Jolin (蔡依林, Sept. 23) will wow the Hongkou crowd with her skimpy outfits and upbeat dance pop, even if her latest musical offerings are leaving less and less to be desired. The next day, Cantopop royalty Karen Mok 莫文蔚 and Kelly Chen 陈慧琳 will appear together on the Shanghai Grand Stage (Sept. 24). It should be cripplingly exciting to guess which dialect they will sing in. Finally, on Sept. 30 Will Pan (潘玮柏, a.k.a. Wilbur Pan) will bring his special brand of cheesy R&B pop and balladry to thousands of screaming, glowstick-wielding girls. September will be quite a busy month for the Mandopop fans.

Since Mandopop is not everyone's bag, Air Supply (yes, Air Supply) will be coming to Shanghai in October (Oct. 28). Please try not to cause a stampede on the way to the ticket office, there's enough "All Out Of Love" to share with everyone.

For more ticket information, visit Shanghai Tickets

Photo of Angela Zhang from trinityunderpressure.blogdrive.com.