Two free events this weekend

Bravo to the big corporations — Hewlett Packard and Hennessy — that are each throwing huge music events this weekend and both are free to the public via registration on their respective webpages. On Friday, Hennessy is holding what is being billed as a "Hennessy Artistry Showcase" (last year featuring Juliette Louis and the Licks), out at the International Expo Center in Pudong and featuring Hong Kong pop star Wang Lee Hom, Gary Chaw, and American artists Amerie and Bowling For Soup. We are sure that Wang Lee Hom will help draw in a decent amount of people, which is a good thing considering the lameness of the other 3 acts and the lack of promoting for this show. No doubt Hennessy has probably fronted a ridiculous amount of money for this event and their organizer (we use this term loosely) must be rolling (literally) in the green(we still think in US dollars) they saved by skimping on promotions and picking up obsolete American musicians on the cheap. Or maybe the organizer was the one who got scammed by the booking agent who was desperate to find shows for these bands when some county fair in Idaho turned them down.

HP is holding its "Artistry in Motion" event on Saturday and while we are much more excited about this one (except the fact that it is the same night as PK-14), we were baffled by the choice of Rojam as venue. Many of the newer clubs have interactive video screens and visual components that fit well with the events theme, so why choose a long forgotten club with none of the new gadgetry (or has Rojam recently been remodeled)? Rumor has it that the Singaporean organizer has some special connection with Rojam which must take precedent over the success of this event.

Oh, don't listen to us, Shanghaiist is just being jaded, as a consumer we love the fact that both of these events are free (free drinks too!) and despite the choice of venues will probably end up at both of them at some point in the night.

(video of Amerie)

Abe Deyo is Shanghaiist's Music Editor. Email tips, recommendations, news and gossip about Shanghai's music scene to music at shanghaiist.com.