Photos: Union Music at The Wall

Last night, Shanghaiist traipsed out to The Wall. Getting there was a little tricky and required our cab driver to get out and ask directions twice. The address of the club might be Riverside Avenue (Binjiang Dadao), but you can access the place only via Fenghe Lu. It took us a little while to figure that out. If it helps, the venue is directly across the street from the Shanghai International Convention Center. Anyway, it's kind of cool seeing the monstrous Oriental Pearl TV Tower so close when you're in the area.

The venue and the music are worth the trouble. Entering The Wall takes you down an escalator and into an antechamber. Brushing back the curtains to your left reveals the venue itself, which is huge. The dancefloor and DJ booth are situated in the middle of the long room, one side of which is almost completely covered by a bar. Videoscreens are located throughout, with a large one at the far end. The other end features plush seating, chairs that hang from the ceiling, and numerous well-lit private areas. Speaking of lighting, the club and dancefloor lighting is impressive and very well-done. "Swanky" is definitely an appropriate adjective here.

Carl Lorimer and Steve Bamford were tearing it up when we arrived around midnight, dropping tracks that were more funkier-sounding and bass-heavy tracks than we've heard in Shanghai before. Unfortunately the crowd wasn't that thick, but those who were there definitely were up and enjoying the music. The sound system is great — bright and clear without being overpowering.

With a restaurant and coffee bar coming soon, The Wall looks like a great place to showcase Pudong to those who are used to only one side of the river. We can't wait to see what goes on here in the future.

More information at The Wall's official web site.

The entrance to The Wall. (Ryan Pollack)

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