Live Music This Weekend: Zhenjiang MIDI Festival, Straight Oota Canada

Friday marks off the start of a festival bonanza! The biggest music event going on is the Zhenjiang MIDI Festival, which will feature dozens of Chinese bands - both established and up-and-comers rocking out for three days in Zhenjiang. Sadly, Zhenjiang is a good two-and-a-half hours away and some of us are just way too busy (or way too lazy) to make it out that far. Luckily, Split-Works has brought us some great music worth staying in Shanghai for.

Friday
The three-day Canadian mini-festival kicks off the weekend Friday with Shanghai's own Crazy Mushroom and Canadian dance-rocker group Creature. According to The Montreal Mirror, we can expect "an arch, arty strain of spiffy, spiky, highly danceable pop-rock, speckled with retro flavoured raps and riffs crafted with enough care to make mainstream waves.”
9 pm, Yuyintang, 1731 Yan'an Xi Lu (entrance on Kaixuan Lu), 延安西路1731号 (入口在凯旋路). Cover 40 rmb.

Saturday
The Canadians return Saturday for the second night of the "Oota" festival. Local group Sonnet will be starting the night, but make sure to catch klezmer-hip hop artist Socalled before he heads to the Zhenjinag MIDI festival and the five-piece trance rock band Jets Overhead, who won a Juno nomination - the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy - for best band. Download some of their songs for free here.

9 pm, Yuyintang, 1731 Yan'an Xi Lu (entrance on Kaixuan Lu), 延安西路1731号 (入口在凯旋路). Cover 40 rmb.

Sunday
This Sunday is the first of Aqua Bar's Sunday Brunch Jazz Series. Ease into your day listening to vocalist/percussionist Gilbert Kuppusami of Shanghai reggae band Lions of Puxi, over a delicious brunch.

Noon to 2:30 pm, Aqua Bar & Restaurant, 2/F, 3rd Period Clubhouse, Yanlord Gardens, 99 Pucheng Lu near Shangcheng Lu, 浦东新区浦城路99弄（靠近商城路）仁恒滨江园三期会所二楼, Tel: 6888 8852. No cover, but brunch is 188 rmb for adults and 88 rmb for children.

Then it's the final night of Straight Oota Canada! Pop-rock, The Who-inspired band Hollerado joins with psychedelic rock group Final Flash, just back from March shows at CMW and SXSW.
9 pm, Anar, 129 XingFu Lu, near Fahuazhen Lu, 幸福路129号， 进法华镇路. Cover 40 rmb.