Pencil This In: Remix Fashion Show, Stegosaurus, and "China's Growing Sands"

Shanghai's calendar is looking quite eclectic this week, with musical offerings from jazz to house to reggae. But when you're not lounging on the Bund or jammin' at Shelter, you could also check out a CouchSurfers meeting, an American Apparel fashion show, or a talk on China's growing desertification problem.

Monday: Dominik Scherer

Coming to the end of his week-long Shanghai tour, German musician and composer Dominik Scherer will be performing for one night at the House of Blues and Jazz. He'll be playing jazz/lounge style songs from his upcoming DVD, "Story of a Clown", supported by seven studio musicians.

Begins 9:30 PM. House of Blues and Jazz, 60 Fuzhou Lu near Sichuan Lu (福州路60号 近四川) No cover

Tuesday: CouchSurfing Shanghai Meeting

If you've ever traveled the world on a budget, chances are you'll be familiar with the hospitality-exchange service CouchSurfing, which allows you to crash on strangers' couches for free. Well there's a strong contingent of CS hosts in Shanghai, and they like to gather every Tuesday to chat and chill. Whether you're new to the scene or mellowed with experience, come to meet others in the CS community, share travel stories, and unwind over half-priced cocktails.

8 PM- close, Bell Cafe & Bar, No. 11 Lane 248 Taikang Lu near Sinan Lu (泰康路248弄11号 近思南路)

Wednesday: Remix Fashion Show, Stegosaurus

Students of the Raffles Design Institute are taking over Club Sky for the night, with a fashion show emphasizing how music and fashion have evolved from the 70s to today. Expect live DJs, dance performances, and a catwalk presentation from American Apparel (whose merits as "fashion" are questionable, but we won't go there.)

7-10 PM. Sky, No. 74 Yuyao Lu near Haifeng Lu (余姚路74号, 同乐坊内 近西康路) ¥100

"Ugly laowai" band Stegosaurus are putting on a free show at rock venue SUS2, where they promise to mess up your favorite Chinese classics, then serenade you with some English and Chinese songs of their own. But hey, a free show just means you can afford to splurge a bit more on drinks.

Begins 9:30 PM. SUS2, 685 Dingxi Lu near Fahuazhen Lu (定西路685号 近法华镇路) No cover

Thursday: China's Growing Sands, SMS Opening

For this month's Speakers' Corner, British photographer Sean Gallagher will discuss the growing environmental concern of desertification and its effect in China. Sponsored by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Gallagher shows how desertification loses the food production industry billions of dollars each year and affects over 400 million people in China alone.

6-7 PM. Mesa & Manifesto, 748 Julu Lu near Fumin Lu (巨鹿路748号富民路东侧) BritCham members ¥120, non-members ¥150, includes two drinks and canapes

The Shanghai Music Society is celebrating the worldwide release of their first CD with a party at Bar Rouge, with appearances by some of the biggest names in Shanghai DJs. Their tagline promises "No mainstream, no underground, only music", but from what we can tell on their Myspace, "music" falls more along the lines of house, electro, and mixed club beats.

Begins 9 PM. Bar Rouge, 7/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu near Nanjing Dong Lu,(中山东一路18号外滩18号7楼 近南京东路) No cover

Friday: Shanghai By Bus

Reggae soundsystem Shanghai By Bus brings in sound clasher Cojie, from Japanese dancehall group Mighty Crown. The first Asian soundsystem to win Irish and Chin's World Clash New York in 1999, Cojie's enjoyed international fame since as a reggae master. He'll be playing a full set, support by Uprooted Sunshine and T&T.

Begins 9 PM. Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Lu (永福路5号 近复兴路) ¥50