Italian electro-disc jockey and producer of the famous "Satisfaction" song returns to Shanghai. Don't miss Benny Benassi (13th most popular DJ in the world) on the Bund, as he makes his rounds in the Bund in celebration of Bar Rouge's 5-year anniversary.
Bar Rouge: 7/F, Bund 18,18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu. 中山东一路18号7楼, 近南京东路. Cover: ¥300 at door, ¥200 pre-sale. Starts 8pm.

ASHURA (formed in 1998) is undoubtedly one of the biggest band in Chengdu, having played in almost all the big music festivals in China.
Yuyintang: 1731 Yan'an Xi Lu, entrance at Kaixuan Lu. 延安西路1731号, 入口在凯旋路.Cover: ¥40. Starts 9pm.

For the first time since forming ten years ago in Tokyo, experimental rock legends MONO will finally be making their way to China. Celebrating both their decade long anniversary and the release of their latest and highly praised studio album (Hymn To The Immortal Wind), MONO will be here to show us what the "post-rock" genre is all about. In support are Sugar Plum Fairy from Taiwan and HuaLun from Wuhan.
Mao Livehouse: 570 Huaihai Xi Lu, near Hongqiao Lu. 淮海西路570号 近红桥路. Cover: ¥200 at door, ¥180 in advance. Starts 9:30pm.

Hailing from Tokyo, Tucker is a 5-in-1, managing to play guitar, live drums, jazz bass, keyboards (sometimes setting them on fire while playing) and turntables, all in the course of one live set. Quality Control has secured everything he needs to play live at the Shelter, and with Lab Crew providing a hip-hop backdrop, this is an event you do not want to miss.
The Shelter: 5 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Lu. 永福路5号 近复兴路, 地铁1号线常熟路站. Cover: ¥50. Starts 10pm.

SATURDAY
The long awaited compilation album from the 0093 collective, Rock Shanghai, drops this Saturday. This album release party will also feature performances from Bangbang Tang, Candy Shop, Pinkberry, Double Control Where, and Topfloor Circus. Tickets include a copy of the album!
Mao Livehouse: 570 Huaihai Xi Lu, near Hongqiao Lu. 淮海西路570号, 近红桥路. Cover: ¥50. Starts 8:30pm.

The Verse is the one and only old school, funk band in China (founded 1999). This year, they expanded their band to 12 people, including orchestral music and vocal. Check them out at Yuyintang.
Yuyintang: 1731 Yan'an Xi Lu, entrance at Kaixuan Lu. 延安西路1731号, 入口在凯旋路.Cover: ¥50. Starts 9pm.

SUNDAY
Sultans of Swing, formed in 2000, is the (probably the most famous) blues-rock cover band in Shanghai. If you haven't heard them play by now, there's no better night to check them out.
Yuyintang: 1731 Yan'an Xi Lu, entrance at Kaixuan Lu. 延安西路1731号, 入口在凯旋路.Cover: ¥50. Starts 9pm.

There might be a third change: According to China Daily, the guy filling Zac Efron's shoes will no longer be a basketball player. In a bizarre twist, Mr. Popular will be a poet... since Chinese kids are more attracted to "thoughtful, intelligent and studious" than say "team player, athletic and with a body like Adonis"? News to us. But Variety has Reed insisting that basketball will stay, despite attempts to "localize" the sport into kung fu at first. Ha.

All in all though, the movie will still be classic Disney, as Reed states:

"A lot of the themes in the HSM series, such as the sense of self-discovery, communal support, optimism and friendship are universal values that work in all countries," Reed says.

"Also, one of the fundamentals common to our two countries' strengths is people coming together to achieve greatness. That is a great affinity between the two cultures."

The film is expected to come out in Summer 2011.

No! (laughing) It was like therapy to me! The name actually comes from (British Glam Rock group) T-Rex’s album; I liked it very much.

You just came from New York’s Chinatown, exploring similar themes of cultural identity and integration. How has Shanghai built on that?

New York was just an amazing experience. It had everything that you could find - restaurants, bars, clubs - I found it amazing that you could feel at home immediately, because there was such variety, even if you haven’t been there long at all. You could and couldn’t be considered a local.

New York was also interesting because it was a binary as well - you find pockets of completely foreign elements, congruent cultures existing next to each other. I could hang out with the Chelsea art crowd, but when I was in Chinatown, I lived in this strange balance, where I couldn’t speak the language (Cantonese) and couldn’t necessarily integrate myself in the inner workings of the neighborhood. Shanghai is similar - but increased exponentially!

How so?

Chinatown was just a pocket, but here, I’ve immersed myself completely, giving me an energy that I find extraordinary. Again, I am challenged by the language, and people’s reactions to me, who have, in equal parts, accepted and remained wary of me.

But Shanghai has a unique eclecticism - I find myself meeting a huge range of people, and attending punk rock and heavy metal shows - and being inspired. I’m also integrated enough that now I know how to buy the cheapest wire for my art! Me and the store owner communicate quite well (laughing). I’ve just integrated any challenges into my art, playing with the ideas of home and space, identity and symbols.

What message would you like to deliver, to entice viewers to visit island6 Arts Center?

If you’d like to meet a rare combination of cultures in an artist, displaying her works in Shanghai, who engages in a language of identity, who tries to understand what identity IS, who engages in a little punk rock, who has a little bit of a playful edge…then the exhibit might offer something meaningful to you.

Kerry Ann is featured in Placebo, island6, 50 Moganshan Road, Building 6, 2F(November 21-December 22)

Ever wonder what would happen if puppets suddenly realized they were being controlled? Yeah, us neither. But if you're interested, Austrian theatre group Karin Schäfer Figuren has the answer in a performance where real puppets gain hypothetical independence in a surreal world. Like Pinocchio, mixed with Pan's Labyrinth. English with Chinese subtitles.

7:30-8:30. Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, 288 Anfu Lu near Wukang Lu (安福路288号 近武康路) ¥100-200

Thursday: Thanksgiving!

If you don't already have Thanksgiving plans with your friends and/or family, pretty much every restaurant in town has a meal for you. Unless you prefer turduckens or tofurkeys- then you're on your own.

Friday: Eurovision Karaoke Night, Library Project Charity Dinner

Le Cheile, the Irish community association in Shanghai, is taking over Paddy Wang's (formerly Dan's Old Farmhouse) and throwing a karaoke night to celebrate the spectacle that was 1980s Eurovision. That's right, the European competition that gave birth to Riverdance and was won by the Irish so many times that they eventually sent a turkey as their representative. We'll repeat that again: karaoke, Riverdance and turkeys.

7:30-11 PM. Paddy Wang's Irish Bar, 318 Julu Lu near Shanxi Nan Lu (巨鹿路318 号 近陕西南路)

The Library Project is serious about reaching their funding goal of at least $15,000, so they're holding a second fundraiser this week: a charity dinner at the Hyatt on the Bund. Tickets cost ¥280 per person, with half the proceeds going to The Library Project, and includes delicious food, fun games, free giveaways and both silent and live auctions. Contact Tom Stader at tom@library-project.org to RSVP.

6:30-9:00 PM. Hyatt on the Bund, 199 Huangpu Lu near Wuchang Lu (黄浦路199号
近武昌路)

• The Twilight Saga: The New Moon (暮光之城): The supernatural tale of star-crossed lovers continues as the Cullen family flees Forks in order to protect Bella (Kristen Stewart), and the heartbroken high-school senior discovers that vampires aren't the only creatures in town.
• G-Force (豚鼠特攻队): The story is about a team of trained secret agent guinea pigs that takes on a mission for the US government. A specially trained squad of guinea pigs is dispatched to stop a diabolical billionaire, who plans to taking over the world with household appliances.
• 2012: Ever get chills from the Mayan prophecy that predicts the world will end on December 21, 2012? Sony Pictures’ upcoming disaster drama 2012 simulates the catastrophic happenings of the last days of the earth with plenty of epic floods and destruction. The Day after Tomorrow director Roland Emmerich helms. John Cusack and Amanda Peet star. The film boasts a sky-high US$200 million budget and breath-taking special effects. In English with Chinese subtitles.
• District 9: This sci-fi flick delivers an amazing story about extraterrestrials who come to live on Earth. Instead of being hostile attackers, these aliens are actually refugees from space who seek asylum. They get set up in the temporary “home”: District 9 in South Africa. The film’s special effects are jaw-dropping and the alien guns are simply ridiculous. In English with Chinese subtitles.
• Michael Jackson´s This Is It (迈克尔·杰克逊：就是这样): Fans of Michael Jackson: get a glimpse of the King of Pop’s last days with this documentary. Pieced together from more than 100 hours footage of Jackson’s rehearsals of his comeback London concert tour, this highly anticipated film offers you a private look into the late superstar’s life through on-stage and behind-the-scene material. In English with Chinese subtitles.
• Knowing (神秘代码): Nicolas Cage continues his action thriller career in Alex Proyas’ latest production. The plot focuses on elementary school student Caleb and his father John as they discover a string of numbers that match with dates of disasters over the past 50 years, including the numbers of people who died. In Mandarin or English depending on the cinema.
• Astro Boy (阿童木): An origin story set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist, Dr. Tenma, in the image of the son he had lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving man's expectations, our hero embarks on a journey in search of acceptance, becoming part of a group of rowdy kids led by a girl named Cora, experiencing betrayal, and a netherworld of robot gladiators led by the greedy ring master, Ham Egg...
• Rouge Crocodile (逃亡鳄鱼岛): Pete is an American travel writer on assignment in the Australian outback. While taking a river cruise he finds himself stuck with a collection of interesting characters, including Kate, the local tour guide. When their boat is rammed by something from below, the tour is thrown into disarray and they become stranded on a tiny mud island. As night falls and the tide starts to rise, the group slowly realise they are being stalked by a huge saltwater crocodile, beginning a terrifying struggle for survival in one of the most remote places in the world.

CHINESE LANGUAGE MOVIES

• Mars Baby (火星没事): This is family entertainment, aimed especially at children. Mars Baby is about a boy from Mars who is adopted by a benevolent man on earth. With the name of "OK", the boy is unbelievably lucky. This is noticed by a greedy businessman who kidnaps the boy to make use of his superpower. The kidnapping opens the door to plenty of humor and action in the film.
• The Robbers/Tang Dynasty Brothers (我的唐朝兄弟): A pair of amoral thieves end up defending a tiny village they initially came to pilfer in "The Robbers," a rambunctious black comedy in period duds that plays like a Chinese riff on "Seven Samurai."
• Panda Express (熊猫大侠): In Panda Express, a flying dagger vendor is mistakenly contracted to ship a dancing panda to the capital city.
• My Airhostess Roommate (恋爱前规则): Beautiful stewardess Ranjing meets Otaku Lu Fei after a night out on town and through a series of mishaps, they become roommates in her duplex apartment. And then they fall in love. Adapted from an ultra popular internet novel "Diary of Living with an Airhostess."
• Stubborn Radish (倔强萝卜): An amateur scientist plans to dig a tunnel to steal back some money from his ex-best friend now worst foe. Starring Huang Bo.
• The Message (Feng Sheng, 风声): "The Message" is set in Japanese-occupied China in 1942. It tells a story of a Japanese spy chief trying to identify a Chinese agent from a group of suspects. Produced by China's leading entertainment producer Huayi Brothers, the film is the company's tribute to the 60th birthday of the People's Republic of China. Riding the popularity of the TV series and play of the same name, this espionage flick features Zhou Xun, Zhang Hanyu and Li Bingbing. Mandarin only.
• The Warrior and The Wolf (狼灾记, Lang zai ji): This costume fantasy drama is the latest production by China´s influential director and producer Tian Zhuangzhuang. Set in the Qing Dynasty, the plot follows a warrior and his foreign lover. Their romantic encounters lead to a supernatural event. Japanese star Joe Odagiri, Taiwanese actor Tuo Zonghua and American diva Maggie Q star. Mandarin only.

OTHER LANGUAGE MOVIES

• Shanghai, The Roaring Twenties: This film screening is part of “The Month of the Documentary” by Alliance Francaise de Shanghai, and organised by the French National Centre of Cinematography. The event takes place every year in cultural centres across the globe. Now in its 10th year, Alliance Francaise Shanghai are proud to present the screening of Shanghai, The crazy Years, a film by Oliver Horn about life in 1920’s and 1930’s Shanghai. The documentary uses Chinese archive material, old feature films, period newspapers, police reports etc. to portray the fascinating and intriguing world of old Shanghai. The film reveals facts about the opium trade, the influential gangs that operated in the city etc. This film is a fascinating insight into Shanghai’s intriguing past and not to be missed by anyone interested in Shanghai’s history.
• City On Fire: SubCinema at Dada presents: This classic Hong Kong action thriller shows the early days of Chow Yun-Fat. He stars as an undercover cop, Ko Chow, who is forced to choose between duty and friendship. Helmed by Ringo Lam, this flick earned Chow his second best actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards and cemented his position in the Hong Kong movie industry. See it with music before and after by DJ Drunk Monk and Deville. In Cantonese with English subtitles.
• Tulpan: On Thursday (26 November) Vienna Café will show a Central Asian film. The award winning Kazakh film Tulpan (2008) takes place in Kazakhstan and portrays the life of a man with too big ears and his pursuit of the only available girl for miles.
• Scandal Makers (非常主播): Head over to watch this ubiquitous Korean romantic comedy featuring Cha Tae-hyeon and Park Bao-young. Cha stars as a show talk presenter whose program gains instant popularity from a single mother's story. However, Cha's life is turned upside down when the single mother shows up at his home with her six-year-old son. Language TBD.
• Nepobedimyy (特工008): Chronicles the adventures of Russian special intelligence agent Yegor Kremnyov. It involves fugitive oligarchs, western crime syndicates and top-secret papers. Languages: Russian / English.

I think all art forms are connected somehow, so my musical background has helped me with my first theater play indeed. And I am sure this theater experience will help me with my future musical development also.

Your parents were prominent members of the Peking opera -- have you channeled them at all in your role?

Yes, my parents are Chinese opera musician and performers, but they are in the Qi style, one of more than 150 different local opera styles. Very different. But yes, I grew up with a lot of Chinese opera elements around me, and that definitely helps me with my role as M. As I said earlier, I do believe that all art forms are connected, so all those little things, these feelings, can give big help!

What message would you like the audience to come away with?

Enjoy the monologue and dialogue, it's an excellent script! All messages are in the text. You tell me what messages you got by watching the play... I don't like to give messages before the performance, it's better to leave the space for the audience's own imaginations, don't you think so?

Before we go, we’ve got to ask: where do YOU go to listen to jazz?

JZ Club, Cotton Club, and The House of Blues and Jazz, and Melting Pot...

Watch Coco in Zuloo's M. Butterfly, 7:30PM, Ke Centre for Contemporary Art, No 613-B Kiai Xuan Rd, Changning District, Near Yan'an West Rd. Email tickets@zuloo.co.uk or call 138-1837-9554 for tickets.

The Million Tree Project has also set up this neat Carbon Calculator at the Million Tree Project website to let you know how many trees you can buy to offset unavoidable travel options that may not be environmentally friendly.

So we asked Jessica what her plans for the future are. Saving the world one tree at a time? She gave us an unlikely answer: hotel management. The URBN Hotel in Shanghai serves as a source of inspiration, she said: a successful business model that is also China's first carbon neutral hotel, right here in Shanghai.

As a final word, Jessica wanted to remind everyone that the last concert was super packed, and Yuyintang - as everyone who's been to a show there knows - can fill up real fast. So come early and feel good about donating to a worthwhile cause. Jesscia will be manning the ticket/merchandise booth.