Even though today might be Friday, for many of us it isn't the start of the weekend. With the upcoming National Day vacation period approaching, many people are stuck in their offices over the weekend to make up for the extended break. This has carried over into the live music scene, with only a few note worthy shows before the craziness that starts next week. The Jazz it Up week of music continues with a performance tonight by the Shanghai Music Conservatory Jazz band. Out at I Love Shanghai, Didgeridoo lover, Didjelirium will perform, backed by DJ Michael Dean. Things start to pick up on Saturday with the 8th installment of the Back to the Roots party, a must see for any fan of hip-hop, soul or funk. CMCB those, Linkin' Park-esque, rappers from Beijing will be playing out at the Dream Factory. If watching and listening to a man blow on an object made out of brass (or maybe some other metal) is your thing, then don't miss Bob Mintzer and the All-star band who will be wrapping up the Jazz it Up festival on Saturday night. Mintzer is an astounding saxophonist and will be joined on stage by a multitude of Grammy award winners.

Friday - September 28th
SMC Jazz Band - Shanghai Music Conservatory - 6:30pm
Didjelirium - I Love Shanghai - late(50rmb/1drink)

Saturday - September 29th
CMCB - Dream Factory - 8:30pm(40rmb)
Back to the Roots party - 4Live - 10pm(50rmb)
Bob Mintzer & the All Stars - Shanghai Music Conservatory - 7:30pm(100-580rmb)

Shanghai Music Conservatory- 20 Fenyang Lu, 汾阳路20号, 近复兴中路
4Live- Bridge 8, 8 Jianguo Zhonglu 8号桥- 建国中路8号7号楼
I Love Shanghai- 155 East Zhongshan Er Lu
Dream Factory- 68 Yuyao Lu, 余姚路68号，同乐坊内，近西康路

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

For anyone still looking for something to do tonight (Thursday) a couple of options have poked their heads up in the nic' of time. Banana Monkey and Hard Queen, two good local bands are putting on a free concert at 4Live tonight, with things getting started at 8:30pm. After that head to the Antidote party out a C's where the music is always good and the drink freakin' cheap. If funk and jazz fusion is more your thing then Finnish Pekka Pylkkanen and his Tube Factory will headline tonight’s Jazz it Up held at the Shanghai Music Conservatory.

Banana Monkey w/ Hard Queen - 4Live - 8:30pm (free)
Antidote Party - C's Bar - 9pm(free)
Pekka Pylkkanen - Music Conservatory - 7:30pm(80-480rmb)

4Live - Bridge 8, 8 Jianguo Zhonglu, No. 7 (8号桥- 建国中路8号7号楼)
C's Bar - 685 Dingxi Lu, by Yanan Xilu (定西路685号，近延安西路)
Shanghai Music Conservatory - 20 Fenyang Lu, by Fuxing Zhonglu (汾阳路20号, 近复兴中路)

Spearheaded by drummer Al Gordon, this new club is the latest addition to the Shanghai live jazz and blues scene. It’s a funky little club, literally one room, but it’s a great space and the band is solid. As the name implies, the place is not trying to be another jazz venue; rather they are concentrating on blues, funk, and soul music–and are starting and ending much later than most other venues. Most nights the club will have live music starting around 11pm, with sets running through till 4am. Al has joining him on guitar Eddie Goltz, who also is a great singer, and Peter Phillips from New York on the keyboards. They are encouraging musicians to join them for jam sessions, which is why they intentionally start the gig so late.

The place is serving down-home Southern style soul food, from chitlins to collard greens. They also have a pretty full selection of bottled and draft beers, and of course a full standard bar. Come down and check it out, by the time I write this the new sign should be up outside. It’s located in the same building as the City Diner, on the ground floor (where Eat Drink Man Woman, the Taiwanese restaurant was). That’s just on the corner of Tongren lu and Nanjing lu.

The Blues Room. 146 Tongren Lu. 铜仁路146号
Live music from 11pm to 4am most nights.

For any one who missed it, Cold Fairyland and the Scoff both had concerts last night at the Shanghai Concert Hall and 4Live, respectively. Yesterday afternoon Shanghaiist had spent a solid 2 hours writing an exquisite piece of prose about these two shows... but alias, the evil internet goblin crashed our computer, causing us to lose forever that beautiful essay... well, at least you won't miss out on what is happening tonight.

Friday night is all about that elusive, talented, synth loving, Shanghai band IGO, who are celebrating the release of their first LP at 4Live. Past IGO shows have been a little boring, consisting of one guy singing while the other clicks a computer mouse. This time around, they will have a full backing band that should add a lot of punch to their performance. Beijing hipster favorites, the Re-tros, have made a special trip down to open for IGO. For those of you who live up north and don't feel like making the trip to 4Live, check out Three Yellow Chickens, out at the Live Bar.

Saturday, for any one lucky enough to live in Nanjing (don't hear that very often), over a dozen garage and punk bands will descend upon the city for a one day music extravaganza. With a line up that includes the Scoff, Last Chance of Youth and Demerit, it is guaranteed to be a mosh friendly affair. Price has yet to be confirmed, but according to the organizer “if pay 100 or more will get t-shirt and other gifts for free." And who doesn't like free stuff.

Those of us stuck in Shanghai on Saturday should take the chance to catch Beethoven's 9th Symphony being performed by the International Festival Chorus. Combining 120 voices with 50 musicians how could you not be impressed?

Friday - September 21st
IGO w/ Re-tros - 4Live - 10pm(60rmb)
Three Yellow Chickens - Live Bar - 9pm(30/25rmb)

Saturday - September 22nd
Nanjing Music Festival - Xici Block, Nan Hu, Nanjing - 2:30pm to late
Beethoven's 9th Symphony - Oriental Art Center - 7:30pm(50-500rmb)

4Live - 8 Jianguo Zhonglu , No. 7 (8号桥- 建国中路8号7号楼)
Live Bar- 721 Kunming Lu y Tongbei Lu (昆明路721号，近通北路)
Oriental Art Center- 425 Dingxiang Lu 上海东方艺术中心, 浦东新区丁香路425号

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

Our Shanghai champions that went to the finals of the Cocktail World Cup held in Queenstown, New Zealand, have come back and done us proud! Unshaken by an itinerary that included some really extreme cocktail shaking via bungy-jumping, on top of a mountain and on a jet boat, Cross from Vault and Alex from Volar (together with Johnsen from Aria in Beijing) emerged fourth after Teams Vegas, New Zealand and England. Okay, so they weren't tops but it appears they did manage to wow some of the biggest mixologists around like New York cocktail king Dale DeGroff.

Here's what we got from their press release:

Team China rounded out the top teams in forth place, and the intrepid threesome of Johnson, Cross and Alex impressed the world with the continuing rapid rise of Chinese mixology. Their “chuan chao” (mandarin for “spice of life”) brought together vanilla and clove infused 42 BELOW Pure Vodka with a mix of lemon, vanilla, ginger, lemongrass and pineapple, topped with a sichuan pepper and vanilla foam to form a uniquely Chinese flavoured concoction served in an ancient zun (樽).

Team China’s performance earned the team high praise. Judge Dale DeGroff described their cocktail as ‘really amazing, beautiful and the tie of the spice and vessel were great. Asia is on the up.’ While 42 BELOW Vodka Professor Jacob Briars said “China has come on leaps and bounds since last year’s contest. Their drink was off the hook. Kudos.”

Sounds like pretty high praise to us! Now that they're back in Shanghai, we hear from one of the organisers that:

... I guess Alex and Cross are now very good names to know if you are out drinking at Volar or Vault. If they are working and you mention the 42 BELOW Cocktail World Cup in the next couple of weeks you are guaranteed to get good cocktail treatment.

Photo of Alex and Cross shaking it up in Queensland at the 42 Below World Cup

Before we get started on what is happening this weekend in music, gotta admit we accidentally put the wrong Yue Festival link in our last post. So here it is, for all you who want to keep abreast of festival news....www.yuefestival.com. We have also received word that the 1234 Beach Rock festival is being pushed back to October 21st. And now to what is happening this weekend in live music.

Norwegian rockers Team Blitzkrieg are in town to assault the crowd at 4Live, on Friday, with some high energy, rockabilly infused songs that are bound to get some good ol' skanking started. Also on the bill is country mate Heidi Marie, an indie songwriter/singer who will bring a little peace and serenity to the place. What could be better... peace, serenity and a little skank (verb, not the noun). If Nordic music ain't your thing, then celebrate the opening of the new Yuyintang space with experimental French band Le Singe Blanc. Much smaller than their old haunt, the newest Yuyintang incarnation will provide an extremely intimate encounter.

Saturday, Nanjing bands Old Doll and Old Rose will be at the Live Bar out in Yangpu. We haven't heard much about these bands, but it is always nice to check out what sister city, Nanjing, is up to. While out at Absolute House English grindcore stalwarts Napalm Death will shred away, destroying our eardrums with insanely fast songs about death, destruction and plenty of napalm. Seeing this band play in the house of dance makes up for the rather high ticket prices.

Friday - September 14th
Le Singe Blanc - Yuyintang - 9:30pm(30rmb)
Team Blitzkrieg w/ Heidi Marie - 4Live - 10pm
Vacan'600 party - Harley's Bar - 10pm
Folk night - Live Bar - 9:30pm(30/25)
Antidote Party - Atuna Bar - 9pm to Late(30rmb)

Saturday - September 15th

Napalm Death - Absolute House - 10pm(240rmb at the door)
Old Doll w/ Old Rose - Live Bar - 10pm(30/25rmb)

Absolute House - 20 Chaling Beilu No. 6, 上海茶陵北路20号X2创意空间6号楼，近斜土路
Atuna Bar - 1A Zhongshan Donger Lu, 中山东二路一号甲，外滩, 近延安路
Yuyintang - 育音堂 1731 Yanan Xilu, 延安西路1731号凯旋门 ，天山公园小白楼
Live Bar - 721 Kunming Lu, No.12, 昆明路721号12通北路口
4Live - 8号桥- 8 Jianguo Zhonglu, No.7, 建国中路8号7号楼

Shanghaiist usually waits until Friday to update you on this weekend's live shows, but this week we decided to actually get something in a timely manner (actually we are going to Beijing for the Pop Festival so will be partying way too hard to write this later). Yuyintang, those stalwart music promoters, are back with a show tonight (Thursday) at the Zendai Moma out in Pudong. If this morning's weather holds out it should be a great night to make the schlep out to the boonies and catch Norwegian, brit-popish band, Flare and Shanghai based Boys Climbing Ropes. We have also heard from various sources that 2nd Hand Rose will be in town playing at some sort of art function tonight.

On Friday prepare for a neurological explosion as Brainwave Communications take their mixed media show to Live Bar where they will be joined by Torturing Nurse and fellow noise makers. Saturday the Raving Radio, a screamo band from Beijing, will be at Live Bar to get the usually meager group of patrons slam dancing into walls, chairs and whatever else can be used as a substitute for a proper crowd. While down at 4Live Beijing bands Caffeine, Honey Gun and Left/Right will be in town for a night of indie/punk.

Thursday - September 6th
Flare w/ Boys Climbing Ropes - Zendai MOMA - 8pm (50rmb - one drink included)

Friday - September 7th
Brainwave Communications - Live Bar - 10pm (30rmb)

Saturday - September 8th
Caffeine, Honey Gun and Left/Right - 4Live - 10pm (50rmb)
The Raving Radio - Live Bar - 9:30pm (30rmb)

Zendai MOMA - 上海市浦东新区芳甸路199弄28号
4Live - 8号桥- 建国中路8号7号楼
Live Bar - 杨浦区昆明路721号，近通北路

Yep, it's that time of year again: When Americans here try to explain to everyone else why we place so much importance on college athletics, namely football (the version where you don't use your feet too much). If you'd like to try to understand, or if you would just like to tell college footballs fans how silly you think they are in person, head out to Bubba's today. The first full Saturday of college football games is going on right now in the good ol' US of A. And Bubba's will have a couple selected games playing on tape delay on Sunday. Here's Bubba's email:

And like last year, Bubba's will be NCAA headquarters all season each Sunday with NCAA Tailgate Parties, cold beer, fine barbeque, and plenty of smack talk among fans. Each Sunday we'll feature two to three games played by top-ranked teams. We'll also run specials on barbeque and will have our usual happy hour with 20 rmb draft beer and house pours, and 30 rmb margaritas and Texas Teas from 2 to 8 p.m. We'll kick this season off on Friday night at 7 p.m. with #2 LSU vs Mississippi State. Then, on Sunday, we'll show Alabama-Birmingham vs Michigan State at 1 p.m. followed by the feature game of the weekend.....#15 Tennessee vs #12 Cal at 5 p.m. For NFL fans, we'll be dishing up games all season via satellite and also via slingbox.

If you want the results of Saturday's games to remain shrouded in mystery until you have watched them at Bubba's DO NOT click here.

And if you know of any other places to watch college football in Shanghai, please let us know.

Hunker down, you hairy dawgs.

Image from the official website of Penn State intercollegiate athletics.