Showing 1-14 of 14 results
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Ark Live House
Incongruously located in the yuppie heart of Shanghai, this venue for Chinese bands, generally with an alternative edge, is the best place in town for live music. Weird Japanese acts and the occasional Western band end up here, too. Gigs get going on Friday and Saturday from , but there are also occasional weekend afternoon concerts.
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Bandu Cabin
Tucked away in the Moganshan Rd Art Centre, this laidback café-cum-bar is the epicentre of the local folk-music scene. It hosts folk singers and bands on Saturday at .
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Bonbon
With the backing of the Godskitchen clubbing crew, Bonbon has become the destination of choice for a very young mixed crowd of Chinese and Westerners. Mainstream hip-hop party favourites keep the small dance floor packed.
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Cotton Club
Harlem it ain't, but this is still the best and longest-running bar for live jazz in Shanghai, featuring blues and jazz groups throughout the week. Wynton Marsalis once stepped in to jam, forever sealing the Cotton Club's reputation as the best live-music haunt in town. The crowd here is younger than in the more portly hotel jazz scene and the drinks are reasonably priced. The music gets going at .
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Glamour Bar
Not as glamorous as it was when it first opened, nor particularly exclusive, the Glamour Bar is still one of Shanghai's most popular watering holes. The faux-Art Deco styling and massive bar give the place a pleasingly retro feel and the martinis are particularly good. Get here before midnight on weekends or be prepared to queue. It also hosts monthly jazz and classical concerts and Sunday afternoon readings (around Y50 ).
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Guandii
Very close to California Club, Guandii attracts a similar crowd of young Hong Kong Chinese and upmarket Shanghainese who like to flash their cash on Champagne and Chivas. The hip-hop room is a hotspot for those who like a bit of West Coast-style bump and grind.
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House of Blues & Jazz
This is a classy restaurant and bar for music lovers. The owner, a Chinese TV celebrity, has plastered the walls with old photos of jazz legends and the in-house band (it changes every three months) delivers live music from to . Sunday night is a free-for-all jam. Upstairs offers Western and Chinese food.
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JZ Club
The atmosphere at JZ Club in the French Concession is a little too reverent and drinks are overpriced, but at least the music is the real thing. It's mostly contemporary jazz and fusion.
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Lin Bar And Grill
Formerly known as Number Five, the only view from this easy-going Bund basement bar is of people's shoes on the pavement outside. But it makes up for that with a buy one, get one free drink policy stretching from to . Then there's the free pool, darts, big leather armchairs, live music on the weekends and a good selection of Asian and western pub food. It's a nice place to kickback.
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Logo
On the far southwestern edge of the Concession, Xingfu Lu is developing its own nightlife scene for the alternative/student crowd. Logo is basic, cramped and smoky, but the drinks are cheap and the Friday night reggae session is jammed with the sort of people who like to roll their own cigarettes.
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Mint
Mint occupies the 2nd floor of Woo Villa, known as the Green House, designed by Ladislaus Hudec in 1938 and previously owned by the family of architect IM Pei. It's a stylish, intimate place that attracts both Western and local hipsters. On Thursdays there's a popular salsa night, while Friday is R&B. The rest of the time it's house. There's a cool feel to the place, but you need to get here early on weekends. It's closed on Sunday.
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Shanghai Arts Theatre
Located north of West Nanjing Rd, this theatre stages an eclectic mixture of Chinese drama and classical Chinese and Western music.
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Time Passage
Tucked down a small street, Time Passage is that rare thing in Shanghai, a pub that could be your local back home. With friendly staff, cheap drinks and a faithful clientele of local musos, students and expat teachers, it's a businessman-free zone. There's live music on Tuesdays, Thursday and Fridays, wi-fi access and a daily happy hour from to .
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TMSK
A place to visit as much for the décor as for the drinks, TMSK is designed to within an inch of its life. The whole place is full of glass 'art' or, more specifically, pieces of swirled pastel-coloured glass. There's a cool water feature too, but the interior design pales into insignificance once the house band gets going with their unholy fusion of techno and traditional Chinese music. The local crowd who drink here seem to like it though.
Showing 1-14 of 14 results
