SmartShanghai.com Wire http://www.smartshanghai.com /wire/art/siff-director-q-a/wire/art/siff-director-q-aWed, 19 Jun 2013 09:14:13 +0700Fairmont Peace Hotel every night? The ones who are all legit senior citizens, ranging from 75 to 88 years old, killing it on the drums and sax? Yeah, some German dudes made an awesome Shanghai-centric documentary about them, which just premiered at SIFF.

Our colleagues over at CreativeHunt interviewed the director and producer of the film, As Time Goes By in Shanghai, which (fun fact) also got a bit of a financial boost through a successful Kickstarter campaign. Shameless... read on]]>/wire/dining/thursday-danny-bowien-cooks-at-unico/wire/dining/thursday-danny-bowien-cooks-at-unicoWed, 19 Jun 2013 06:37:10 +0700Unico. The tapas bar and lounge is hosting Korean American chef / restaurateur Danny Bowien.

Of all the chefs visiting for Omnivore this year I am the most excited about Bowien. He is a rising star in the American culinary scene. He made a name for himself by doing a pop-up in a sleepy Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/friday-free-farewell-to-hamacide-party-funny-flyer/wire/nightlife/friday-free-farewell-to-hamacide-party-funny-flyerWed, 19 Jun 2013 03:17:38 +0700a farewell party at The Shelter with R3, Cha Cha, Drunk Monk, DJ Sig and a rare Shanghai show from DJ Desert Fuck Eagle. But look at this flier that they've done for it.

It was drawn by DJ Drunk Monk, whose recent work shows the notable influence of the "Heatwolves school" ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/subcinema-tonight-the-maddest-story-ever-told/wire/nightlife/subcinema-tonight-the-maddest-story-ever-toldTue, 18 Jun 2013 08:59:13 +0700SubCinema screen the 1968 oddball exploitation flick, Spider Baby. Subtitled "The Maddest Story Ever Told" when it was released, it was directed by Jack Hill, who went on to write and direct Foxy Brown, Coffy and the similarly demented and uncomfortably sexy Pam Grier prison-break film, The Big Bird Cage.

But Spider Baby... It's about a trio of inbred ... read on]]>/wire/community/upcoming-new-monthly-cinema-series/wire/community/upcoming-new-monthly-cinema-seriesTue, 18 Jun 2013 07:29:44 +0700Flamingo Cinema starts this Wednesday. This screening will be of BBC4 documentary Krautrock: Rebirth of Germany, about the movement in experimental music that came out of the pop culture rubble during post-war 1960-70s Germany.

The film looks at key bands like Kraftwerk, Neu!, Faust and Can, and how their tinkering with psychedelia, synths, jazz, ... read on]]>/wire/dining/first-bites-pastis-and-angry-fish/wire/dining/first-bites-pastis-and-angry-fishTue, 18 Jun 2013 07:27:18 +0700Yongkang Lu continues to assimilate ever more store fronts. Lets start at the quiet end of the street — west of Xiangyang Lu — with Pastis. This is a microscopic French bistro. The place has a seating capacity of, at the most, 10, and even that's a generous estimate. A couple of two-tops on the sidewalk bump that number to around 14 or 15.

True to bistro form, the menu is scrawled on a blackboard and presumably changes regularly. Most of it appears to be ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/oddball-outdoor-party-this-weekend-sounds-good/wire/nightlife/oddball-outdoor-party-this-weekend-sounds-goodTue, 18 Jun 2013 06:09:33 +0700 ">a little party out in the burbs this weekend. It's in a large private garden in the middle of nowhere in Qingpu. The owner has a bar there and an art gallery and because the space is private there should be no hassle from the man.

The line-up seems pretty free-form. DJ Doggy, Chaze and DJ B.O, plus VJ Mark Stoned. There's also talk of a "Japanese jambo drumming crew". What on earth is jambo? Wikipedia says, "A celebrated gorilla who ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/what-a-joke-jimmy-shubert-this-weekend/wire/nightlife/what-a-joke-jimmy-shubert-this-weekendTue, 18 Jun 2013 04:16:01 +0700
Shubert played five seasons on King of Queens, as well as headlining The Improv and Comedy Store in Hollywood, the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, and hosting ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/party-photographers-wanted/wire/nightlife/party-photographers-wantedMon, 17 Jun 2013 06:39:12 +0700
All the party photos on SmartShanghai are unique to our site. We don't put up shots that appear elsewhere on other websites and magazines. This means we need a steady stream of images every week, from high-end parties to divey shit ... read on]]>/wire/dining/restaurant-review-of-the-week2013-06-17/wire/dining/restaurant-review-of-the-week2013-06-17Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:24:23 +0700panned for its service, while Garlic continues to garner fans. Wawa Wewe enjoys a slight uptick in its approval rating.

It was a good week for vegetarian resto Lucky Zen with two reviews. The same goes for La Poste.... read on]]>/wire/dining/cinnaswirl-has-plans-to-expand/wire/dining/cinnaswirl-has-plans-to-expandFri, 14 Jun 2013 08:43:43 +0700Cinnaswirl. The local cinnamon roll maker is looking to grow up and expand. The first step to that, obviously, is moving operations of out of their apartment kitchen and opening up an actual brick and mortar shop, an actual bakery. If you've ever done F&B business in Shanghai, you already know: that isn't cheap. There's the permits, the equipment, the rent, the renovations, etc. ... read on]]>/wire/art/upcoming-shanghai-international-film-festival/wire/art/upcoming-shanghai-international-film-festivalFri, 14 Jun 2013 05:40:21 +0700SH International Film Festival (SIFF) is back again, running from June 15-23. Tickets for some of the movie screenings are still available – check this page for the super long schedule and scroll to the bottom for online ticketing options.

Pretty nice variety in the list: classics (Farewell My Concubine; Lawrence of Arabia), blockbusters (Inception in IMAX; Les Miserables), last year’s Oscars... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/drive-guy-at-shanghai-rose-tonight/wire/nightlife/drive-guy-at-shanghai-rose-tonightFri, 14 Jun 2013 04:32:33 +0700Drive that everyone hated? I loved that shit. Ryan Gosling stamping on some brains in an elevator? Loved it. Anyway, that title song from the film, A Real Hero, that one sort of split people down the middle, too. The guy who wrote that is called College and he's playing tomorrow night at Shanghai Rose, accompanied by some high-tech whizzy 3D mapping visuals from video artist Chromaphase.

College is the nu disco project of David Grellier, who ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/new-constellation-opens/wire/nightlife/new-constellation-opensFri, 14 Jun 2013 02:17:38 +0700Bulldog, on Wulumuqi Lu. Both are part of the Constellation family, the people who run these three bars, plus Southern Cross. The ground floor is a cocktail bar much like the other Constellations. It's called Connoisseur and it has room for about 35 to sit down. They've put a wine bar on the second floor. It's called Wine Plus. It's about the same size.

The bar is still in soft opening. They haven't sorted out the menu yet. We went in last night and the drinks were... disappointing to say the least. ... read on]]>/wire/community/thursday-collection-launch-party-at-red-town/wire/community/thursday-collection-launch-party-at-red-townThu, 13 Jun 2013 08:43:59 +0700Sylvette is having a party in celebration of its two year anniversary and launch of its spring/summer collection. That's happening over at The Studio in Red Town, the arts and culture hub over in Changning that houses a ton of galleries like the Minsheng Art Museum.

It's free to go, and there will be cocktails and ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/simian-mobile-disco-tickets-back-on-sale/wire/nightlife/simian-mobile-disco-tickets-back-on-saleThu, 13 Jun 2013 08:12:22 +0700Simian Mobile Disco show are back online, having popped off earlier this week. We have a few left so if you want to get the presale price of 160rmb (220rmb on the door), then you can go here.

Alternatively, Arcade is having a little pre-show party tonight at the bar, where S.T.D. will also be selling tickets for 160rmb. They're also giving away four free tickets to one person who buys them there tonight, so that could be a little thingy.

More on the show here, or find Arcade here. ]]>/wire/stage/incoming-justin-bieber-omg-o-m-g/wire/stage/incoming-justin-bieber-omg-o-m-gThu, 13 Jun 2013 06:34:32 +0700
So, so much.

Turns out pop music gelfling Justin Bieber has added some China dates for his "Believe" world tour, which is, incidentally, a tour behind his latest album, which is also entitled "Believe", allegedly.

According to Bieberhood and Justin Bieber Zone and ... read on]]>/wire/dining/this-sunday-debellotas-turns-one/wire/dining/this-sunday-debellotas-turns-oneThu, 13 Jun 2013 03:48:10 +0700de Bellotas celebrates its one-year anniversary. They'll be serving tapas, paella and adult beverages as well putting on music and dance performances. Festivities start mid-day and wrap up around 4pm. Admission is 200rmb, but you can get advance tickets at a 20-kuai discount. They're still available, and you can learn more about where to get them right here.

]]>/wire/community/back-on-international-culture-festival/wire/community/back-on-international-culture-festivalThu, 13 Jun 2013 03:07:05 +0700International Culture Festival that was supposed to happen a month ago? It was postponed several times because of this unshakable crappy weather we've been getting, but the organizers just confirmed that it's back on at Wharf 1846 this Saturday-Sunday, June 14-15.

Entry is 50rmb per person, and the kiddies get in for free. That gets you access to milling about ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/bnc1-to-close-move-to-bigger-digs/wire/nightlife/bnc1-to-close-move-to-bigger-digsThu, 13 Jun 2013 02:21:41 +0700BnC is relocating to a larger space on Xikang Lu. The old place, which is one of the most frowsy bars in all of Shanghai (three-year-old Christmas decorations, floor ever-tacky from 1000 spilled pints of Tiger) will shut down on July 13, and the new space, which is here, will open around the same time.

For our former intern's love letter to the old place, go here.

Until then, there are a few events to wave off ... read on]]>/wire/art/wed-warholphotog-pal-at-glamour-bar/wire/art/wed-warholphotog-pal-at-glamour-barMon, 10 Jun 2013 10:12:47 +0700Glamour Bar hosts a talk by photographer Christopher Makos, who accompanied Andy Warhol during his first and only trip to China in 1982.

Makos, a good friend of Warhol's, went along as the pop artist played tourist in Beijing, snapping a ton of excellent portraits of Warhol with his famous white mane set against places like Tiananmen Square and ... read on]]>/wire/community/dragon-boat-festival-things-to-do/wire/community/dragon-boat-festival-things-to-doSun, 09 Jun 2013 04:40:02 +0700Dragon Boat Races.

Right now they’ve got 42 teams signed up to compete, with competitors from all over China -– Zhejiang, Henan, Jiangsu, Hong Kong SAR etc. -- and some from the foreigner crowd hailing from ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/sunday-night-masse-pub-quiz/wire/nightlife/sunday-night-masse-pub-quizSun, 09 Jun 2013 02:35:31 +0700 "> trivial night tonight at Masse... It's hosted by William Childress, one of the funniest comedians of Kung Fu Komedy's troupe. You may have seen him perform on the bill at their recent shows with Wali Collins or Ruben Paul.

The trivia happens every Sunday at Masse and it's a bit more rapid-fire than some of the other popular pub quizes in town, which are great and all, but tend to take up about four and a half hours of your... read on]]>/wire/smsh/hey-like-us/wire/smsh/hey-like-usSat, 08 Jun 2013 03:49:29 +0700on Facebook? Yeah, yeah you do.

Have a great weekend Youtube-ing and 9gag-ing in the office, folks. ]]>/wire/nightlife/sunday-rooftop-party-on-moganshan-lu/wire/nightlife/sunday-rooftop-party-on-moganshan-luFri, 07 Jun 2013 09:08:06 +0700
From 6-9pm guests get free-flow Da Marco catering, and all night, 6pm-2am it's free... read on]]>/wire/dining/watch-eduardo-vargas-make-ceviche/wire/dining/watch-eduardo-vargas-make-cevicheFri, 07 Jun 2013 08:46:55 +0700Limelight Studios have been pretty busy in the editing bay lately. They've come to us with yet another piece of food porn. This week's subject is Eduardo Vargas. He's the behind Azul and Azul Urban, Ceviche and lots of other places. Wanna see him squeeze limes and cut fish to salsa music? You know you do. Click right here. No need to fire up the VPN. This video's on Youku. Enjoy. ]]>/wire/dining/this-sunday-bbq-at-camel-pudong/wire/dining/this-sunday-bbq-at-camel-pudongFri, 07 Jun 2013 06:38:35 +0700one day off, here's something you can do this Sunday.

The Camel sports bar's Pudong Branch is starting up a weekly Sunday barbecue. ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/now-streaming-rainbow-danger-clubi-souvenirs-i-2/wire/nightlife/now-streaming-rainbow-danger-clubi-souvenirs-i-2Fri, 07 Jun 2013 06:22:59 +0700Rainbow Danger Club has a new album out called Souvenirs, which is a fitting title because the band is breaking up in about two weeks. Souvenirs is the band's fourth home-brewed studio production, following up 2010's New Atlantis, 2011's Where Maps End, and last year's Into the Cellar. It looks like their gig on Saturday, June 22 at Shanghai's Yuyintang will be their last. Hell of a way to go out, though. Something like
... read on]]>/wire/shopping/just-in-imported-at-home-yogurt-makers2013-06-07/wire/shopping/just-in-imported-at-home-yogurt-makers2013-06-07Fri, 07 Jun 2013 04:16:39 +0700Yoghup. It’s pretty awesome. Making it was e-e-easy, and most importantly, the resulting product tastes good.

The texture’s nice too –- not that runny stuff from the grocery store that’s drinkable by straw. Check our Instagram feed to get an idea.

So -– making it. It takes three steps: pour yogurt mix and cool water into Container A. Pour boiling water ... read on]]>/wire/nightlife/friday-night-final-hollow-point/wire/nightlife/friday-night-final-hollow-pointFri, 07 Jun 2013 03:48:00 +0700Hollow Point.

They've done a few of them since the end of last summer. They described it as "Sub-Culture's darker brother". The focus is left-field, ghostly bass music, and fucked up beats you won't
... read on]]>