“Beijing’s own Canadian duo”

Hot and Cold had a great show on Saturday!

It was a night of many firsts:

• Our first Saturday night show. (We definitely caught a few poor foreigner suckas who didn’t realize Beijing faves Carsick Cars weren’t playing)

• As a result, we played to Our first sizable audience (Most of them didn’t run away after hearing the first song, either).

• Our first show to open with Simon and I screaming for 20 seconds (and no instruments). All right!

• Our first heckling. I thought it was a joke at first: “You guys suck, play some real music!” Too bad I didn’t think to remember the guy’s face – D-22’s sound man wanted to beat him up afterwards. Hot and Cold has now firmly established itself as a too-cool noise-rock band.

• Our first major paycheck. (Around 70 Canadian dollars – how did that happen?!)

• And finally, it was also the first time Toronto band Woodhands came to China and opened for us. This was especially funny because two nights before, they played at one of the largest venues in Beijing. And all the other bands at D-22 on Saturday were “experimental.” (On a musical Venn-diagram, keytar playing and “experimental” never co-exist). Actually, D-22’s deliberately fuzzy sound system made them much more appealing than before, and they really warmed the crowd up (dancing, even!) so that when we got to make our racket, it was appreciated).

Following our set, Shouwang, the guitarist of Carsick Cars, played a brief solo piece. I never cease to be amazed by him. At one point, held his guitar in the air by its neck, and gradually let it slide through his fingers, resulting in lower and lower notes. The fact that Shouwang had returned to Beijing from Europe only a few days earlier and was entirely improvising this melodic drone song only enhanced the performance’s brilliance.

Without stopping, he then invited Simon and I to join him on stage. As we gradually worked into a frenzied crescendo, our friend Justin, an astounding drummer from New York City, darted over, and proceeded to pound us into even louder territory.

The four of us play together fairly frequently considering I’m rarely around – somehow, it always clicks. I was very happy with how it sounded: Shouwang and Justin are probably my two favourite Beijing musicians, and I think the best in the city as well.

We were followed by 10, the crazy, only-red-wearing, toy-breaking duo from Korea and Japan. As always, they were great, but I think my favourite part of their performance was having dinner with them and seeing how happy they were to eat rice served in a pineapple at a nearby Yunnan restaurant.

Finally, at 2am, Justin joined saxophonist Li Tieqiao, for yet another phenomenal performance. At one point, Li took off his mouthpiece and played through it by itself, and continued by blowing through his mouthpieceless saxophone, getting it to sound like a trumpet.  For most of the set, Justin used only a snare, and played standing up, with the drum strapped onto him. Amazing.

I was in bed by 4am.

Evidence:

Hot and Cold

Oh, I forgot: also, the first time I played bass and recited a tale of receiving fish by air mail.

Shouwang takes chopsticks to his guitar (how we roll in Beijing).