We mourn the passing of a true music legend

One of the founders of Shanghai rock emerges from its cocoon

Performing this Saturday, Aug. 28 at Mao Livehouse.

Shanghai in 1998 was a very different place for live rock music. The Hard Rock Café in the Portman was about as musically inspiring as the Gucci store that replaced it. Yet I found myself there one November night for Band Call, an annual competition of local talent.

Weghur’s frontman on a world mission

I first met Hassan a while ago, backstage in a club, wedged between a couple of adoring groupies on a beat-up sofa, his face lit only by the orange flame on a smoking, half-cut Pepsi can. In dark clothes, curly fringe covering his eyes, he looked dismissive, intimidating. I’d seen him on stage plenty of times before and been blown away by the energy and charisma that a 23-year-old shouldn’t so effortlessly ooze. Hassan just has… it. A whole chapter was devoted to him in Zachary Mexico’s China Underground, his book on Chinese subcultures. But Hassan isn’t fazed by the attention.

New York indie pop-rockers on the make come to town

They play Mao Livehouse Friday, August 6 and several dates at USA Pavilion through August 11.

There's something irresistibly catchy about if nothing happened - the first track on PaperDoll's debut album, Ballad Nerd Pop. Someone in the New York advertising racket must have thought so: One Tuesday last November the band got a call asking to use their song in a commercial for Vick's Dayquil - an American cold medicine. Two days later the spot aired on national television.

Q&A with the American pop punksters playing Mao Livehouse this Saturday, July 31 at 9:30pm.

Panic! at the Disco got famous the easy way. Seriously. A few American high school kids from Las Vegas put together a demo and sent it to bassist Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy. He was impressed and came to meet them. The rest is Top-40 history. 

Now in the midst of putting together their third album, the guys have two China dates on their summer roster. After Saturday's show, they'll go to Zhabei to play InMusic Festival.

Lead singer Brendon Urie, 23, answered a few questions for That's Shanghai on his fans, his fears, the next album and the zombie apocalypse.