China’s Modern Sky Festival expands to Seattle with Gang of Four, Ariel Pink, Black Lips, More, Coming to Seattle on October 11th
Press releases are by nature hyperbolic, but one of the most interesting events taking place this fall is happening on Sunday, October 11 – when some of China’s most exciting rock and electronic acts make their Seattle debut alongside punk stalwarts Gang of Four, garage-rockers Black Lips, vaunted alt-hero Ariel Pink, and the haunting Mirel Wagner.
Chinese indie music has been slowly slipping into the US (The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe released a great album by Birdstriking earlier this year) but this is a fantastic opportunity to see four of China’s most exciting acts in one fell swoop without jumping on a plane (although the festival is also happening in New York, if you’re so inclined.)
So at a glance:
Hedgehog are an infectious and raucous noise-pop trio who have opened for the likes of Shonen Knife. Singer/drummer Atom is a tiny force, but one to be reckoned with.
Miserable Faith are one of the most influential and longstanding rock bands in China, with a melodic sound that’s shifted over time to incorporate a wide variety of influences, starting with metal but shifting toward to a more indie sound with some traditional influences. They regularly close out China’s biggest outdoor festivals, but are touring the US for the first time.
New Pants are a sly and synth-heavy but punk-influenced combo whose live shows (and fashion sense) never disappoint. Fair warning – one listen to “You’re My Star” and you’ll probably never get it out of your head! (“Sex Drugs Internet” is another doozy!)
Song Dongye is one of China’s top singer-songwriters, a leader of the “campus-rock” movement, and a moving artist in any language. He’s currently working with actress-turned-singer Maggie Cheung on her forthcoming album.
The Modern Sky Festival was first produced in Beijing in 2007. Today, that event is one of 20+ large-scale music festivals, boasting a cumulative attendance of over 710,000, produced in cities throughout mainland China by Modern Sky Entertainment, China’s leading music entertainment company. In 2014 Modern Sky brought their unique vision to New York for the first time with a festival that featured Cat Power, Atomic Bomb! A Tribute To William Onyeabor, Liars, The Blood Brothers, Aimee Mann + Ted Leo, and Chinese stars Queen Sea Big Shark, Re-TROS and more. This year it has added Seattle and Helsinki.
Michael LoJudice, General Manager of Modern Sky Intl, comments “We are excited to be bringing the Modern Sky Festival to Central Park again this October, as well as to Seattle. Modern Sky plans to launch the festival in more U.S. cities in 2016 – this is only the beginning!”
Tickets For Modern Sky Festival are available at www./
Seattle – Mural Ampitheatre – Oct 11
Gang Of Four
Black Lips
Ariel Pink
Mirel Wagner
New Pants
Song Dongye
Hedgehog
Miserable Faith
+ more
Modern Sky Online:
Facebook
Twitter