that song goes for too long.

The blues doesn't seem a very appropriate style of music to represent Beijing. It's too subtle and reflective. I think Beijing music should be a lot more brash.

I saw this band at the Stone Boat Cafe and I'm pretty sure one song used an electronic saxophone.

I've NEVER seen another band actually use that instrument...

For me, the blues are the perfect way to represent Beijing, but then again they are the perfect way to represent everything to me.

Our sax player Dave Loevinger does in deed use an electric sax.. it is actually a MIDI breath controller... basically a synthesizer controlled by the mouth like a wind instrument.

we are back at the S. Boat on Sat. 6/28.

As for it being too long... well, we're a jam band so we jam.

Thanks for listening.

I'll come back on the 28th if you can promise me an electric sax SOLO...

Dave usually takes several electric sax solos a night.. you must have missed it. He is in the U.s. for a couple of weeks and won't be there next week, though. We have a sub, Tian Xiao, owner of the great little bar Jianghu Jiuba.

This song rocks

Rocks? It's more like sand. I'm certainly not known for being a music critic, but this song's lyrics seem more like seven and a half minutes of a CCTV-9 weather report. "It's raining down in Shanghai while Beijing is having its annual sandstorm." At least it mercifully didn't include the notorious "Asian riff"!
Actually I watched this video first without sound and saw several images that could be misunderstood as Sichuan earthquake footage, but I suppose it could also be viewed as Beijing hutong destruction. (By the way, was the drummer wearing a black Trojan T-shirt? Is he the Woodie of Woodie Alan?)
I suppose my musical taste just doesn't appreciate the slight bitterness of blues.
I would prefer a more upbeat tune with witty lyrics about the experience of living in Beijing all year round, not just a week in April.
Here's what I'd really like to see: Would it be possible for Woodie Alan to perform an original Mandarin blues song (singing pinyin) and mixing in some erhu and a harmonica. Now that would truly rock Beijing, in my humble opinion.
Cheers!

Spelunker,

There is erhu in the intro and throughout the bass solo and at the end of the song. Our bassist Zhang Yong is a great erhu player. Go to http://www.myspace.com/woodiealanband and listen to the first song.. original Chinese blues sung by Zhang Yong. No pinyin needed.

The drummer is Lu Wei and he is wearing a T shirt for Troyan drums.

Dear Alan Paul:
Thanks for the link. I don't have a Myspace account so I can't leave a comment there. I listened to "Wo De Baobei" (My Darling) and heard Zhang Yong's Chinese lyrics. That's a very good song, and it gave me another idea: How about you and Zhang Yong singing together in an English/Chinese crosstalk type of blues song? That would be fun. More on that later.
I just heard the erhu as you mentioned in "Beijing Blues"; guess I didn't catch it the first couple of times I listened because I was watching the YouTube video.
I must confess that I haven't listened to much blues music before. However I do like "Red House" by Jimi Hendrix because the lyrics narrate a story and end with a twist ("I know her sister will!") That's a blues song, isn't it?
Now here's my idea: How about you and Zhang Yong singing a song similar to "Red House" about a Chinese girlfriend?

后海有一条胡同
Houhai you yi tiao hutong
是我宝贝住的家
shi wo baobei zhu de jia
我的天；后海有一条胡同
Wo de tian, Houhai you yi tiao hutong
就是我宝贝住的家
jiu shi wo baobei zhu de jia
已经有九十九天半
yijing you jiu shi jiu tian ban
我没有到北京来看她
wo mei you dao Beijing lai kan ta

等以下；怎么回事
deng yi xia； zenme hui shi
我这把钥匙打不开门
wo zhe ba yaoshi da bu kai men
等以下；怎么回事啊
deng yi xia； zenme hui shi a
天哪，这把钥匙还打不开
tian na, zhe ba yaoshi hai da bu kai
什么回事呢
shenme hui shi ne
(烦死啦!)
(fan si la!)
恐怕我的宝贝... 早已经不在
kongpa wo de baobei... zao yijing bu zai
没事儿，我还有我的二胡！
mei shi'er, wo hai you wo de erhu!

我不妨到首都机场
wo bufang dao shoudu jichang
坐飞机回台北
zuo feiji hui Taibei
算了吧，不妨到机场
suan le ba, bufang dao jichang
坐飞机又回台北
zuo feiji you hui Taibei
难道我宝贝再也不爱我
nandao wo baobei zai ye bu ai wo
我知道她妹妹会!
wo zhidao ta meimei hui!

Good luck to you and all of your band members!
Best wishes,
Spelunker

Hey, thanks Spelunker. We have been singing more and more songs together, but in English. We have been talking about co-sining in Chinese but haven't found a tune yet. We'll give yours a try.