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Scenes From the Beijing Rock Underground
Documentary photographer Matthew Niederhauser recently completed a three-week East Coast tour with three bands from Beijing's underground rock scene: Carsick Cars, P.K. 14, and Xiao He. The Maybe Mars record label put the tour on for its Chinese Underground Showcase.
Niederhauser was kind enough to share some snapshots and notes from the trip with Wired.com. Read on for an intimate look at the U.S. through the eyes of Chinese rockers.
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Above: Much to his horror, Xiao He attempts to eat one of Philadelphia's famous cheesesteaks. Most of the musicians agreed that Americans only enjoy eating varying combinations of bread, cheese, and meat. —Philadelphia
Some of the college bills ended up being the best shows, with highly enthusiastic concertgoers. The Chapel Hill show in particular turned out a good crowd in a cozy campus theater complete with balcony. Carsick Cars perform. —Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Photos and captions courtesy Matthew Niederhauser
All the musicians sought out vintage record stores throughout the tour to spruce up their vinyl collections. Heated battles would ensue over select LPs that are exponentially harder to come by in China. —Portland, Maine
Carsick Cars only got a short tour of Washington D.C., that included a visit to the Lincoln Memorial. Lincoln is a noted figure in China, while the National Mall is well-known as a site of protest and dissent. —Washington, D.C.
Photos and captions courtesy Matthew Niederhauser
A last-minute venue change left us at the dilapidated Club Polaris on the wrong side of Chinatown in Philadelphia. Although it was the least-attended show, the musicians were pleased to perform in what closely resembled a skanky Chinese nightclub. —Philadelphia
"This was the sketchiest place we parked the RV on tour, right around the corner from our gig at the even sketchier Club Polaris in Philadelphia. There was a halfway house right across the street."—Philadelphia
Photos and captions courtesy Matthew Niederhauser
Late-night meals were de rigueur after tour performances. This was one of the best at a 24-hour Korean restaurant in Baltimore. —Baltimore
Packing up the gear and moving on into the night became a mechanical ritual after each performance. —Richmond, Virginia
Photos and captions courtesy Matthew Niederhauser
The Velvet Lounge show in Washington was a packed-to-the-ceiling blowout. Xiao He took advantage and worked the rowdy crowd with one of his best performances. —Washington, D.C.
Shi Xudong, bassist for P.K. 14, enjoyed taking time between sets to peruse online manga. —Pittsburgh
Photos and captions courtesy Matthew Niederhauser
P.K. 14 struck a number of poses for the only "official" photo shoot on tour with the Manhattan skyline in support. Sunglasses were necessary, thanks to the serious hangovers that accompanied the crazy opening weekend in New York. —New York
Yang Haisong, lead singer of P.K. 14, executes one of his patented leaping splits during his performance at Club Polaris in Philadelphia. —Philadelphia
Photos and captions courtesy Matthew Niederhauser
Shi Xudong, bassist for P.K. 14 and master packer, climbs over the amplifier boxes in the equipment van after the performance at Santos in Tribeca. —New York
Cigarette breaks were an absolute necessity for the musicians while traveling in the RV. Nelson's Automotive was a fine service center in Connecticut that the bands took over on their way back to New York from Maine. —Stamford, Connecticut
Photos and captions courtesy Matthew Niederhauser
Xiao He and Li Qing, drummer for Carsick Cars, fiddle with a piano during a relaxing day off in West Virginia, between shows in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The musicians on tour are all multi-instrumentalists and enjoy collaborating. —Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Xiao He and Shi Xudong, bassist for P.K. 14, take in the scenery at a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. It was, perhaps unbeknown to them, a quintessential American experience. —New Jersey somewhere
Long hauls in the RV were spent napping, drinking, and enjoying the passing American landscapes. The RV became the bands' home away from home for most of the tour. —East Coast somewhere
Photos and captions courtesy Matthew Niederhauser
Xu Bo, guitarist for P.K. 14, gazes out at the Manhattan skyline while crossing the George Washington Bridge. The bands' first and last weekends were spent in New York and were the most important shows of the tour. —Hudson River, New Jersey-New York
Members of P.K. 14 lug the bass amp up the stairs for the sold-out performance at the Velvet Lounge in Washington. —Washington, D.C.
Photos and captions courtesy Matthew Niederhauser
Xu Bo, guitarist for P.K. 14, manhandles a donkey at Secret Project Robot before his final performance in Brooklyn's Williamsburg section.—New York
Carsick Cars ham it up for the camera on a Lower East Side rooftop during the only "official" photoshoot on tour. —New York
Photos and captions courtesy Matthew Niederhauser
