Yuyintang

851 Kaixuan Lu, near Wuyi Lu
21/5237-8662

HOURS: Tues.-Sun. 9 p.m.-late

COST: No cover charge

METRO: West Yan’an Road (Line 3, Line 4)

Shanghai might not yet rival Beijing when it comes to live music, but Yuyintang does a good job of trying. It’s a dark, compact, and somewhat dingy venue just south of Zhongshan Park [1] and it plays host to all the best local and visiting indie bands.

Notable acts appearing regularly on the roster include a Mongolian throat-singing group called Hanggai and local bands Boys Climbing Ropes and Duck Fight Goose. If the smoke and beer fumes get to be too much, there’s a park out back for some fresh air.

Yuyintang attracts a different crowd to the glitzier downtown bars: less blingy, more bohemian.