It is the end of an era. After 12 years of operation as Nanjing's number 1 underground bar, Castle Bar is closing its doors forever. A relief for some perhaps, but for many, Castle Bar represented the apex of a night out in Nanjing. Long after virtually everything else had closed, here the discs kept spinning and the drinks kept flowing often until 7am at weekends.

A one-off opportunity presents itself in Nanjing on 21st August; something that is unlikely to be repeated for some time. For this is our chance to see the very first rock bands from Mongolia to perform in China, right here in Nanjing. Click "read more" for the story behind... ROCK NAADAM!

On Friday 13th and Saturday 14th May, DJ Shami and the Party Maniacs hosted back to back electronic music nights in what was probably the first ever double electro event in Nanjing. HelloNanjing managed to fit in an interview with the main man responsible, DJ Shami, in the midst of all this electro mania. Meeting at House 61 just before the second night’s set, we chatted about Nanjing’s music scene, organising innovative events in the city, and of course electronic music.

The last time HN helped throw an open mic night, most were pleasantly surprised to enjoy a lively evening that ended with a wild jam featuring freestyle rappers, an Irish diva, a mad man at the drums, and a couple of slicked out Chinese rock bands. This coming Wednesday sees round two, with a central idea of getting involved, meeting new people and creatively collaborating across cultures and musical genres.

Several months ago, Ellen's bar began informal Open Mic sessions that drew solid student crowds. Next week, 61 House attempts to raise the bar with pro equipment and effective organization. Waiting in the wings is Sancho Panza, keen to further an idea of community Open Mics (not bound to any particular bar), that promote healthy collaboration and greater vibrancy in the social scene.

Abram Deyo operates Legal Grey, a freelance production operation that specializes in bringing critically-acclaimed acts to China. In recent times he's brought the Cave Singers, Daniel Hart and Dead Elvis to town. This Fri. Dec. 3rd, he brings Das Racist to 61 House. HN speaks with Abe about the Legal Grey events operation as a preview of that show.