Chinese band rocks on North America debut
From the rehearsal room of an urban village in Kunming, Yunnan province, to live house tours across multiple cities in North America, the rock band Mayuan Poet has spent 16 years on the journey.
As they tour from the “live music capital of the world”, Austin, Texas, to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the “home of grunge music”, Seattle, to the East Coast cities of New York and Boston, the band made its debut tour series in the US, attracting thousands of fans.
“Feeling a bit more nervous, with a touch more anticipation,” the 38-year-old lead singer of the band, stage name “Ku Guo”, told China Daily. He said he enjoyed the stage and the interactions with his overseas audiences. “This is the birthplace of rock and indie music; it feels like bringing our original music back to the roots.”
He wandered around the cities when he wasn’t on stage. New York appeared just like the one he had seen in movies, with its towering skyscrapers, but this time it was real, he said.
He also found himself sitting by Lake Washington, gazing at its tranquil waters, immersed in nature’s embrace. By chance, he stumbled upon his favorite band, Coldplay, whose music had profoundly influenced his own creative journey, on vinyl in a corner store in Los Angeles.
“The Western environment and Western rock music have provided a framework for Chinese rock music, offering us a valuable learning opportunity,” he said.
The style of his band’s music was influenced by grunge music, also known as the Seattle sound.
“As we develop our own style of rock music in China, especially in terms of lyricism and emotional expression, that’s different from traditional Western rock,” he continued. “Moreover, China’s poetic culture is exceptionally beautiful, and we integrate poetry into our songwriting.”
As one of the first Chinese rock bands to perform in the US, reminiscing about their performances over the past 14 years, with tickets selling for only ¥30 ($4.4) at that time, Ku Guo expressed an increased sense of responsibility.
“Actually, my English isn’t very good, but I still resonate with Western rock music, and that’s the power of music.”
The first stop of the tour was in Austin to participate in South by Southwest, or SXSW, an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals launched in 1987.
Music being a bridge
The band was invited by Cheizak Li, the founder of the Friends from the East musical festival, who has been actively involved in the Chinese and international music industry for more than 20 years. He joined hands with many Chinese musicians to go to SXSW to launch “China Night” special performances starting in 2018, when another Chinese band, FAZI, made its debut in the US.
This year, as part of Friends from the East, Mayuan Poet and FAZI were invited to the SXSW festival to perform Chinese rock music.
“Actually, music is a particularly good bridge for eliminating different perceptions among people from different countries,” he added.
Having participated in the music variety show last year, Mayuan Poet has also gained the love of many music fans at home and abroad.
“I accompanied my friends to watch the performance. It was the first time I saw Mayuan Poet live. I was infected by their passionate performance and I really like their music,” said Sylvia Miles, who attended the band’s performance in San Francisco.
Many fans came from all over the United States for this round of tour just to see the band live.
Li Wen from Canada said: “I have always liked Mayuan Poet. This time, I drove to Boston from Canada and wanted to listen to their music live.”
Chinese independent musicians have begun to dip their toes into the international market. Bands like Miserable Faith, Omnipotent Youth Society, and Wu Tiao Ren started overseas tours as early as 2023 after being invited to the inaugural Friends from the East festival and tours, promoting Chinese rock music to overseas audiences.
“Music is a window, and overseas musicians will also discover that the fans in China are similar to those elsewhere; they are also interested in their music regardless of language barriers,” Cheizak Li said.
“Music drives communication between people. You cry, you laugh, and when you are in a live atmosphere at a music festival, this kind of emotion is universal for everyone.”