Time: Thursday, September 14, 3.30-5.30 PM BJT
Venue: IB Lecture Hall
Speaker: Dr. Andrew Field, Associate Professor of Chinese History, Duke Kunshan University

Dr Field will be presenting his new book, Rocking China followed by a screening of his documentary, Down: Indie Rock Scene in the PRC. This will be followed by a Q&A session with Dr. Field.

RSVP: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_erlN3uxg9rU6HyK?Q_CHL=qr

Abstract:

Rocking China traces the rise and spread of indie rock scenes from the rock capital of Beijing to Shanghai and many other cities in China. Through interviews with key players in these scenes over a period of twenty years, Andrew Field explores the meanings of rock music in Chinese society as well as the many challenges and obstacles to the development of indie rock scenes in China. Highlights include a journey by rail into the heartlands of China with the hardcore rock band SUBS and legendary “rock godfather” Cui Jian. Along the journey to document the live rock music scenes of Beijing, he discovered an emerging world of musicians, bands, clubs, festivals, promoters, record shop and record label owners that were pushing the envelope of indie music for China and the world. This book takes the reader deep into the world of independent rock music that has been flourishing in urban China since the 2000s.

Down: Indie Rock in the PRC explores the indie rock music scene in China today, from rock clubs to outdoor concerts and festivals in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Hunan. This film identifies some of the hottest bands making up the emerging indie rock scene in China today. It features interviews with band members, music promoters, club owners, and other people who are deeply invested in building up China’s indie rock music scene. Put into the context of China’s astonishing rise as a globalizing country, focusing on the disenchantment of youths who resist being thrust into the mainstream of culture and society, the film touches on universal themes of alienation and angst, while also highlighting the power of rock music to plumb the depths of the human soul and to bring people together as one. (IMDB)

Speaker’s Bio:

Andrew Field is an Associate Professor of Chinese History, Duke Kunshan University. Dr. Field (B.A. Dartmouth College, Ph.D. Columbia University) is a specialist in Chinese and East Asian languages, cultures, and history, with an expertise in the history of Shanghai. He teaches courses on Ancient Chinese History and Thought, Shanghai History, Modern Chinese History, and special courses on “Sounds in the City: Live Music Scenes in China” and “Documenting City Life.” He is the author of three books, Shanghai’s Dancing World: Cabaret Culture and Urban Politics (2010), Mu Shiying: China’s Lost Modernist (2014) and Shanghai Nightscapes: A Nocturnal Biography of a Global City (co-authored with James Farrer, 2015).

This event is organized by CSCC Meanings, Identities and Communities Cluster and co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of Contemporary China.