For some venues like the veteran live music house Yuyintang, the romantic weekend will be just the same as any other. This venue has an average two live performances every week and last year, despite the financial crisis, staged 100 shows.

Yuyintang will have a special mix of live local metal bands tomorrow. The billboard includes Stairway to Heaven, one of the very few bands in Shanghai that concentrates on metal rock and one of very fewer school bands that continued to stay together after graduation.

Heavily influenced by the Finnish death metal band Nightwish, Stairway to Heaven features a female vocalist with a magnetic voice. It was formed in 1999, when the three first members were in college. They didn't adopt the heavy metal style until vocalist Zhang Hui joined two years later, while all the band members were still in school.

Like other school bands, they faced difficult choices after graduation. Some members left for their careers and it became increasingly hard for the others to rehearse with full-time jobs.

Unlike most other school bands, however, they did not give up and other musicians joined, bringing new elements to their sound.

Metal Night

Date: February 13, 9pm

Venue: Yuyintang, 1731 Yan'an Rd W.

Tickets: 30 yuan

Zhang Bo Piano Show

Date: February 14, 8pm

Venue: 1oz3, 1 Yueyang Rd

Tickets: 199-299 yuan (two tickets and two glasses of wine included)

Tel: 6433-2917

Singles Party

Date: February 14, 9:30pm

Venue: Laris, Three on the Bund, 6/F, 3 Zhongshan Rd E1

Tickets: 150 yuan (a welcome drink and two mini cocktails included)

Tel: 6321-9922

(Shanghai Daily February 12, 2009)