The lead singer of the band “Bloom on the Bar” (杠上开花) regards the core of his music as being durable, psychedelic and alternative.
Speaking of the band’s name, it is in fact a term used in mahjong. Readers who are not from Nanjing or do not know how to play mahjong may not be able to understand it. Indeed, this band is from Nanjing and is composed entirely of locals. Lao Duan, lead singer and founder, says that by giving this name to his band, he wants to prove that this is a totally Nanjing band.
Formed in 2019, Bloom on the Bar comprises Duan as vocalist, Zero-Five on drums, Xiao Wei on bass and Grace on synthesiser.
To get to know a band, start with their work. Duan specifically introduced their song named, “Group Blindness”, for which his inspiration came from Greek tragedy “Oedipus Rex”, and specifically, the blind prophet named Teresias. He proposed that those who have eyes but cannot see reality clearly are collectively referred to as “group blindness”.
As Duan told me, “Through this song, we want to express that the fate of humanity cannot be avoided. What we need is to face and accept it. Oedipus shows a strong sense of arrogance in the play, believing that he can break free from the constraints of fate. However, it was this arrogance that led to his ultimate tragedy. We want to use this song to warn listeners to remain humble and not to be overly confident or underestimate the power of fate. Visible people do not believe in their own destiny, while prophets are often blind”.
“Yintai Dumela” is the second song worthy of mention. “This tells the story of the little lion becoming the lion king with bad luck. The little lion Yintai Dumela grew up in harsh environments and overcame the nightmare in its heart. However, in the glorious period of its life, it was captured, skinned, and made into a specimen to be hung on the wall by human merchants. This is heartbreaking; even if Dumela is the king of the jungle, what can it do? Under oppression, kings among animals all become like ants”, said Duan.
The song reveals the atrocities committed by humans, as the top organisms in the food chain, against other species, and reflects the concept that the freedom of survival of other organisms cannot be undermined.
Discussing topics from the classics or ancients, Bloom on the Bar can be thought of as niche, being also influenced by bands such as Radiohead, Suede and Pink Floyd.
Speaking of how their band is set apart from others, Duan mentioned one interesting and unique habit that gives their band a stronger local sentiment. That is, he cannot distinguish “ne” and “le” when singing, making it obvious that they are an authentic Nanjing band. Duan added that the drummer and bassist both have their particular idiosyncrasies while playing, which shows their distinctiveness, allowing their music to be different from those played by hired musicians.
Unlike some singers who say that their love for music is “born to be”, Duan confesses that he was forced to learn the violin as a youngster. He then developed an interest in playing the guitar when he entered middle school. He believes that doing something requires perseverance and so does an interest in music.
If there’s just one Bloom on the Bar performance to see, it’s that they give each 28 December, at the 98 Live House in Dongchenghui in Nanjing’s Xianlin.