San Francisco-born, Grammy-nominated electronic musician Zhu (pronounced “zoo”) will perform at one-off Chinatown night market on Wednesday to commemorate the inauguration of Daniel Lurie, the mayor-elect’s team announced Monday.
The DJ and vocalist with a deep house style shot to prominence in 2014 with the melodic, mournful “Faded,” which earned a Grammy nomination for best dance recording.
The producer, full name Stephen Zhu, has played festivals like Coachella and collaborated with artists such as Tame Impala, Skrillex, and Portugal. The Man; the latter two played outdoor shows in San Francisco last year. Zhu performs frequently in his hometown, from a secret 2023 show at Grace Cathedral to last week’s headlining performance at Fresh Start, the New Year’s Day rave at Dogpatch venue Midway.
Zhu also performed at Outside Lands in 2021, in a Halloween performance that won acclaim for inventive visuals. Notably, Lurie is a big fan of electronic music and attends Outside Lands on the regular.
Wednesday’s party runs from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Grant Avenue between Sacramento and Jackson streets in the heart of Chinatown, and includes an opening performance from DJ Ruckus. The evening is a one-time offshoot of the seasonal night market series that began in 2023 and last year routinely brought tens of thousands of revelers to the neighborhood for dumplings, lion dances, and dragon’s beard candy.
Co-hosted by Lurie’s inaugural committee and BeChinatown, it’s meant to showcase the importance of nightlife in the city’s cultural renaissance and acknowledge the electoral clout of Asian American voters, who helped fuel Lurie’s victory in November.
Zhu is no stranger to politics. The video for his 2019 track “Came for the Low” featured 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang.
- Opening hours
- Chinatown night market, with Zhu
- Date and time
- Jan. 8, 5:30-9:30 p.m.
- Price
- Free