Tigs, come on, showtime!

On June 20, Jianhu’s local Tigs Band delivered back-to-back performances, putting on two wonderful shows simultaneously at the lakeside public stage and the secondary venue of the Jiangsu Super League. Using agricultural plow blades manufactured by Yancheng Tigs Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. as their signature musical instruments, the band wove the company’s craftsmanship and local industrial heritage into their melodies. Through regular free public performances, they bring art down to the grassroots to serve local residents, fostering a brand-new cultural trend unique to Jianhu.

Gentle ripples lapped the lake as melodious tunes filled the air. At 4 p.m., the square of Shuanghu Park was packed with bustling crowds. The highly anticipated debut of the new mass cultural performance series Grand Shuanghu Stage · Joyful Weekends officially kicked off.

On stage, steel cutting blades became musical instruments, ringing out with resonant melodies. Unlike the mellow tones of traditional musical instruments, the plow blades produced clear, crisp sounds that blended with rich, smooth rhythms, creating an unparalleled rural-industrial charm.

The band first played On the Field of Hope, its soft melody conveying the warmth of countryside life and bright hopes for the future. This was followed by Suddenly Myself, where sharp, resonant clangs of the plow blades and powerful, punchy rhythms instantly fired up the entire audience.

Local residents out for strolls stopped to watch, clapping and humming along to the one-of-a-kind beat while taking photos. “It’s such a novelty to use plow blades as musical instruments! It’s down-to-earth and carries the distinctive industrial vibe of Jianhu — it feels so familiar,” shared Ms. Wang, a local resident. This accessible, up-close performance transformed the park into an open-air theatre for all, perfectly embodying the band’s core artistic mission: “Performed by the people, for the people.”

Right after wrapping up the public show at Shuanghu Park, the Tigs Band rushed straight to the secondary venue of the Jiangsu Super League. At 6:30 p.m., they staged a nearly one-hour special concert titled Steel Melodies for Rural Lands · Craftsmanship Ode to Agriculture, Rural Areas and Farmers, cheering for the sports event with their distinctive industrial folk performance.

The band performed a string of hits including Wheat Waves Blowing in the Wind, Walking Down the Country Lane and Jasmine Flower. The bright, clear tones of the plow blades brought together pastoral poetry and industrial ruggedness. Interactive sessions featuring farming trivia quizzes and hands-on experience with the plow-blade instruments let the audience get an up-close taste of this unique musical craft.

The energy kept soaring in the second half of the show. The band closed with a rock medley to cheer on the Yancheng football team, supported by acrobatics and Huai opera performances. Rural charm, steel-made music, folk opera and high-spirited rock blended seamlessly into one spectacular feast.

Rooted in the local land, born from ordinary folk, integrated with local industries and belonging to the masses — the Tigs Band serves not only as a vital channel for Yancheng Tigs Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. to extend its corporate culture to the public, but also as a vivid model of new mass art. Nurturing local culture with corporate spirit and carrying residents’ happiness through community stages, the band brings art closer to daily life and the people. It continuously enriches the spiritual lives of people living in the water town, making their cultural and recreational life ever more diverse and vibrant.