Witches moving to Ta-an

Those who have never attended concerts at the Witch House can stop by Taipei's Ta-an Park tomorrow night from 7pm to 9pm to catch the most creative underground sounds of Taiwan.

Performers who earned fame from shows at the Witch House, one of Taipei's best live houses for independent artists, will be singing together in a free outdoor concert called Music, Hybrid, DNA (音樂, 混種, DNA).

Among the performers, A-chung Puppet Show (阿忠藝合團) is among the better known with a show that combines puppetry and talk-show comedy. "No funny, no pay" is a well-known advertisement line of A-chung's puppet shows. Having studied traditional puppetry for 11 years, A-chung is well versed in Taiwan's traditional puppetry. But he often veers away from traditional repertoire and performing styles; he likes to add jokes and parody to his shows, using his funny but expressive Taiwanese language and a heavy dose of kitschy pop songs to bewilder audiences.

In addition to A-chung, there will be Aboriginal artists, including Puyuma singer Samingad (紀曉君) and her band Ami, the Bunun tribe's Wang Hung-en (王宏恩) and the Dakkana band of the Ami tribe. There will also be foreign performers, including Yo Yo, Big Footprint and Scudder, who will lace songs -- in Mandarin and Taiwanese -- with observations of Taiwanese society.

Another band that will add wry commentary on Taiwanese culture is Clippers. (夾子電動大樂隊). The band has made a name for itself by recreating one of the most entertaining parts of Taiwan folk culture: the mobile strip show (電子花車). The eccentric vocalist will be joined by the band's popular "spice girls:" Lili and Lala.

As described in the title of the concert, there will be a wild mix of music genres and performance styles. Samingad will perform a duet with Wang Hung-en. Yo Yo, from Germany, will sing with Scudder of the US. And Clipper will present a "rock with hot girls puppet show" with A-chung.

At the end of the concert, there will be an all-star chorus with all the night's performers, which guarantees a memorable finale to an entertaining Saturday evening.