Love him or loath him, you have to hand it to high-rolling celebrity Kan Jin-rong (
Along with his long-time partner in vulgarity, the much-maligned restaurateur, record company executive, variety show host and cable TV channel owner, Jacky Wu (
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GAMMA MUSIC
Since the late 1990s, the surprisingly reserved and genial media all-rounder with the acute sense of wit has been a comedian and a variety-show host, has appeared as a guest on countless TV game shows and has performed regularly with his band, The Live Band (
With the ability to charm both live crowds and armchair fans alike with his bawdy humor, varied musical routines and infectious impish grin, there can be no denying that the multitalented Kan Kan is a "showman" in the true sense of the word.
Known for his laddish sense of humor and hybrid musical tastes rather than his devotion to typical mainstream folk/rock, the entertainer will be venturing into uncharted territory this weekend when he takes to the stage of the predominantly mainstream venue, Huashan Music House (
A venue more accustomed to the dulcet folk-oriented tones of highly respected musicians including Chen Ming-chang (陳明章), Hung Fei (黃妃) and Lee Ping-hui (李炳輝), and raw edged rock anthems of acts such as The Chairman (董事長) and Back Quarter (四分衛), the entertainer sees his upcoming performance at Huashan as quite a challenge.
"It's my first time to play the venue and it's going to be quite a change from the usual ones. I'm pretty wary about the audience. The venue's reputation speaks for itself," explained Kan Kan. "But when the owner asked me to play there it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down."
Billed as a one-off special, the gig comes hot the heels of the release of Kan Kan's latest album, Happy Jiankang (
Although neither his debut, 1999's Tears
For his latest effort, however, Kan Kan has veered away from spotlessly clean studio recordings, opting instead to let loose a recording of a gig at EZ5 in August this year -- blemishes and all.
What the finished product lacks in studio mastering it more than makes up for in the fact that it is a great example of what makes the entertainer such a popular all-round showman with an uncanny ability to put a smile on the face of everyone in the room.
On the album the entertainer warbles his way through a mushy cover version of Glenn Fry's The One You Love, hits the audience with an eardrum-busting rendition of Happy Birth-birds-day and chops and changes musical styles at a whim.
Although they are all covers, Kan Kan is not ashamed of the fact that the tunes on the album are not of his own creation. Many may cringe at the thought of a celebrity cover band, but the star stands proud and doesn't shy away from admitting that his own songwriting prowess is somewhat on the weak side.
"I've tried to compose my own tunes, but with my TV work keeping me busy it's hard to find the time to sit down and really get into song writing," he said. "I have written a few, but after showing people and seeing their reaction I figured I should probably stick to other people's tunes instead."
Then again, the music is only one of the reasons so many turn out whenever he hits the stage. Interspersing songs with humorous anecdotes in which his bawdy humor and racy wit come into play, audiences never know what's going to happen when Kan Kan takes to the stage.
Regardless of audience reaction tomorrow night, Kan Kan plans to savor his one-night stand at Huashan. Drunk or sober, the whimsical and straight-talking showman plans to give those present a night to remember.
"I haven't finalized the set yet, but spontaneity will probably be the order of the day," Kan Kan said while cracking a mischievous grin. "I'll sing, tell jokes and drink. If I happen to drink a bit too much, then so be it. It'll make the evening even more fun."
What: Kan Kan and The Live Band Special
Where: Huashan Music House (
When: Starting at 9pm tomorrow
Tickets: NT$600 at the door
A recent report from the Environmental Management Administration of the Ministry of Environment highlights a perennial problem: illegal dumping of construction waste. In Taoyuan’s Yangmei District (楊梅) and Hsinchu’s Longtan District (龍潭) criminals leased 10,000 square meters of farmland, saying they were going to engage in horticulture. They then accepted between 40,000 and 50,000 cubic meters of construction waste from sites in northern Taiwan, charging less than the going rate for disposal, and dumped the waste concrete, tile, metal and glass onto the leased land. Taoyuan District prosecutors charged 33 individuals from seven companies with numerous violations of the law. This
As mega K-pop group BTS returns to the stage after a hiatus of more than three years, one major market is conspicuously missing from its 12-month world tour: China. The omission of one of the group’s biggest fan bases comes as no surprise. In fact, just the opposite would have been huge news. China has blocked most South Korean entertainment since 2016 under an unofficial ban that also restricts movies and the country’s popular TV dramas. For some Chinese, that means flying to Seoul to see their favorite groups perform — as many were expected to do for three shows opening
What is the importance within the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) of the meeting between Xi Jinping (習近平), the leader Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), the leader of the KMT? Local media is an excellent guide to determine how important — or unimportant — a news event is to the public. Taiwan has a vast online media ecosystem, and if a news item is gaining traction among readers, editors shift resources in near real time to boost coverage to meet the demand and drive up traffic. Cheng’s China trip is among the top headlines, but by no means
Apr. 13 to Apr. 19 From 17th-century royalty and Presbyterian missionaries to White Terror victims, cultural figures and industrialists, Nanshan Public Cemetery (南山公墓) sprawls across 95 hectares, guarding four centuries of Taiwan’s history. Current estimates show more than 60,000 graves, the earliest dating to 1642. Besides individual tombs, there are also hundreds of family plots, one of which is said to contain around 1,000 remains. As the cemetery occupies valuable land in the heart of Tainan, the government in 2018 began asking families to relocate the graves to make way for development. That
RSS