A large number of small venues in Taipei put on live shows every night of the week, but only a few are subsidized by the government, allowing underground and unfamiliar artists a chance to perform and get paid.
Last month, the Taipei Artist Village (TAV) opened the Young Artist Restaurant, an eatery catering to locals and visiting residents and in addition to its European cuisine, it is now serving up live entertainment on the weekends.
Young Party or Ypar is a new project launched by the administration at the Artist Village to give new talent a lucky break, said TAV program officer Cindy Wu (
PHOTO: DIANA FREUNDLE, TAIPEI TIMES
Although TAV has set up an initial budget to cover operational costs, a cover charge of NT$220 has been added, proceeds of which will go to the entertainers. Performances will only be held on the weekend with music on Fridays and drama on Saturdays. The next 10 weekends have already been booked, but independent musicians, bands and theater groups interested in playing are encouraged to contact the TAV to apply for dates beginning in mid-July.
Seating in the restaurant is divided into two areas with enough table space to comfortably seat 100 people. The sound quality is good in both sections but the stage is only visible from half of the restaurant. A small selection of set meals, snack items and beverages can also be ordered during the show.
The musical line-up for the next few weeks is dominated by easy-listening with mostly instrumental duets and trios. This weekend begins with a violin and piano concert on Friday followed by two one-hour plays from Nowhere Theatre on Saturday.
All shows start at 7:30pm and run for two hours. For more information or a complete schedule of the performers, call (02) 3393 7377 ext. 207 or visit the website at www.artistvillage.org. Taipei Artist Village is located at 7, Beiping Road, Taipei (
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