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The vinyl word

Is this the beginning of the Cultural Revolution redux? PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHONO GAO

Nine years ago, the calling of an exotic land, Isla Formosa, prompted me to pack my bags and leave the banal confines of Columbus, Ohio. Dreams of traveling halfway around the globe and getting rich by teaching English for a year danced through my head as I leafed through the Lonely Planet guidebook and examined Web sites about Taiwan. At the end of 1998, Ja Rule was a popular rapper, Sega Dreamcast was just hitting the shelves and Titanic fever was finally dying down.

The first two clubs that I went to, TU and Vibe, still do great business today. It says a lot to thrive for nine years in the fickle nightlife game. Playing pool in the sauna-like 45 Pub used to be a Saturday night staple along with dancing on the tables at 99. Ecstasy and other drugs infiltrated the market and places were named with a smile and a wink. Mushroom, Rock Candy and E-Heaven all prospered until the cops finally got in on the joke and came in with sledgehammers, bulldozers and TV crews.

The outdoor party scene in Taiwan thrives because of the opportunity to make a bit of money and the lax insurance regulations. There have been memorable soirees at amusement parks, tea shops in the mountains, roller skating rinks, public parks, ranches, warehouses, beautiful beaches and swimming pools.

Taipei's live music scene used to consist of cover bands belting out played-out pop tunes at big hotels. Then, Spring Scream happened and became the event of the year if you played a guitar. Taiwan had never experienced so much full-frontal nudity in one place and Kenting has never been the same since. The country has even become a top stop on Asian tours for stars such as the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy.

The 2005 Summer Aquarian fiesta at White Sand Beach beach (白沙灣) stands out as the best party I attended. The vibe at six o'clock in the evening no less, was absolutely staggering. The police were paid off but still shut the party down early. However, the feeling of energy and excitement of that magical night in the sand has been etched into my memory forever. Taiwan has had its share of quality DJs pass through, but my favorite was the first time Jazzy Jeff blew up Luxy with his Serato box full of dynamite MP3s and Mad Skillz working the mic. Seeing the whole Galleria singing along to Billie Jean when Jeff cut the volume really blew my head. I realized at that moment that it wasn't necessarily about what songs you played; instead, it was how you played them.

As far as DJs in Taiwan go, here are four of my favorite - and I'm not just writing this to plug my gig this weekend. Honest. Hooker has been doing events for a mighty long time and he really cares about the quality of the party, not just making money. He constantly pushes the envelope with what can be done with design and comes up with great ideas. Junior and Megan are two of the friendliest people alive. Being a DJ is similar to being a politician with kissing babies, shaking hands and hooking up that guest list. It's not easy to be ready to party all the time, but these two always are. Fratzuki has an unquenchable desire to be successful.

See these four class DJs along with yours truly this Sunday afternoon and evening at the pool at the Taipei Country Club (台北鄉村俱樂部) at 1 Qingyun St, Taipei (台北市青雲街1號). This free, kid-friendly celebration will be my last in Taiwan for quite some time. I'm off to Shanghai.
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