ARock 'n' Roll Circus, a traveling art and music event, arrives in Ximending (西門町) tonight, promising music, art and burlesque entertainment.
On the music side, Taiwan-based garage rock outfit The Deadly Vibes will showcase rock tunes that have a country twist. Go Chic and To a God Unknown will also perform at the Taipei gig. Militant Hippi and .22 and will open the show in Taichung with funk, hip-hop and reggae beats.
As for art, an exhibition of paintings, photography and videos by local artists will be on display.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF LUSTSLUTS BURLESQUE
A rarely seen burlesque show by Lustsluts Burlesque, an expat performing art troupe founded by six English teachers in Hualien last year is also in the lineup.
True to the original burlesque spirit, the company incorporates a wide range of performance styles including comedy, satire, striptease and cabaret. The group performed at Spring Scream and a small venue in Luotung Township (羅東) last year. Though the troupe's shows are open to all, no Taiwanese have yet appeared in the audience. "Burlesque is a bit sexy and you can't really force people to do it," troupe member Sarah Joy Walker said.
The group only performs outside Hualien, since as English teachers they also have a certain image to uphold.
"We feel nervous that our performances may cause misunderstandings. People may think 'oh, you are strippers,'" Walker said.
Judging from the warm reception they received for their shows in Kaohsiung and Tainan last weekend, the Lustsluts may be worrying too much. To use Walker's account of the scene, the initial shock on people's face soon changed to thundering laughs and ended with wild acts that involved tequila shots and wet bras.
For exhibitionist-oriented members of the audience, a lip sync contest is a good excuse to dress up, pick a song and go crazy onstage.
Remember to dust off your leather pants: Discounted tickets are available for attendees attired in rock 'n' roll garb.
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