HIGHLIGHT
The three-day Ho-Hai-Yan Gung-Liau Rock Festival (台北縣貢寮國際海洋音樂祭) begins at Fulong Beach (福隆海灘) this afternoon with more than 50 bands scheduled to play throughout the weekend, among them some of Taiwan’s top indie-rock groups and artists from France, Switzerland and Japan. Tonight features established independent bands from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China: Mojo, AniDa and Gloria Tang, 88 Balaz (88芭樂仔), Deserts Chang (張懸), Crowd Lu, Queen Sea Big Shark (后海大鯊魚), and Sodagreen (蘇打綠), which won the Golden Melody Award for best band for the second time in a row last Saturday.
Tomorrow there’s a battle-of-the-bands competition, followed by a set from last year’s winner, the taike band Children Sucker (表兒). On Sunday, it’s the international lineup, which includes US-Taiwanese electro rockers Jindowin, Korean rock group Phonebooth, Swiss metal band Djizoes, Japanese punk rockers Dum-Dum Dan, Australian-Chinese alt-rock chanteuse Faith Yang (楊乃文) and French electronica act Zombie Zombie. See Taipei Times, July 7, 2008, Page 13 for a full festival preview.
Organizers say more than 400,000 people are expected to attend this year. They are encouraging festivalgoers to travel by train and to use the area’s camping facilities. Additional trains have been scheduled to run between Taipei and Fulong today, tomorrow and Sunday. Trains run approximately every 30 to 45 minutes, with the last train from Fulong to Taipei departing at 12:10am. Visit www.railway.gov.tw/index.htm for a detailed schedule.
▲ Ho-Hai-Yan Rock Festival
▲ Tonight, starting at 4:30pm; tomorrow and Sunday, starting at 4pm
▲ Admission is free
▲ On the Net: www.hohaiyan.com
THEATER
The Homecoming is a Harold Pinter play that tells the story of an English married couple who return to Albion after a prolonged absence. Their homecoming to the husband’s family home, where his father and three brothers tease each other in a battle of one-upmanship, reeks of sexual and violent innuendo and challenges the morality of family life.
▲ Guling Street Theater (牯嶺街小劇場), 2, Ln 5, Guling St, Taipei City (台北市牯嶺街5巷2號)
▲ Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm; tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm
▲ Tickets are NT$300, available through NTCH ticket outlets
Water, cobwebs, bubbles and dry ice are some of the methods Slava’s Snow Show uses to wow audiences. There are also clowns and a snow blizzard of confetti that blankets the audience in this award-winning tragicomedy that follows the life of a clown who tries to find meaning in a hostile world.
▲ National Theater, Taipei City
▲ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm; tomorrow at 2:30pm; Sunday at 1:30pm and 6pm
▲ Tickets are NT$800 to NT$3,600, available through NTCH ticketing
Heart of Ocean (海洋之心) is a diabolo dance performance by Diabolo Dance Theater (舞鈴劇場) that portrays life underwater.
▲ Kaohsiung Cultural Center’s Chih-Teh Hall (高雄市立文化中心至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City, (高雄市五福一路67號)
▲ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,100, available through NTCH ticketing
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Family Concert — The Magic Fairly Tale Fox (管風琴親子音樂會—魔力童話箱) is a regular popular event for which highly regarded musicians are brought together by NTCH to perform popular classics. On this occasion, the music will be accompanied by performances from Eyuan Puppet Theater (一元偶戲團).
▲ Today at 7:30pm
▲ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$800, available through NTCH ticketing
ABQ Farewell Concerts in Taipei — In Memory of Mr and Mrs Hsu Yuan-tung (阿班貝爾格四重奏世界告別—許遠東先生暨夫人紀念音樂會) is a quartet performance comprising Gunter Pichler and Gerhard Schulz on violin, Isabel Charisius on viola and Valentin Erben on cello playing two concerts in memory of Hsu Yuan-tung, the former director of the Central Bank of China.
▲ Tomorrow and Sunday at 7:30pm
▲ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$5,000, available through NTCH ticketing
2008 Young Stars Series (2008兩廳院樂壇新秀) is a sequence of concerts to be held through the coming week showcasing emerging local talents. Tomorrow’s performance is a recital by soprano Huang Li-chin (女高音黃莉錦獨唱會), a student at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris who has won many international awards. She’ll perform a program that includes arias by Handel, Mozart and Puccini, Three Dickinson Songs by Previn and songs by Debussy. On Sunday, there’s a recital by countertenor Chuang Cheng-ying (假聲男高音莊承穎獨唱會), a Birmingham Conservatoire graduate who has won many awards in Taiwan. His program includes opera arias by Handel and Britten, and songs by Brahms, Debussy and Ravel, as well as some Chinese folk songs.
▲ Tomorrow and Sunday at 7:30pm
▲ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$600, available through NTCH ticketing
2008 Chung-Lin Lee Flute Recital — French Tradition (2008 李宗霖長笛獨奏會「左岸時光」) sees flautist Lee Chung-lin (李宗霖) performing works by Boismortier, Devienne, Borne and Jolivet, accompanied by pianist Hsieh Shu-ya (謝舒雅). A second concert will be held at the Forum Auditorium (十方樂集音樂劇場演奏廳) in Taipei City next Friday.
▲ Today at 7:30pm
▲ Kaohsiung Cultural Center’s Chih-Teh Hall (高雄市立文化中心至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City, (高雄市五福一路67號)
▲ Tickets are NT$150, available through ERA ticketing
Forum Music’s Music E-Touch (十方樂集Music E-Touch) is part of an ongoing series of concerts that features experimental music. This year’s concert showcases the work of Georges Aperghis, the French composer who is known for his experimental music theater and whose Les Geutteurs de Sons was inspired by T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. The concert includes performances of Lin Kuei-ju’s (林桂如) Music Theater: Belonging (音樂劇場:離心的居所 ) and Chung Yiu-kwong’s (鍾耀光) The Fire Sermon (火誡).
▲ Today at 7:30pm
▲ Forum Auditorium (十方樂集音樂劇場演奏廳), 4, Ln 187, Minzu W Rd, Taipei City (台北市民族西路187巷4號)
▲ Tickets are NT$250, available through ERA ticketing
CONTEMPORARY
The Taipei International Jazz Festival continues with a free show tomorrow night at the outdoor square in front of Taipei Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂). Featured performers include Wish Project ‘08, a quartet inspired by the 1993 jazz album Wish, by saxophonist Joshua Redman. Brussel Van Taipeh, a Taiwanese quintet that studied jazz together in Belgium is also playing. See Page 13 of the June 20, 2008, edition of the Taipei Times for the full festival preview.
▲ 98 Yenping S Rd, Taipei City
(台北市延平南路98號)
▲ Performance begins at 6:30pm
▲ No entrance fee
The Antidote Shanghai 2008, a DJ collective from Shanghai, spins in Taipei tonight at the VU Live House (地下絲絨). The line-up includes all-female electro-rock band Go Chic, DJ Trix vs. Shaolinpunk, DJ D.Soto, DJ Ozone and DJ Funkstar. See story on Page 15 of today’s Taipei Times.
▲ B1, 77, Wuchang St Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市武昌街二段77號B1)
▲ Show begins at 10pm
▲ Entrance fee is NT$300
Appearing tonight at Center Stage (formerly the Living Room, now under new management) is Gross Fugue, which combines “an intense rock show, electronic dance music, and edgy videos.” Tomorrow it’s Barrelhouse Fire, whose music “explores the less traveled terrain of the blues, from ragtime to Delta fingerstyle and beyond.”
3F, 8, Nanjing E Rd Sec 5, Taipei City (台北市南京東路五段8號3樓).
▲ Call (02) 8787-4154 or visit
www.myspace.com/taipeicenterstage for more information
▲ Shows start at 10pm
▲ NT$200 entrance fee
Visiting from France, jazz guitar and trombone duet OrBe and a piano and dance trio Voy appear at Sappho de Base tonight. (See story on Page 15 of today’s Taipei Times.) Tomorrow it’s Texas-style electric blues with Black Sheep. On Tuesday night the Grace Jazz Trio plays a set, with an open jam session afterwards. Michael McLaughlin presents his jazz project Tall Boy on Wednesday, and on Thursday DJ Zulu spins what he calls “timeless and positive black sounds.”
▲ B1, 1, Ln 102, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段102巷1號B1). Call (02) 2700-5411 (after 9pm)
or visit www.sappho102.biz for more information
▲ Performances begin at 10:30pm
▲ No entrance fee
Tonight at Bliss it’s the irreverent rock of expat band Sons of Homer from Ilan County and Auto de Fe. Alternative-music dance party Idioteque returns tomorrow — expect to hear an eclectic mix of music from bands like The Dresden Dolls, The Stone Roses, The Knife, Talking Heads and Rolling Stones.
▲ 148, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段148號), one block east of Dunhua South Road (敦化南路). Call Bliss at (02) 2702-1855 or log on at www.bliss-taipei.com. For more information on live performances at Bliss, visit www.myspace.com/blisslivehouse
▲ Tonight and tomorrow at 10pm. Bar/kitchen open from 7pm daily. Ladies night Fridays; women get one free cocktail of their choice
▲ Entrance to the bar is free. NT$200 cover for music shows
Appearing tonight at Underworld (地下室) are indie-rock bands Braces (牙套) and Jacuzzi (賈庫西). Tomorrow night it’s pop-rock band Lumei (露魅) and death-metal band Emerging From the Cocoon. Murmur and post-rock group Mosquilephant (蚊子大象) play on Wednesday.
▲ B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Call (02) 2369-0103 or visit www.upsaid.com/underworld for more information
▲ Live shows go from 9:30pm to 11:30pm. The bar is open from 8pm daily, closed Mondays
▲ Entrance on Fridays and Saturdays is NT$300 and includes one drink; NT$100 on Wednesdays
▲Jazzy/bluesy act Kukao (鼓號大樂隊) performs tonight at Witch House (女巫店), and ShantaaL (鼓動的曼陀羅) takes to the stage tomorrow, playing the sounds of India, Central Asia, the Middle East and Spain. Appearing on Thursday is Diagonal Music (對角線樂團), a trio comprising a bassist, guitarist and accordionist that plays instrumental music which evokes film-noire and gypsy folk.
▲7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號). For more information, call (02) 2362-5494 or visit www.witchhouse.org
▲ Performances start at 9:30pm. Restaurant/bar with queer/feminist bookstore and large collection of board games open 11am to midnight Sundays through Wednesdays; 11am to 1am Thursdays through Saturdays
▲ NT$300 entrance
Brussel Van Taipeh, a Taiwanese quintet whose members studied jazz together in Belgium, appears tonight at Riverside Cafe. The group also plays tomorrow at Taipei Zhongshan Hall as part of the Taipei International Jazz Festival. See Page 13 of the June 20, 2008, edition of the Taipei Times for a full festival preview. Tomorrow it’s solo artist No Name and singer Debbie Hsiao (蕭賀碩), who won the Best Newcomer prize at this year’s Golden Melody Awards held last Saturday.
▲ B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號B1), next to Taipower Building (台電大樓). Call (02) 2368-7310 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information
▲ Shows start at 9:30pm
▲ NT$400 tonight and tomorrow. Admission includes one free drink
Anti-Pop 3 kicks off at 89K tomorrow night with Last Target, a punk band from Japan, Consider the Meek, .22, Moss and Militant Hippi. (See above). Militant Hippi returns tomorrow night with its infectious hip-hop rock, followed by the Spinal Tap-esque band Chrome Relic.
▲ 25 Daguan Rd, Taichung City (台中市大觀路25號). Call (04) 2381-8240 for more information
▲ Shows start at 9pm tonight, 11pm tomorrow
▲ Cover is NT$450 tonight or NT$350 if ordered in advance by calling (04) 2320-7010; and NT$300 tomorrow. Entrance fee includes one drink
Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill there’s a blues open mic, held by the Blues Society on Taiwan and hosted by Torch Pratt. All are welcome to bring their instruments and sit in on guitar, bass, or drums.
▲ 1F, 218 Changchun Rd, Taipei City (台北市長春路218號1樓). Call 2508-0304 or visit www.cosmo.com.tw for more information
▲ 8pm to 11pm every Wednesday
▲ Free admission
The Diner’s (樂子) new branch on Dunhua South Road hosts The Diner Jam, an open mic every Thursday.
▲ 6, Ln 103, Dunhua S Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路二段103巷6號), just off Anhe Road (安和路), in the lane behind Carnegie’s. Call (02) 2700-1680 or visit
www.thediner.com.tw for more information
▲ 9:30pm to midnight every Thursday
▲ Free admission
EXHIBITION
Archilab — Collection du Frac Centre (Archilab:建築實驗室) features around 250 drawings and models from the Frac Centre’s most emblematic projects. The exhibition offers an overview of architectural and urban experimentation from the 1950s onwards.
▲ Taipei Fine Arts Museum (台北市立美術館), 181, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市中山北路三段181號). Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9:30am to 5:30pm; Saturdays until 8:30pm
▲ Until August 24
New Talent Exhibition (星八客 – 當代新秀聯展) features more than 40 paintings by eight art graduates. The exhibition examines the academic outlook of Taiwan’s younger generation of artists.
▲ Capital Arts Center (首都藝術中心), 2F, 343, Renai Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市仁愛路四段343號2樓). Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10am to 7pm. Call (02) 2775-5268 for more information
▲ Until July 27
A Waveform Project (一次式波型計畫). The expo includes contributions by artists representing various fields including visual design, theater and art management.
▲ BF Gallery (北風藝廊), 2F, 120, Minsheng E Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市民生東路二段120號2樓). Open Mondays through Sundays from 1pm to 7pm. Call (02) 2561-6516 for more information
▲ Until July 27
Boundless — the Taiwan Ceramics Biennale 2008 (無垠 – 2008台灣國際陶藝雙年展) is comprised of works by 114 finalists selected from the 684 ceramic artists participating in the Biennale.
▲ Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum (台北縣鶯歌陶瓷搏物館), 200, Wenhua Rd, Yingge Township, Taipei County (台北縣鶯歌鎮文化路200號). Open Tuesdays to Fridays from 9:30am to 5pm; Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 to 6pm. Call (02) 8677-2727 for more information
▲ Until Dec. 7
Vaka Moana Exhibition (大洋之舟 – 南島先民的航行). The touring exhibition from Auckland Museum in New Zealand features 129 items from different cultures and places in the Pacific that together present a narrative of Austroneisan history.
▲ National Museum of Natural Science (國立自然科學博物館), 1 Kuanchien Rd, Taichung City (台中市館前路1號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9am to 5pm. Call (04) 2322-6940
▲ Until Oct. 19
Even by the standards of Ukraine’s International Legion, which comprises volunteers from over 55 countries, Han has an unusual backstory. Born in Taichung, he grew up in Costa Rica — then one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — where a relative worked for the embassy. After attending an American international high school in San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, Han — who prefers to use only his given name for OPSEC (operations security) reasons — moved to the US in his teens. He attended Penn State University before returning to Taiwan to work in the semiconductor industry in Kaohsiung, where he
On May 2, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), at a meeting in support of Taipei city councilors at party headquarters, compared President William Lai (賴清德) to Hitler. Chu claimed that unlike any other democracy worldwide in history, no other leader was rooting out opposing parties like Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). That his statements are wildly inaccurate was not the point. It was a rallying cry, not a history lesson. This was intentional to provoke the international diplomatic community into a response, which was promptly provided. Both the German and Israeli offices issued statements on Facebook
May 18 to May 24 Pastor Yang Hsu’s (楊煦) congregation was shocked upon seeing the land he chose to build his orphanage. It was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the only way to access it was to cross a river by foot. The soil was poor due to runoff, and large rocks strewn across the plot prevented much from growing. In addition, there was no running water or electricity. But it was all Yang could afford. He and his Indigenous Atayal wife Lin Feng-ying (林鳳英) had already been caring for 24 orphans in their home, and they were in
Australia’s ABC last week published a piece on the recall campaign. The article emphasized the divisions in Taiwanese society and blamed the recall for worsening them. It quotes a supporter of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) as saying “I’m 43 years old, born and raised here, and I’ve never seen the country this divided in my entire life.” Apparently, as an adult, she slept through the post-election violence in 2000 and 2004 by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the veiled coup threats by the military when Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) became president, the 2006 Red Shirt protests against him ginned up by
RSS