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[EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT]

Highlight Get your imaginary ax ready: The Taiwan Air Guitar Championships takes place at Carnegie’s in Taipei on July 11. The preliminary round started last week in Kaohsiung, where Scott “Indie Mayhem” Weatherall took first place. He will be at Carnegie’s next weekend, waiting to compete with the winner of the Taipei round for the championship. The winner becomes Taiwan’s first ever Air Guitar champion and receives a free round-trip ticket to Oulu, Finland, where he or she will represent Taiwan at the Air Guitar World Championships. July 11’s event includes performances by The Money Shot Horns and Rock in Hose Burlesque. There will be drink specials and prize giveaways throughout the evening. Those 18 years old and older are welcome to participate, but spaces are limited and registration will be closed on the day of the event. For more information or to register, go to www.airguitar.com.tw. ▲Taiwan Air Guitar Championships at Carnegie’s, 100, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段100號). Tel: (02) 2325-4433 ▲July 11 at 6pm ▲NT$300 at the door, free for contestants ▲On the Net: www.airguitar.com.tw; www.airguitarworldchampionships.com --David Chen Linkin Park, Hoobastank and The All-American Rejects are among the bands playing at the 2009 Summer Rock Summit (夏日搖滾高峰會) set to take place on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 at Taipei World Trade Center’s Nangang Exhibition Hall (台北世界貿易中心南港展覽館) and on Aug. 13 at Banciao Stadium (台北縣立板橋體育館) in Taipei County. Also scheduled to appear is Japanese band Vamps, a side project of Oblivion Dust guitarist KAZ and L’Arc-en-Ciel vocalist Hyde. Tickets are on sale now through ERA ticketing. A Taipei Times interview with Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington will run in this coming Wednesday’s Style section. ▲Vamps concerts start at 8pm on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 at Taipei World Trade Center’s Nangang Exhibition Hall (台北世界貿易中心南港展覽館), 1 Jingmao 2nd Rd, Nangang Dist, Taipei City (台北市南港區經貿二路1) ▲Linkin Park, Hoobastank and The All-American Rejects concert starts at 6pm on Aug. 13 at Banciao Stadium (台北縣立板橋體育館), 8 Jhongjheng Rd, Banciao City, Taipei County (台北縣板橋市中正路8號) ▲Tickets for Vamps concerts are NT$1,200, NT$2,400 and NT$3,600; tickets for Linkin Park concert are NT$1,600 to NT$4,500 ▲Tickets available through ERA ticketing outlets, online at www.ticket.com.tw, or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks --Ron Brownlow The third Grass Festival (草地音樂節) takes place in Ilan County tomorrow and Sunday at Dasi Elementary School (大溪國小) in Honeymoon Bay (蜜月灣). The festival’s four stages (two in the school, two on the neighboring beach) will showcase four genres: indie-pop, rock ‘n’ roll, post-rock and folk. It’s a great opportunity to become acquainted with some of Taiwan’s best underground acts, ranging from the Taiwanese folk and punk-tinged musings of LTK (濁水溪公社), to the fuzzy indie rock of the 88 Guava Seeds (88顆芭樂籽), to the powerful effects-laden post-rock of Aphasia (阿飛西雅). Consider it a musical sampler plate. This year’s theme is “children’s songs,” so the bands will weave some childhood classics into their performances. In addition, Dasi Elementary School summer camp students are putting on a shadow play, an artist’s market will be set-up for vendors and two movies will be screened: Annaluise and Anton from Germany and Tricks from Poland. A barbecue, seafood, ice cream and beer will provide fuel for the audience while volleyball and swimming complete the beach experience. For more information, visit www.grassfest.net ▲Tomorrow and Sunday from 1pm to 9pm at Dasi Elementary School (大溪國小), 250, Binhai Rd Sec 4, Toucheng Township, Ilan County ▲(宜蘭縣頭城鎮濱海路四段250號) (next to Dasi train station) ▲Admission is NT$600 for one day. Tickets can be purchased at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks --Taylor Briere

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Theater

Theater company Lee Quing-zhao the Private’s (李清照私人劇團) latest project, Liu San-mei (劉三妹), is about three former “comfort women” (a term used to describe women from Japanese-occupied regions who were forced to provide sexual services to Japanese soldiers during World War II) who are haunted by the past. Male actors in drag perform traditional operatic gestures and chant Hakka mountain songs and Hoklo ballads. The work is adapted from the television series of the same title, which won an award for Best Art Director at last year’s Golden Bell Awards.

▲Red House Theater (紅樓劇場), 10 Chengdu Rd, Taipei City (台北市成都路10號)

▲Tomorrow and Sunday at 2pm and 8pm

▲Tickets are NT$600 or NT$400 for students, seniors and persons with disabilities, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation (婦女救援基金會)



Ren Shin Co-op’s (仁信合作社) latest work, I Am My Own Wife (我的妻子就是我), is based on US playwright Doug Wright’s play of the same title. It tells of the life of German transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, who survived the Nazi and Communist regimes in East Germany. Ren Shin Co-op was founded two years ago by eight graduates of National Taiwan University’s theater department.

▲Crown Art Center Theater (皇冠小劇場), B1, 50, Ln 120, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei City (台北市敦化北路120巷50號B1)

▲Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm

▲Tickets are NT$400, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw



The Free Journey (自由行) is a solo performance by Yu Shan-min’s (于善敏) that mixes jazz, tango, rock ‘n’ roll, bossa nova and the musical numbers to tell the story of a traveler’s journey.

▲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)

▲Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm

▲Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw



The last two installments of Blue Dragon White Tiger (青龍白虎三世纏鬥), a six-part performance by the National Guoguang Opera Company (國立國光劇團), take place this weekend. The production recounts the ancient legend of two mythical beasts, the Blue Dragon and the White Tiger.

▲Guoguang Theater (國光劇場), 8-1, Ln 66, Muzha Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市木柵路三段66巷8號之1)

▲Tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm

▲Tickets are NT$200 and NT$300, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw



The latest stand-up comedy production by Comedians Workshop (相聲瓦舍), The Unmatchable Mates (兩光康樂隊), stars Feng Yi-gang (馮翊綱) and Sung Shao-ching (宋少卿) as two villagers forced to provide entertainment for the night after the village’s movie projectionist is thrown into jail for stealing from his boss.

▲National Taichung Library Chunghsing Concert Hall (台中市中興堂), 291-3 Chingwu Rd, Taichung City (台中市精武路291之3號)

▲Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm

▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,200, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw

Classical

The Light Princess Family Concert (兩廳院管風琴親子音樂會—輕輕公主) sees well-known organist Liu Hsin-hung (劉信宏), pianist Tang Wan-chun (湯婉君) and flautist Chen Ya-ching (陳雅菁) perform popular classics such as Rawsthorne’s Hornpipe Humoresque, Albright’s Jig for the Feet, Poulenc’s Sonata for Flute and Piano, Franck’s Prelude, Fugue and Variation, Op.1 and Widor’s Toccata From Organ Symphony No. 5, Op. 42. They will be accompanied by the Rong-shing Cultural Foundation Chorus and Strings (榮星合唱團), and the show will be hosted by Ke Meng-hsin (柯孟欣) as Sister Honey (蜜蜂姊妹) from Eastern Broadcasting’s (東森電視) Yoyo TV Channel.

▲Today at 7:30pm and tomorrow at 2:30pm

▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City

▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$600, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com



Lost in Wonderland (兒童樂園 — 彈指之間室內樂團 樂活一夏) is a concert for children featuring Hung Yun-yao (洪韻堯) and Wu Yi-chen (吳宜真) on violin, Chen Yung-chan (陳永展) on viola and Tseng Chia-yi (曾加宜) on cello, with Kevin Romanski on percussion. The program includes Haydn’s String Quartet, Op. 76, No. 4 “Sunrise,” Paul SanGregory’s Four Poems for String Quartet and Percussion, and Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11.

▲Sunday at 2:30pm

▲Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Henry Mazer Music and Culture Hall (台北愛樂暨梅哲音樂文化館), B1, 7 Jinan Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市濟南路一段7號B1)

▲Tickets are NT$250, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com



A Night at the Opera (台北愛樂歌劇坊—歌劇選粹之夜) completes a series of concerts by the Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra (台北愛樂青年管弦樂團) and the Taipei Philharmonic Chorus (台北愛樂合唱團) featuring emerging operatic talent in a program of highlights from famous operas including Magic Flute, Carmen and Othello.

▲Sunday at 7:30pm

▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City

▲Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com

Contemporary

The 15th Taichung American Chamber of Commerce America Day Celebration offers music, games and vendor booths serving a variety of international food on Independence Day. The lineup consists of mostly foreign bands and musicians including The Money Shot Horns, Skaraoke, .22 (Point 22), Militant Hippi, The DoLittles, 3 Day Bender, The Stackers and ‘Round Midnight.

▲Nanyuan Park (南苑公園) on Wenxin South Road, Nantun District, Taichung City (台中市南屯區文心南路)

▲Tomorrow from noon to 9:30pm

▲For more information contact Douglas Habecker at 0936-827-267, or River Chen at (04) 2471-8133, or visit www.amchamtaichung.org



Shoegazer experimental rock is the sound tonight at The Wall (這牆), which hosts Japanese groups Clione-Index and Presence of Soul. Also appearing is the post-rock-ish,

emo-tinged group Orangegrass (橙草). Tomorrow pop singer Valen Hsu (許茹芸) performs a concert titled My Love Journey. On Sunday, it’s nu-rock band Tiger Punch (虎拳), which opens for Japanese hard rockers Roach and Drive Far.

▲B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Call (02) 2930-0162 or visit www.thewall.com.tw for more information

▲All shows start at 8pm

▲Entrance is NT$600 tonight and NT$500 tomorrow; Sunday’s show is NT$400 in advance, NT$500 at the door. Advance tickets for Sunday’s show are available at White Wabbit Records, located inside the venue



Shotetsu (舒吉吉) and Woody Woody (風籟坊) have come together to form a fingerstyle acoustic guitar group that appears tonight at Witch House (女巫店). Taitung Amis singer Long-ge (龍哥), known for his rousing drinking songs, takes to the stage tomorrow. On Thursday it’s Gina’s Can (吉那罐子樂團), an acoustic group that plays ballads, jazz, fusion and funk. Ding Ding and Xi Xi (丁丁與西西), a quiet and intimate acoustic group, ends the evening.

▲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

▲Entrance for music shows is NT$300



Tonight Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) swings with saxophonist Tung Shun-wen (董舜文) and friends. Taking to the stage tomorrow is Hsiao Hung-ren (蕭閎仁), an R ’n’ B pop singer who recently gained notoriety for his song This Person Fuck (法克這個人). Opening for Hsiao is Taiwan’s “little prince of R ’n’ B” Afalean Lu (盧學叡). On Sunday, the venue hosts pop-rock act Color Band and What Century (花世紀), an outfit of 20-year-old rockers. Monday is open jam night (for a list of standard songs and ground rules, visit the venue’s Web site).

▲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

▲Show starts at 9:30pm tonight, 9pm tomorrow and Sunday. Open jam starts at 9pm

▲Entrance is NT$400 tonight, NT$450 tomorrow, NT$350 Sunday and NT$150 Monday



Hilarious and wacky alt-rock legends The Clippers (夾子電動大樂隊) play tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館). While the band’s lineup has changed over the years, expect the same old madness from lead singer Hsiao-ying (小應) and the ever-present pair of female dancers. Mando-pop singer Shadya (藍又時) appears tomorrow. On Sunday the venue hosts a day-long metal fest called Extreme Heavy Sounds 7 (極度重音柒). The lineup includes Desecration, Horsemen and Human Brutality.

▲177 Xining S Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧南路177號). Call (02) 2370-8805 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information

▲Tonight and tomorrow at 8:30pm, Sunday from 1pm to 10pm

▲Admission (including a drink) is NT$400 tonight, NT$450 tomorrow, and NT$900 at the door or NT$700 in advance on Sunday. Tickets are available at the venue or through www.books.com.tw



Metamorphosis (變形蟲爵士樂團), one of the first jazz groups in Taiwan to perform and record original music, appears tonight at Sappho de Base. Tomorrow electric blues band Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ) takes to the stage. On Tuesday it’s the Louis Goldford Quartet, and on Wednesday The Chris Stiles Trio plays original compositions as well as arrangements of Chinese pop songs. On Thursday the MaJam Jazz Quartet (麻將爵士樂團) plays jazz, fusion, funk and blues.

▲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 on weekends, 10pm on weekdays. Sappho is closed on Sundays and Mondays

▲No entrance fee

Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill there’s an open mic hosted by Jake Stanley of the acoustic duo Stoked Pokey. All are welcome to join in, and participants receive 20 percent off drinks.

▲1F, 218 Changchun Rd, Taipei City (台北市長春路218號1樓). Call (02) 2508-0304 or visit www.cosmo.com.tw for more information

▲8:30pm to 11pm every Wednesday

▲No entrance fee



EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights this week include male crooners Su Tzu (蘇子) tonight and Hsing Lung (辛隆) tomorrow. Pub legend and songstress Tiger Huang (黃小琥) performs every Monday, while Julia Peng (彭佳慧), another major draw, appears every Tuesday.

▲Music shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am

▲Entrance (including two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer. Call venue for exact fees



Franz and Friends (城市舞台藝文沙龍), an upscale restaurant and performance space in Taipei’s East District, hosts music shows every night. The music tends to play it safe, ranging from wistful love songs and opera to lounge jazz. Weekly highlights include Denise Juan (阮丹青), a former pop singer turned piano teacher, television presenter and traveler, and her band Sunshine Costa. They play tonight. Performing tomorrow is Buona Sera, a group featuring soprano Chang Hsiao-ni (張曉倪).

▲25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號B1). Call (02) 2579-0558 for reservations, or visit

▲www.franzandfriends.com.tw for more information

▲Minimum charge of NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, on other nights there’s a one-drink minimum



Tonight at Underworld (地下社會) indie-folk rocker Ban Ban (斑斑) appears with her new band Boyz and Girl. Also on the bill are indie rockers Green!Eyes (綠色眼睛). Tomorrow, a new group called Until Seeing Whale’s Eyes takes to the stage. On Wednesday, it’s Half Mile Radius and Uncolored Unknown.

▲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

▲Music shows run from 9:30pm to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays

▲Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow and includes one drink,



Tomorrow, Bliss hosts an evening of Balkan folk and gypsy music with Aashti Band MK and DJ Damier.

▲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). Tel: (02) 2702-1855

▲Tomorrow from 10pm

▲Entrance fee tonight is NT$300, includes one drink

Exhibitions

The Smiling Kingdom — The Terracotta Warriors of Han Yang Ling (微笑彩俑—漢景帝的地下王國) is an exhibition of clay objects excavated from a mausoleum that dates back to the Western Han (西漢) Dynasty. The 200 sets of artifacts on display from the period illustrate the progress of the period’s technological and social development and include representations of women and eunuchs, livestock and daily implements such as utensils, tiles, decorative fixtures and lamps.

▲National Museum of History (國立歷史博物館), 49 Nanhai Rd, Taipei City (台北市南海路49號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 2361-0270

▲Until Sept. 27



The recently opened Digital Art Center, Taipei (台北數位藝術中心) in Shilin (士林) is currently hosting two exhibits. Tao Ya-lun (陶亞倫) employs laser projection in The Light of Historical Ending (終結歷史之光) to create a visually arresting light show, while Ma Chun-fu’s (馬君輔) installation Kodomo Manufacture (兒童製造) is a symbolic recreation of assembly lines. Ma’s work means to criticize Taiwan’s education system and its emphasis on uniformity over creativity.

▲Digital Art Center, Taipei (台北數位藝術中心), 180 Fuhua Rd, Taipei City (台北市福華路180號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 7736-0708

▲Until Aug. 9



Horizon of Voice (聲聲不息) is a group exhibition by Lin Jiun-ting (林俊廷), Tao Ya-lun (陶亞倫), Yao Chung-han (姚仲涵), Wang Chung-kun (王仲堃), Chin Yu-fen (秦玉芬) and Yao Chien (姚謙). The six artists employ a variety of new media including installation, video and sound as a means of investigating the body, knowledge, memory and experience.

▲Gallery 100, 6, Ln 30, Changan E Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市長安東路一段30巷6號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 7pm. Tel: (02) 2536-2120

▲Until Aug. 9



South Korean artist Kim Yong Sik uses painting to explore light and spirituality in his solo exhibition Eternity and Limitation.

▲Ever Harvest Art Gallery, 2F, 107, Renai Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市仁愛路四段107號2樓) Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 6:30pm. Tel: (02) 2752-2353

▲Until July 19



X Beyond O: Calligraphy-Sign-Space (無中生有:書法 符號 空間) mixes calligraphy, architecture and design to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary media. The collaborative exhibition includes works by calligrapher Grace Tung (董陽孜), Hong Kong director Matthias Woo (胡恩威) and architect Roan Ching-yueh (阮慶岳).

▲Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei (MOCA, Taipei), 39 Changan W Rd, Taipei City (台北市長安西路39號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 2552-3721. On the Net: www.mocataipei.org.tw

▲Until Aug. 9

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