Theater
Legitimate Crimes (合法犯罪), the latest production by Ping-Fong Acting Troupe (屏風表演班), is a detective comedy that involves a murder in a amusement park. The stellar cast includes troupe founder Hugh Lee (李國修) and actor and comedian Gu Pao-min (顧寶明).
■ Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Tuesday to Thursday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary Jazz Dance Theater (爵士舞蹈劇場), which mixes jazz and modern dance with other forms of performing arts, celebrates its fifth birthday with Fives’, five pieces created by five different choreographers.
■ 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)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
A rendition of the Oscar-winning Alan Ball play of the same title, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress by Ren Shin Theatre (仁信合作社) is a comedy set at a wedding in the countryside near Tainan where five bridesmaids must confront their own desires and attitudes toward life.
■ Tainan Human Theater Factory (台南人戲工場), 3F, Baida Education and Cultural Center (百達文教中心3樓), 85 Shengli Rd, Tainan City (台南市勝利路85號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$360, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Known as Taiwan’s first original musical, Greenray Theater’s (綠光劇團) Neckties & High-heeled Shoes — A Musical (領帶與高跟鞋) returns with a nationwide tour 15 years after it premiered. The musical tells a story of workplace intrigue and lampoons Taiwanese office culture.
■ Kaohsiung’s Chih-Teh Hall (高雄市文化中心至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市五福一路67號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
2009 NTSO International Music Festival Series VII — Szymanowski Quartet (2009NTSO國際音樂節系列VII — 齊瑪諾夫斯基弦樂四重奏) sees the quartet performing a program that includes Szymanowski’s Nocturne and Tarantella, Op.28, Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76, No. 3 “Emperor,” and Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in D Major, Op. 44, No. 1.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Music Hall (國立台灣交響樂團演奏廳), 738-2 Chungcheng Rd, Wufeng Township, Taichung County (台中縣霧峰鄉中正路738之2號)
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
NSO Theme Park — Music King of the Ocean (NSO 主題樂園 — 音樂航海王) is a children’s concert that brings together the musical talents of the National Symphony Orchestra (國家交響樂) under Chang Yin-fang (張尹芳) and the dramatic skills of Ifkids Theater (如果兒童劇團) in a production for the whole family. The program includes sections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Swan Lake, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee and Capriccio Espagnol, and more.
■ Tomorrow at 11am and 2:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Striking Vision (擊樂異象) sees percussion group Music Forum (十方樂集) present a program of newly commissioned works, including Five Scenes (五景─擊樂五重奏) by Lee Tai-hsiang (李泰祥), Lead-in With Storm and Thunder (風雷引 ─ 鋼琴與擊樂團) by Chen Shu-si (陳樹熙), and For Five Percussion Players and Two Voices (給五位擊樂者與兩部人聲) by Ying Kwang-i (應廣儀), which will be receiving their world premiere. Wu Yan — Sextet for Percussion (烏燄 ─ 擊樂六重奏) by Chong Kee-yong (鍾啟榮) and Percussion Quartet by Charles Wuorinen, also included in the program, will be performed in Taiwan for the first time.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Novel Hall (新舞台), 3-1 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路3-1號)
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$900, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
Sodagreen (蘇打綠), named best band at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, appears tonight and tomorrow at The Wall (這牆) to promote its album, Fever (夏/狂熱), which was released last month. American heavy metal band Skid Row, which broke into the scene in the 1980s as a glam metal band, takes to the stage on Sunday. On Wednesday it’s another round of Challenging the Fire (火焰大挑戰), a battle of young or otherwise unknown bands, while on Thursday the venue hosts drum ’n’ bass-influenced group Chi Chi and Di Di (奇奇與蒂蒂), emo punk band Lucy Overdrive (超速露西) and nu-rock band Beright.
■ B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1).
Tel: (02) 2930-0162. On the Net:
www.thewall.com.tw
■ Music shows start at 8pm tomorrow, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday
■ Entrance fee is NT$800 tonight and tomorrow, NT$2,000 at the door or NT$1,800 in advance on Sunday, NT$250 on Wednesday and NT$300 on Thursday. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Three singers and a guitarist make up Anniedora (安妮朵拉), an acoustic pop group that performs at Witch House (女巫店) tonight. Tomorrow it’s acoustic indie rockers Silverbus (銀巴士). On Thursday, singer and guitarist Marine (馬林) takes the stage, accompanied by a pianist and followed by Melon and Friends.
■ 7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號).
Tel: (02) 2362-5494. On the Net:
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 fee for music shows is NT$300
Yellow Funky Stuff plays a fusion of jazz, funk and rock tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow it’s Red Flower (紅花) and indie-rock veterans La Petite Nurse (小護士樂團). On Sunday, Amanda Wu Jazz Trio (Amanda 爵士三重奏) plays modern jazz standards plus a few originals sung in Mandarin. The venue’s weekly open jam is on Monday.
■ 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). Tel: (02) 2368-7310. On the Net: www.riverside.com.tw
■ Shows start at 9:30pm tonight and 9pm tomorrow, Sunday and Monday. Open jam starts at 9pm. For a list of standard songs and ground rules, visit the venue’s Web site
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 on Monday
Pop singer Victor Wong (品冠) performs tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館). Tomorrow Christian rock band Mojo and Friends takes the stage to celebrate the release of its first album. On Thursday, indie-folk duo katncandix2 (棉花糖) shares the bill with happy-go-lucky rock band Sunny4.
■ 177 Xining S Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧南路177號). Tel: (02) 2370-8805. On the Net: www.riverside.com.tw
■ Shows start at 8:30pm tonight, tomorrow and Thursday
■ Entrance fee is NT$500 tonight
and tomorrow and NT$400 on Thursday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Underworld (地下社會) hosts indie rockers Sunset Rollercoaster (落日飛車) and Macbeth (馬克白). Appearing tomorrow are expressly un-PC expat band Homo Jews and alternative hard rock band Doublewide. On Wednesday, indie-electronica band Heartones (心電樂) opens for emo-punks Lucy Overdrive (超速露西).
■ B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Tel: (02) 2369-0103. On the Net: www.upsaid.com/underworld
■ 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. Happy Hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow and includes one drink, NT$100 on Wednesday
Saxophonist Joseph Marchione’s Jo Jo Ma Quintet plays tonight at Sappho de Base. Tomorrow Black Sheep plays Texas style blues. On Tuesday, house band Jazz Friends holds an open jam session, and on Wednesday the venue hosts ShantaaL (香塔樂團), a trio that performs Indian and Central Asian music. On Thursday, it’s funk, acid disco and hard rock with Double J.
■ B1, 1, Ln 102, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段102巷1號B1).
Tel: (02) 2700-5411. On the Net:
www.sappho102.biz
■ Music shows begin at 10:30pm on weekends, 10pm on weekdays. Sappho is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ No entrance fee
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights this week include Julia Peng (彭佳慧), a major draw who appears every Tuesday. Paiwan singer Matzka, who plays reggae and rock with a strong Taiwanese flavor, has recently taken residence at the venue. He plays on Monday nights from 11pm to midnight.
■ 211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北 市安和路二段211號). Tel: (02) 2738-3995. On the Net: visit www.ez5.com.tw
■ Music shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Taichung’s 89k hosts jazzy pop-rock outfit Dawid Vorster Trio tomorrow.
■ 21 Daguan Rd, Nantun Dist, Taichung City (台中市南屯區大觀路21號)
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$300
Roxy Roots, a bar and restaurant dedicated to reggae and blues fans, hosts one-man Delta blues band Jack Conqueroo tomorrow night.
■ 90 Songren Rd, Taipei City (台北市松仁路90號). Tel: (02) 2725-3932. On the Net: www.roxy.com.tw
■ Show starts at 10pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is free
Roxy nightclub The Other Side now only opens on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The club is a “party-until-the-sun-comes-up” spot like its predecessor, Roxy Vibe, but The Other Side promises a classier atmosphere befitting of its locale in Taipei’s East District. Wednesday night is “Indie Rock Ladies night.” DJs spin rock ’n’ roll, hip-hop and some electronica on Fridays and Saturdays.
■ B1, 20, Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路20號B1). Tel: (02) 2723-3257. On the Net: www.roxy.com.tw
■ Open on Wednesdays from 10pm until 4am, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm until 7:30am
■ Cover charge for women is NT$300, except Wednesdays, when women get in free. Cover charge for men is NT$400 on Wednesdays and on Fridays and Saturdays before 1am. After 1am on weekends cover charge for men is NT$500. Entrance fee includes a drink
May 11 to May 18 The original Taichung Railway Station was long thought to have been completely razed. Opening on May 15, 1905, the one-story wooden structure soon outgrew its purpose and was replaced in 1917 by a grandiose, Western-style station. During construction on the third-generation station in 2017, workers discovered the service pit for the original station’s locomotive depot. A year later, a small wooden building on site was determined by historians to be the first stationmaster’s office, built around 1908. With these findings, the Taichung Railway Station Cultural Park now boasts that it has
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Six weeks before I embarked on a research mission in Kyoto, I was sitting alone at a bar counter in Melbourne. Next to me, a woman was bragging loudly to a friend: She, too, was heading to Kyoto, I quickly discerned. Except her trip was in four months. And she’d just pulled an all-nighter booking restaurant reservations. As I snooped on the conversation, I broke out in a sweat, panicking because I’d yet to secure a single table. Then I remembered: Eating well in Japan is absolutely not something to lose sleep over. It’s true that the best-known institutions book up faster
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