THEATER
Eslite’s annual Sound Theater opens with The Clean House, a theatrical performance based on American playwright Sarah Ruhl’s award-winning play of the same title. This romantic comedy revolves around Matilde, a young Brazilian cleaning lady who vows to find the perfect joke. The Sound Theater is an experimental attempt at exploring possibilities of the practice of script-reading.
■ Auditorium at Xinyi Eslite Store (誠品信義店), 6F, 11 Songgao Rd, Taipei City (台北市松高路11號6F)
Photo Courtesy of The Wall
■ Tonight at 8pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 8pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$450, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
As part of the ongoing Xinbei City International Arts Festival (2010新北市藝術節), celebrated choreographer Bulareyaung Pagarlava (布拉瑞揚) teams up with Mia Hsieh (謝韻雅) and Scott Prairie from A Moving Sound (聲動劇場) for three short performances of modern dance and world music. For more information, go to www.ssps.com.tw.
Photo Courtesy of The German Institute Taipei
■ Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology (十三行博物館), 200 Museum Rd, Bali Township, Taipei County (台北縣八里鄉博物館路200號)
■ Tomorrow at 4:30pm
■ Free admission
Photo: Kloie Picot
Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group (明華園戲劇總團) presents Royal Uncle Cao (曹國舅), the latest installment of the company’s Eight Immortals (八仙) series. The story centers on Royal Uncle Cao, a respectable nobleman torn between his desire to protect his wicked brother and the obligation to do what is morally right.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
W Theatre Productions’ (劇織造) Traveler Ultimate (漫遊者旗艦版) is a fantasy odyssey about a zhainan (宅男), a term that refers to nerdy men who prefer manga and computer games to social interaction, named Kevin, who tries to get back to the real world from an online game that takes through stories from Star Trek and SpongeBob Squarepants to Harry Potter and Journey to the West (西遊記).
■ Crown Theater (皇冠小劇場), 50, Ln 120, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei City (台北市敦化北路120巷50號)
■ Tonight, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
In Anarchy: Anarchy’s Dream (安娜琪的夢想體驗), choreographer Hsieh Chieh-hua (謝杰樺) explores the spatial relations through a story about how idealism drives humans to kill.
■ B2, Taipei Fine Arts Museum (台北市立美術館B2), 181, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市中山北路三段181號)
■ Tomorrow at 6pm
■ Free admission.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Ling-yi Ou Yang Cello Recital (歐陽伶宜大提琴獨奏會) presents emerging talent Ou Yang Ling-yi (歐陽伶宜), who will perform a program that includes Chopin’s Etude, Opus 25, No.7 and Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 65 and Rachmaninoff’s Prelude, Op. 23 No.10 and Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 19. She will be accompanied by pianist Yu Lu-hui (游如慧).
■ Sunday at 2:30pm (Yilan) and Oct. 17 at 7:30pm (Taipei)
■ Yilan Performing Arts Center (宜蘭縣政府文化局演藝廳), 101 Fusing Rd Sec 2, Yilan City (宜蘭縣宜蘭市復興路二段101號) and National Recital Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$100 (Yilan) and NT$300 to NT$1,000 (Taipei), available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
It’s Hogwood! (我是霍格伍德) brings period instrument specialist, musicologist and keyboard performer Christopher Hogwood to Taipei for a concert that will see him presenting an unusual program together with the National Symphony Orchestra and featuring viola virtuoso Paul Silverthorne. The program will include Webern’s orchestral version of the last section of Bach’s A Musical Offering, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K.622 (arranged for Viola) and Symphony No. 32 in G Major, K. 318, and Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 95, arranged for full strings by Mahler.
■ Tonight 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.tw
Night of Leipzig — A Dialogue Between Bach and Heavy Metal (巴哈與重金屬的對話—萊比錫之夜) brings four-man group Thios Omilos and heavy metal band Schwester Meiner Sorgen to Taiwan for an unusual program that will see a mixture of rock and classical music that will include tunes by Paul McCartney, Offenbach, Rossini and Bach, as well as original compositions by Thios Omilos.
■ Thursday at 7:30pm
■ Chungcheng Hall of the National Chiao Tung University (交通大學中正堂), 1001 Dasyue Rd, Hsinchu City (新竹市大學路1001號)
■ Tickets are NT$150 to NT$400, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
CONTEMPORARY
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. Tonight’s show with singer-songwriter Deserts Chang (張懸) is already sold out. Tomorrow the venue hosts American indie-rock trio Blonde Redhead, which features the sultry, atmospheric vocals of female singer Kazu Makino. On Sunday beloved comedic indie rockers Won Fu (旺福樂團) are performing a final concert billed “Hello Goodbye!” This long-running band in Taiwan’s indie scene has announced a “temporary” hiatus. On Wednesday Mando-pop singer-songwriter No Name (余荃斌) takes the stage.
■ Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Center Five Hall (中五館), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Shows start at 8pm tonight and tomorrow, 7pm on Sunday, 8:30pm on Wednesday
■ Tonight’s show is sold out. Entrance is NT$1,900 tomorrow (NT$1,700 in advance), NT$600 on Sunday (NT$500 in advance) and NT$500 on Wednesday (NT$400 in advance). Tickets can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
The Wall (這牆) hosts emo-pop outfit The Local Art and punk/screamo group Tribal Chair of Japan tonight. Supporting acts are local groups Mister Mouth (嘴哥) and Understory (地下歲月). Funk-rock group Coach (教練樂隊) is asking concertgoers to dress in athletic garb for its show tomorrow night. On Sunday Swedish post-rock band pg.lost takes to the stage.
■ 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
■ Shows start at 8pm
■ Entrance is NT$600 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow (NT$400 in advance) and NT$1,300 Sunday (NT$1,100 in advance). Tickets can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) hosts rock and fusion group E Zzy Band. Tomorrow Aboriginal indie-rock musician Suming (舒米恩), who is promoting his debut electronica-rock album, takes the stage. No shows were scheduled for Sunday as of press time. The venue’s weekly open jam takes place on Monday. On Wednesday it’s funk and R ’n’ B with Groove Department (韻律部) and a set by grunge rockers Monkey Pilot (猴子飛行員).
■ 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 all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ Entrance is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$150 on Monday and NT$350 on Wednesday
Tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館) up-and-coming rock group Ground Zero (放射空間) opens for melodic metal band Crystal Dancer (舞璃). Tomorrow the venue hosts a solo performance by renowned American jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan [See story on page 13]. This coming Thursday it’s pop rockers CastAway and The Fen-Fens (紛紛樂團).
■ 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 and tomorrow, 8:30pm on Thursday
■ Entrance is NT$400 tonight, NT$1,400 tomorrow (NT$1,200 for standing room ticket) and NT$400 on Thursday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight at Underworld (地下社會) it’s an evening of live emo-punk with Don’t Turn Away of Japan and local favorites Punkhoo (胖虎樂團). Tomorrow expat garage rockers The Deadly Vibes and Roxymoron take to the stage [See story on Page 14]. On Wednesday the venue hosts Ladybeard (鬍鬚女), an eccentric Australian expat living in Hong Kong, who combines his love for Canto-pop with metal in a genre he calls “Cantocore.” Also performing is local group FearDrive.
■ 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 for music shows is NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesdays
Flaneur Daguerre, a quartet that plays everything from free jazz and Balkan folk to classical and rock and roll, performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts live jazz and blues performances. Tomorrow it’s the Jason Hayashi Quartet, on Tuesday it’s Roger’s Jazz Trio, and on Wednesday TNT Jazz hosts an open jam. On Thursday Alison Yo and Friends take the stage.
■ 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 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$200 tonight, NT$150 tomorrow and NT$250 Thursday. Free on other nights
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include Mando-pop songstress Julia Peng (彭佳慧) and male crooner Shin Lung (辛隆), who performs every Saturday. Legendary pub songstress and pop singer Tiger Huang (黃小琥) returns to her Monday slot after an extended break.
■ 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
Roxy Roots is closing after this weekend because of ongoing problems with its lease, according to the management. But the East District (東區) live music bar is ending its run with a pair of blowout parties. Tonight features an extended lineup of reggae, dub and drum ’n’ bass DJs: Zion Express(錫安特快), Otaku3 (三宅一生), @llenbow, Selecta Tsunamo, Shorty and Zephec. Tomorrow High Tide and local favorites Skaraoke perform reggae and ska.
■ 90 Songren Rd, Taipei City (台北市松仁路90號). Tel: (02) 2725-3932. On the Net: www.roxy.com.tw
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance fee for music shows is NT$300 (NT$200 credited toward food and drinks)
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at Capone’s, with live music from blues band BoPoMoFo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). Tomorrow drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號)
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ On Fridays there’s a minimum charge of one drink, dancers receive a free drink coupon. On Saturdays the minimum charge is NT$300
Tonight 89k, Taichung’s long-established spot for local indie bands, it’s DJs Richie Partridge and Subtle. Tomorrow Taipei expat indie band Okay Cars performs synth-driven rock.
■ 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 tonight and tomorrow, free entrance for women tomorrow
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tomorrow the venue hosts power-pop rock group Mojo.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw, www.thewall.com.tw
■ Shows start at 7:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$400
HIGHLIGHTS
Indie-rock group Blonde Redhead performs tomorrow night at Legacy Taipei (傳音樂展演空間). The New York-based trio, composed of Japanese lead vocalist Kazu Makino and twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace from Italy, formed in 1993 as a noise rock band influenced by the “no wave” scene. They used to draw a lot of comparisons to Sonic Youth, but today the band’s music is atmospheric and moody pop.
Blonde Redhead has just released its ninth album, Penny Whistle, which sees the group continuing with their dreamy and melancholic sound. The band just completed several weeks of touring in Europe — Taipei and Beijing are their only stops in Asia — and will head back for an extended run of shows in North America.
■ Blonde Redhead live at Legacy Taipei (傳音樂展演空間), located at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Center Five Hall (中五館), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Tomorrow at 8pm, doors open at 7pm
■ NT$1,900 at the door, NT$1,700 in advance, available at the venue, 7-Eleven ibon kiosks or online at www.thewall.com.tw
Stefan Wolle, a historian and expert on the Stasi, East Germany’s secret police, will give lectures in Taipei on Sunday and Tuesday. Sunday’s lecture, Is Germany Really Unified?, will use the 20th anniversary of German unification as a context to examine how unification has affected the country’s people. Tuesday’s lecture, Is Everyone Happy with Democracy — the East German Experience, will be hosted by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (臺灣民主基金會) and offers a detailed look at how people from the former East Germany perceive democracy.
Wolle, a professor at the Free University of Berlin, served as an expert for Ministry for State Security (Stasi) files and was a member of the committee that dissolved the Stasi.
■ Sunday’s lecture begins at 2pm at the International Convention Center of the Chang Yung-fa Foundation Building (財團法人張榮發基金會國際會議中心), 11F, 11 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei City (台北市中山南路11號11樓). The lecture is free, but arrive early to ensure seating
■ Tuesday’s lecture begins at 10am at the International Conference Hall, College of Social Sciences, National Taiwan University (臺灣大學社會科學院國際會議廳), 21 Xuzhou Rd, Taipei City (台北市徐州路21號). The lecture is free, but those attending must register online at www.tfd.org.tw/english/actions.php?id=11279
The Hoping for Hoping Peace Festival (和平音樂祭), which was postponed for two weeks because of Typhoon Fanapi, will be held at the Cincyuan Hot Springs in Hsinchu County on Double Ten Day weekend, from Oct. 8 to Oct. 10.
Organizer Sean Wratt says there were some changes in the band lineup, but Peacefest will still be headlined by Aboriginal singer Kimbo (胡德夫).
The event will feature camping for about NT$500, food stalls, rock bands, DJs and after-parties. Nearby is a hot springs resort area that Wratt described as “exorbitantly expensive.”
Getting to the Hsinchu County venue will be a challenge for those without a car or scooter. Check the festival Web site for directions.
■ Hoping for Hoping Peace Festival at Cincyuan Hot Springs, Taoshan Village, Wufong Township, Hsinchu County(新竹縣五峰鄉桃山村清泉), on County Highway No. 122 (縣道122)
■ No admission fee
■ On the Net: www.hopingforhoping.com
In late October of 1873 the government of Japan decided against sending a military expedition to Korea to force that nation to open trade relations. Across the government supporters of the expedition resigned immediately. The spectacle of revolt by disaffected samurai began to loom over Japanese politics. In January of 1874 disaffected samurai attacked a senior minister in Tokyo. A month later, a group of pro-Korea expedition and anti-foreign elements from Saga prefecture in Kyushu revolted, driven in part by high food prices stemming from poor harvests. Their leader, according to Edward Drea’s classic Japan’s Imperial Army, was a samurai
Located down a sideroad in old Wanhua District (萬華區), Waley Art (水谷藝術) has an established reputation for curating some of the more provocative indie art exhibitions in Taipei. And this month is no exception. Beyond the innocuous facade of a shophouse, the full three stories of the gallery space (including the basement) have been taken over by photographs, installation videos and abstract images courtesy of two creatives who hail from the opposite ends of the earth, Taiwan’s Hsu Yi-ting (許懿婷) and Germany’s Benjamin Janzen. “In 2019, I had an art residency in Europe,” Hsu says. “I met Benjamin in the lobby
April 22 to April 28 The true identity of the mastermind behind the Demon Gang (魔鬼黨) was undoubtedly on the minds of countless schoolchildren in late 1958. In the days leading up to the big reveal, more than 10,000 guesses were sent to Ta Hwa Publishing Co (大華文化社) for a chance to win prizes. The smash success of the comic series Great Battle Against the Demon Gang (大戰魔鬼黨) came as a surprise to author Yeh Hung-chia (葉宏甲), who had long given up on his dream after being jailed for 10 months in 1947 over political cartoons. Protagonist
Peter Brighton was amazed when he found the giant jackfruit. He had been watching it grow on his farm in far north Queensland, and when it came time to pick it from the tree, it was so heavy it needed two people to do the job. “I was surprised when we cut it off and felt how heavy it was,” he says. “I grabbed it and my wife cut it — couldn’t do it by myself, it took two of us.” Weighing in at 45 kilograms, it is the heaviest jackfruit that Brighton has ever grown on his tropical fruit farm, located