Theater
The 7th Chinese Character Cultural Festival (第七屆漢字文化節) continues with a musical performance by Sizhukong (絲竹空), which is known for fusing modern jazz and traditional Chinese music, and an art fair at the Taipei Confucius Temple (台北孔廟). The annual event is comprised of a series of exhibitions, lectures, performances and magic and fashion shows that take place at various venues across the capital. The festival runs through Jan. 30. For more information, visit chinese-character-festival.org.tw.
■ Venues include the Taipei Confucius Temple, 275 Dalong St, Taipei City (台北市大龍街275號), Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (國立中正紀念堂), 21-1 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei City (台北市中山南路21-1號) and the National Taiwan Arts Education Center (國立台灣藝術教育館), 47 Nanhai Rd, Taipei City (台北市南海路47號)
■ Music performance begins tonight at 7:30pm, art fair runs from 1pm to 7pm tomorrow and Sunday
■ Admission is free
Crezy Co, LTD (瘋狂有限公司), All U People Theater’s (全民大劇團) newest production, aims to explain why world peace is impossible without comedians.
■ Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tonight and Tuesday to Thursday at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$350 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Inspired by the work of Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao (幾米), NX Theatre’s debut production, One More Day With You (走向春天的下午), tells the story of a sentimental boy who meets a girl whose best friend has just passed away. The group combines magic tricks with other performance arts.
■ Plum Wine Factory (烏梅酒廠), Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Tonight, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 10:30am, 3:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 10:30am, 2:30pm and 5:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Chinese News Weakly (給我報報), a popular newspaper column from the 1990s that pioneered news satire in Taiwan, Neil Peng (馮光遠), the column’s creator, is putting together a variety show of parodies based on his observations on Taiwanese society.
■ Auditorium at Eslite bookstore on Dunhua South Road (誠品敦南店), B2, 245, Dunhua S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路一段245號B2)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$250, available NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Zander and Ning (TSO混血音樂會) brings together conductor Benjamin Zander and violin virtuoso Ning Feng (寧峰) to perform with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團) in a program that includes Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 61, as well as Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Lan Shui and Mahler (水藍與馬勒) sees the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (國立台灣交響樂團) showcasing the talents of recently appointed artistic director Shui Lan (水藍). He takes up the conductor’s baton in two concerts that include Ferdinand David’s Trombone Concertino in E-flat Major, Op. 4 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major on their programs.
■ Today at 7:30pm (Taichung) and Sunday at 7:30pm (Taipei)
■ Chunghsing Concert Hall, Taichung (台中中興堂), 291-3 Jingwu Rd, Greater Taichung (台中市精武路291之3號) and National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,000 for both concerts, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
NSO Classics — The Red Russia (NSO精選 — 紅色俄羅斯) presents guest conductor Oleg Caetani, his wife, pianist Susan Caetani, and first prize winner of the international ARD competition Reunhold Friedrich, who will play trumpet, performing with the National Symphony Orchestra (國家交響樂團). They will present a program that includes Haydn’s Concerto for Trumpet in E-flat Major, and Shostakovitch’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 3 and Symphony No. 11 in G Minor, Op. 103.
■ Sunday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500 for both concerts, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Beethoven Cello Sonatas (貝多芬 · 饗宴) is a recital of Beethoven’s sonatas for cello and piano by Thomas Landschoot on cello and Wang Liang-yu (王亮予) on piano.
■ Sunday at 7:30pm
■ National Recital Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$350 to NT$600 for both concerts, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.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. No shows are scheduled this weekend. On Wednesday, there’s a concert by TV talk show host and Mando-pop singer Kang Kang (康康).
■ 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)
■ 7:30pm on Wednesday
■ NT$900 (NT$700 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
Alt-rockers Monkey Pilot (猴子飛行員) and funk/nu-metal group Coach (教練樂隊) perform tonight at The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists. No shows are scheduled for tomorrow but on Sunday the venue will host a showcase of up-and-coming Japanese bands that includes Plastic Tree, Inoran and NoGod.
■ 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 tonight, 3pm to 5pm on Sunday. Shows usually start on time
■ Entrance is NT$500 tonight and NT$150 on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Mando-pop songwriter and producer Kay Huang (黃韻玲) performs tonight at Witch House (女巫店), which regularly hosts indie rock bands and folk artists in a coffeehouse setting. Amis singer Long-ge (龍哥), known for his soulful and rousing drinking songs, takes to the stage tomorrow. On Thursday, it’s Belgian musician and Sinophile Pierre Hujoel (胡月), who sings in Chinese and plays piano compositions that span classical, electronica and pop.
■ 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
■ Shows 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 and tomorrow’s shows by acclaimed singer-songwriter Sandee Chan (陳珊妮) at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) are sold out. On Sunday, atmospheric folk rocker Dorian Chan (詹宇庭) shares the bill with indie-pop acoustic duo Ding Ding and Shi Shi (丁丁與西西). Monday is the venue’s weekly open jam.
■ 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
■ NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 on Monday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Popular Taitung Aboriginal rocker Matzka (瑪斯卡) appears tonight at Riverside Live House [see story on Page 13]. Mando-pop singer Princess Ai (戴愛玲) takes to the stage tomorrow and polished acoustic pop band Staycool performs on Sunday.
■ 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
■ 8:30pm tonight, tomorrow and Sunday
■ Entrance is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, free on Thursday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Post-rock group Difficult Chair (難坐的椅子) and expat rockers Mr Dirty perform tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei and center of the local indie scene. Tomorrow it’s wacky alt-rock legends The Clippers (夾子電動大樂隊), with speed metal/emo band Epitaph opening. On Wednesday, Leo 37 and girl-power electro-rockers Go Chic take to the stage.
■ 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
■ 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
Jo Jo Ma Quintet, a group led by saxophonist Joseph Marchione, performs both tonight and tomorrow at Sappho de Base, a late night lounge bar that hosts live jazz and blues performances. DD Fusion performs on Tuesday while the MaJam Jazz Quartet (麻將爵士樂團) plays jazz, fusion, funk and blues on Wednesday.
■ 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
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is free
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night of the week. 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. Acclaimed Taiwanese Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君) performs on Thursdays this month.
■ 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
■ Shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Soul jazz singer Djavan performs on Friday nights at Italian restaurant Capone’s. 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, minimum charge of one drink. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at The Tavern. Dancers of all levels are welcome, and a short beginner’s lesson is offered.
■ 415, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段415號), tel: (02) 8789-0892. On the Net: www.tavern.com.tw
■ 9:30pm to midnight
■ Entrance is free
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tonight veteran alt-rock band The Chairman (董事長) takes to the stage, with The Man (男子漢樂團) as the opening act. Tomorrow it’s post-rock group Bugs of Phonon (聲子蟲) and punk band KoOk (庫克).
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Kaohsiung (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 tonight and tomorrow
■ Entrance is free tonight with purchase of The Chairman’s CD (CDs must be bought at the door), and NT$400 tomorrow
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts bluegrass/folk performer Tierney Jacobson and indie-folk musician Bradley Tindall tomorrow night.
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Kaohsiung (高雄市左營區立文路46號), tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Show starts at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$250, which includes one drink
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