Theater
Performing as part of the 7th Chinese Character Cultural Festival (第七屆漢字文化節), magician Jeff Lee (李佳峰) combines elements of Chinese logograms with illusion routines. The festival also includes a series of lectures, music performances and exhibitions. For more information, visit chinese-character-festival.org.tw.
■ 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)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$800 to NT$1,800, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Organized by Dance Exponent Five (舞次方舞蹈工坊), Blacksmith Shop No. 2 (打鐵鋪II) is made up of three dance works by four artists including choreographer Peng Hsin-i (彭心怡), and physical therapist Chang Hsin-chih (張馨之).
■ Guling Street Avant-Garde Theatre (牯嶺街小劇場), 2, Ln 5, Guling St, Taipei City (台北市牯嶺街5巷2號).
■ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
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 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
Godot Theatre’s (果陀劇場) The 17 Year Itch (17年之癢) is a romantic comedy about how a middle-aged man, played by Lee Li-chun (李立群), deals with not one but three itches during his 17-year marriage.
■ 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 and tomorrow at 7:30am
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The second edition of Taichung’s 24h Play Festival brings original shows, written, rehearsed and performed in just 24 hours, to the stage. The countdown begins tonight with a brainstorming session, after which the writers must pen four short plays before tomorrow morning, when the crew and cast will rehearse the lines. The curtain goes up at 8pm tomorrow. All performances are in English. [See story on Page 13.]
■ Open Theater, B1, 107, Jhonggang Rd Sec 3, Situn District, Greater Taichung (台中市西屯區中港路三段107號B1)
■ Tomorrow at 8pm
■ Tickets are NT$350 in advance and NT$400 at the door, which includes one drink. For reservations, send an e-mail to taichungimprov@gmail.com
Classical music
Italian Complex (四次義大利) is a concert by the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團) performing under the baton of guest conductor Enrique Mazzola. The program includes Verdi’s Sinfonia from La Forza del Destino, Rota’s Suite from La Strada, and Fontane di Roma and Pini di Roma by Respighi.
■ Thursday 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
Made in Mexico (我很帥 — 我彈鋼琴) is a concert organized by the Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra (台北市愛樂管弦樂團) featuring Mexican pianist Alejandro Vela. To celebrate the bicentennial of the country’s independence and the centennial of its revolution, a selection of works by Mexican composers, or with Mexican themes, has been selected.
■ Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Henry Mazer Music and Culture Center (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
Contemporary
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. Mando-pop boy band Magic Power (魔幻力量) performs tonight, while Aboriginal singer and Taiwanese folk legend Kimbo Hu (胡德夫) takes to the stage tomorrow under his Aboriginal moniker. [See story on Page 13.] On Wednesday, it’s a trio of indie rock and electronica bands: Green!Eyes, Unfamiliar Friends Party (不熟的朋友派對) and KbN (凱比鳥).
■ 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)
■ 8pm tonight and tomorrow, 8:30pm on Wednesday
■ NT$600 tonight and NT$1,000 tomorrow for the section closer to the stage and NT$800 for the section toward the back, and NT$500 (NT$400 in advance) on Wednesday. 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
Message, a Taitung-based folk rock ensemble led by Aboriginal singer Panai (巴奈), performs tonight at Witch House (女巫店), which regularly hosts shows by both indie rock bands and folk artists in a coffeehouse setting. Panai takes to the stage again tomorrow for a solo performance. The venue will be closed on Thursday.
■ 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
Folk rocker Connie Lu (呂莘) performs tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow, the venue hosts Mando-pop artists Freya Lim (林凡) and Mark Chang (張心傑). On Sunday, Aboriginal folk artist Suming (舒米恩) takes to the stage. Monday is the venue’s weekly open jam session.
■ 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 9pm. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ NT$400 tonight, tomorrow and Sunday and NT$150 on Monday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Riverside is celebrating 10 years in business at Riverside Live House tonight with a series of concerts. Tonight’s show features jazz/Latin percussion virtuoso Rich Huang (黃瑞豐). A bevy of performers, including Mando-pop singer Frida Li (利得彙), perform tomorrow afternoon in a program entitled I Just Wanna. Later in the evening, it’s a folk music showcase from record company Mala Music (馬拉音樂), with a lineup that includes singer Wang Chao-hua (王昭華). On Thursday, two popular young rock bands take to the stage: io, a Chinese-Canadian rock outfit, and nu-metal rockers Chemical Monkeys (化學猴子).
■ 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, noon and 8:30pm tomorrow, and 8:30pm on Thursday
■ Entrance is NT$500 tonight, NT$600 tomorrow for each show and NT$400 on Thursday night. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Hi Jack and We Are So Sad (傷心欲絕) perform tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei and center of the local indie scene. Tomorrow it’s reggae rock group Down in Air (盪在空中), whose vocalist sings exclusively in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), and indie rockers Green!Eyes. On Wednesday, folk-rock group Blue Box and electro-rockers Manic Sheep 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
Earl Hines II Jazztet performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late night lounge bar that hosts live jazz and blues performances. Tomorrow it’s blues and surf rock with Blues Vibrations. On Tuesday, it’s gypsy jazz band Dark Eyes. The Danny Deysher Quartet plays on Wednesday, and on Thursday, guitarist Hope Yeh (葉賀璞) leads Hope’s Modern Jazz Project.
■ 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. The venue is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is NT$200 tomorrow and NT$150 on Thursday, free of charge 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. Acclaimed 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, dancers receive a drink coupon. 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 (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 Checkered Record Club, an indie music venue in Tainan, hosts Cubic, girl punks Gonzo and nu-metal/punk band Feardrive tomorrow night.
■ B1, 314, Simen Rd Sec 2, Greater Tainan (台南市西門路二段314號B1), tel: (06)222-3238
■ Shows starts at 10pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$200
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 it’s dance music from electro-rockers Unfamiliar Friends Party (不熟的朋友派對), as well as a set from indie rock group Touming Magazine (透明雜誌). [See story above]. Tomorrow Mando-pop boy band Magic Power (魔幻力量) is scheduled to take to the stage.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw and www.thewall.com.tw
■ Shows start at 7:30pm tonight and tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$300 tonight, NT$500 (NT$400 in advance) tomorrow
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts Orangegrass (澄草) tomorrow night for an acoustic show.
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Greater 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
A few weeks ago I found myself at a Family Mart talking with the morning shift worker there, who has become my coffee guy. Both of us were in a funk over the “unseasonable” warm weather, a state of mind known as “solastalgia” — distress produced by environmental change. In fact, the weather was not that out of the ordinary in boiling Central Taiwan, and likely cooler than the temperatures we will experience in the near-future. According to the Taiwan Adaptation Platform, between 1957 and 2006, summer lengthened by 27.8 days, while winter shrunk by 29.7 days. Winter is not
Taiwan’s post-World War II architecture, “practical, cheap and temporary,” not to mention “rather forgettable.” This was a characterization recently given by Taiwan-based historian John Ross on his Formosa Files podcast. Yet the 1960s and 1970s were, in fact, the period of Taiwan’s foundational building boom, which, to a great extent, defined the look of Taiwan’s cities, determining the way denizens live today. During this period, functionalist concrete blocks and Chinese nostalgia gave way to new interpretations of modernism, large planned communities and high-rise skyscrapers. It is currently the subject of a new exhibition at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Modern
March 25 to March 31 A 56-year-old Wu Li Yu-ke (吳李玉哥) was straightening out her artist son’s piles of drawings when she inadvertently flipped one over, revealing the blank backside of the paper. Absent-mindedly, she picked up a pencil and recalled how she used to sketch embroidery designs for her clothing business. Without clients and budget or labor constraints to worry about, Wu Li drew freely whatever image came to her mind. With much more free time now that her son had found a job, she found herself missing her home village in China, where she
In recent years, Slovakia has been seen as a highly democratic and Western-oriented Central European country. This image was reinforced by the election of the country’s first female president in 2019, efforts to provide extensive assistance to Ukraine and the strengthening of relations with Taiwan, all of which strengthened Slovakia’s position within the European Union. However, the latest developments in the country suggest that the situation is changing rapidly. As such, the presidential elections to be held on March 23 will be an indicator of whether Slovakia remains in the Western sphere of influence or moves eastward, notably towards Russia and