Theater
Scarecrow Contemporary Dance Company (稻草人現代舞團) presents The Keyman (鑰匙人), a modern dance piece that uses the human body to explore inner conflict, pain and suffering. [See story on page 13.]
■ Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Fruit Wine Building (果酒禮堂), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
Photo Courtesy of New Aspect
■ Tonight to Sunday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The Same Moonlight (一樣的月光) is the last installment of Greenray Theater’s (綠光劇團) Human Condition series. Written and directed by Wu Nien-jen (吳念真), the play centers on the lives of two sisters — one is a cleaner, the other works at an international company. The sisters have their differences but nevertheless care for each other.
■ 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 tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ NT$600 to NT$5,000, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.tickets.com.tw
The Underworld Code (王國密碼), the latest production by Ping-Fong Acting Troupe (屏風表演班), begins with an unsolved murder 46 years ago that leads to a political scandal that rocks today’s government.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Dream of Independence (三口組—建國大夢), the latest theatrical production by Taiwan Drama Performance (台灣戲劇表演家), fuses Chinese stand-up comedy with anime to tell the story of three detectives who are sent to explore the Republic of China’s 100 years of history.
■ Tainan Municipal Cultural Center (台南市立文化中心), 332, Jhonghua E Rd Sec 3, Greater Tainan (台南市中華東路三段332號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm and tomorrow at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
If Kids Theater Company (如果兒童劇團) teams up with seasoned Mando-pop songstress Kay Huang (黃韻玲) to create its latest musical for children, Uncle’s Attic (舅舅的閣樓), in which the adventures begin with a mysterious sound emanating from a loft.
■ Chungshan Hall (台中市文化局中山堂), 98 Syueshih Rd, Greater Taichung (台中市學士路98號)
■ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$350 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw.
Classical music
I Musici (義大利音樂家合奏團), one of the most acclaimed chamber music ensembles in the world, will be performing in Taipei in a single concert of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Concerto (the group made the very first recording of this work in 1955 and has since published eight versions), along with a program of music from the cinema and Cartoon Fantasy by Roberto Granci. Founded in 1952, I Musici comprises 12 musicians who graduated from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. It consists of a group of string instruments and one harpsichord. The strings include six violins, two violas, two cellos and one double bass.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$700 to NT$3,600, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The Piano Virtuoso — Kun Woo Paik (絕技鋼琴 — 白建宇), part of the NSO’s Master and New Frontier Series, presents concert pianist Kun Woo Paik in a program that includes Sibelius’ The Oceanides, Op. 73, Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30. [See story on page 14.]
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm (Hsinchu) and Sunday at 2:30pm (Taipei)
■ Performance Hall of Bureau of Cultural Affairs Hsinchu City (新竹市文化局演藝廳), 17 Dongda Rd Sec 2, Hsinchu City (新竹市東大路二段17號) and National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,000 for Hsinchu and NT$400 to NT$1,500 for Taipei; available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The Angelic Sound of Two Harps (天使之音 — 卡拉揚柏林愛樂黃金豎琴美聲) presents the Lipman Harp Duo of Sebastien Lipman, a former solo harpist for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Sayo Lipman, a winner of the Japan International Harp Competition. The program includes works by Bach, Grieg, Damase and Bizet.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,200, 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. Tonight the Scott Prairie Band performs. [See story on page 14]. As of press time, no shows are scheduled for tomorrow or Sunday. On Monday, Legacy begins a four-day long series of concerts comprising 30 groups and an orchestra. Highlights include Hakka folk singer Lin Sheng-xiang (林生祥), folk rocker Hsieh Yu-wei (謝宇威) and Suming (舒米恩) on Monday, off-the-wall pop rocker R.Chord (謝和弦), One Million Star (超級星光大道) champ Hsua Chia-ying (徐佳瑩) and former Sticky Rice frontman Ma Nien-hsien (馬念先) on Tuesday, Mando-pop songstress Christine Hsu (許景淳), Puyuma pop singer Leo Chen (陳永龍) and pop singer Summer Lei (雷光夏) on Wednesday, and 88 Guava Seeds (88顆芭樂籽), indie-pop band 13 (拾參) and indie rockers Chemical Monkeys (化學猴子) on Thursday
■ 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)
■ Tonight’s show begins at 8:30pm, all other shows at 8pm
■ NT$600 tonight, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (NT$500 in advance), NT$1,000 (NT$900 in advance) Wednesday. Tickets for the venue’s concerts 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), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, hosts emo band Mister Mouth (嘴哥樂團), emo-punks Punkhoo (胖虎) and garage band Mary See the Future (先知瑪莉) tonight, Japanese rock outfit Plastic Tree tomorrow, and Spanish folk singer and songwriter Russian Red, real name Lourdes Hernandez, on Sunday (sold out) and Monday.
■ 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 7:30pm tonight, 7pm tomorrow, 8pm on Sunday and Monday
■ NT$500 (NT$400 in advance) tonight, NT$1,700 (NT$1,500 in advance tomorrow), NT$990 on Monday. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or at tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館) hosts polished indie-rockers 13 (拾參樂團) and IO, a group of talented Chinese Canadian rockers that won ICRT’s Battle of the Bands in 2009. French singer Joyce Jonathan takes to the stage tomorrow, while on Sunday it’s the turn of Singapore boy-toy crooner Yida Huang (黃義達). On Sunday evening, the venue is hosting a night titled Tribute to Zen to honor songwriter Liu Wei-jen (劉偉仁) who is battling cancer. The lineup includes The Chairman (董事長樂團), Mando-pop singer-songwriter Shino (林曉培) and Spark Chen (陳如山). Taiwanese rapper Soft Lipa (蛋堡) joins Japanese jazz quintet Jabber Loop on Thursday.
■ 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
■ Show starts tonight at 8:30pm, tomorrow at 8pm, 1pm on Sunday, 7pm on Sunday and 8pm on Thursday. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ NT$400 tonight, NT$1,000 tomorrow (NT$800 in advance), free admission on Sunday for Yida Huang’s gig, NT$500 on Sunday evening and NT$600 on Thursday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
As of press time, the only show scheduled at Witch House (女巫店), an intimate coffeehouse-style venue in the National Taiwan University area, over the coming week is on Thursday when jazz guitarist Gin Lin (林華勁) takes to the stage.
■ 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 Riverside Music Cafe (河岸留言) presents an evening of jazz with Martin Musaubach and Lautaro Bellucca. Tomorrow Queen Suitcase (皇后皮箱), the winner of last year’s battle of the bands competition at the Ho-Hai-Yan Gongliao Rock Festival (貢寮國際海洋音樂祭) takes to the stage, supported by Mary See the Future. On Sunday it’s the turn of indie-pop acoustic duo DingDing and ShiShi (丁丁與西西) and Miss Daisy (日光之眼). On Monday, the venue holds its weekly open jam. Singer-songwriter Iris Lin (林綾) takes to the stage on Tuesday with French Cheese (法式綺思), while on Wednesday Astro Bunny (原子邦妮) and Olivia and Invisible Garden (閻韋伶與桃花源樂團) share the bill. Timeless Fusion Party (無限融合黨), a jazz fusion band, performs on Thursday.
■ 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
■ Show starts tonight and Thursday at 9:30pm, 9pm on all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ NT$400 tonight, tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday, NT$350 Sunday and Monday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Frusciante and Murky Crows (昏鴉) take to the stage at Underworld (地下社會). Tomorrow it’s the turn of Human Brutality and In Disorder (無秩序). Guts and Under the Moon play at 9:30pm on Sunday followed at 11:30pm by UnderU Project, a night of dance music hosted by Veeky from Bounce Girlz and Sylvain from Discoattack.
■ 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 9pm to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance for music shows is NT$300, which includes one drink. Entrance for Wednesday shows is NT$100
Saxophone artist Tony Lakatos performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts live jazz and blues performances. Tomorrow surf-rock and blues trio The Blues Vibrations takes to the stage. Yellow Funky Stuff performs on Wednesday, while on Thursday it’s the turn of jazz trio I Have a New Band Now.
■ 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
■ Show start at 11pm tonight, 10:30pm tomorrow, 10pm Wednesday and Thursday. The venue is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is NT$300 tonight, NT$200 tomorrow, NT$150 on Thursday
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) on Tuesday, and male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), who performs every Saturday. Acclaimed Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君) performs on Thursdays.
■ 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
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at Italian restaurant Capone’s, with live music from electric blues band Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). Dancers of all levels welcome. Tomorrow, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans. On Thursday, Japanese blues guitarist Shun Kikuta, a former guitarist for blues legend Koko Taylor, performs with his trio.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號), tel: (02) 2773-3782
■ 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
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 Aboriginal singer Matzka (瑪斯卡) takes to the stage with his four-piece band. Post-rock/emo band Orangegrass (橙草) performs tomorrow night.
■ 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, www.thewall.com.tw
■ Shows start at 7:30pm
■ NT$500 tonight and NT$400 tomorrow
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts Mango Green tomorrow night.
■ 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$150
Event
Taipei Discussion and Learning meets every Sunday at Cafe Bastille to hear lectures and discuss topics such as philosophy, science and anthropology. All discussions and lectures are conducted in English. This Sunday’s topic is titled Food in the 21st Century: Its Waste and How to Stop It.
■ Cafe Bastille, 7 Wenzhou St, Taipei City (台北市溫州街7號), tel (02) 2362-9981
■ 7:45pm, every Sunday
■ Entrance is free. For more information visit www.taipeidiscussionandlearning.blogspot.com
Last week, Viola Zhou published a marvelous deep dive into the culture clash between Taiwanese boss mentality and American labor practices at the Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) plant in Arizona in Rest of World. “The American engineers complained of rigid, counterproductive hierarchies at the company,” while the Taiwanese said American workers aren’t dedicated. The article is a delight, but what it is depicting is the clash between a work culture that offers employee autonomy and at least nods at work-life balance, and one that runs on hierarchical discipline enforced by chickenshit. And it runs on chickenshit because chickenshit is a cultural
By far the most jarring of the new appointments for the incoming administration is that of Tseng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) to head the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF). That is a huge demotion for one of the most powerful figures in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Tseng has one of the most impressive resumes in the party. He was very active during the Wild Lily Movement and his generation is now the one taking power. He has served in many of the requisite government, party and elected positions to build out a solid political profile. Elected as mayor of Taoyuan as part of the
Moritz Mieg, 22, lay face down in the rubble, the ground shaking violently beneath him. Boulders crashed down around him, some stones hitting his back. “I just hoped that it would be one big hit and over, because I did not want to be hit nearly to death and then have to slowly die,” the student from Germany tells Taipei Times. MORNING WALK Early on April 3, Mieg set out on a scenic hike through Taroko Gorge in Hualien County (花蓮). It was a fine day for it. Little did he know that the complex intersection of tectonic plates Taiwan sits
When picturing Tainan, what typically comes to mind is charming alleyways, Japanese architecture and world-class cuisine. But look beyond the fray, through stained glass windows and sliding bookcases, and there exists a thriving speakeasy subculture, where innovative mixologists ply their trade, serving exquisite concoctions and unique flavor profiles to rival any city in Taiwan. Speakeasies hail from the prohibition era of 1920s America. When alcohol was outlawed, people took their business to hidden establishments; requiring patrons to use hushed tones — speak easy — to conceal their illegal activities. Nowadays legal, speakeasy bars are simply hidden bars, often found behind bookcases