Theater
For Drawer (抽屜), the newest work by up-and-coming choreographer Lai Tsui-shuang (賴翠霜), the image of a commonplace drawer, a place used to store belongings, is extrapolated into a space where emotions, memories and secrets can be held. [See story on the right.]
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw. All shows are sold out except tomorrow’s matinee
108 Heroes II — The Hall of Righteousness (水滸108II:忠義堂) is the second installment of Contemporary Legend Theatre’s (當代傳奇劇場) 108 Heroes series, which is based on the 14th-century novel Outlaws of the Marsh (水滸傳). A Chinese operatic performance that includes street dance, cosplay fashion and rock music from a live band, the production is aimed at introducing younger audiences to what is sometimes seen as a fusty genre.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Sun Son Theatre (身聲劇場) presents solo performances by two female artists. The Panay Monologue (第一百零八個巴奈) by Panay (巴奈) is a personal journey through which the Amis dancer reconnects with her late grandmother and Aboriginal roots. In A Hole (一個洞), which employs animation, Liu Wan-chun (劉婉君) plays an ugly mermaid who is lost in her search for love on Earth.
■ Sun Son Theatre (身聲小劇場), 39, Ln 88, Jhongjheng E Rd Sec 2, Tamsui Dist, New Taipei City (新北市淡水區中正東路二段88巷39號)
■ Tonight to Sunday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Short One Player’s (三缺一劇團) The Mark Behind the Ear (耳背上的印記) is a solo performance by He Hsiang-i (賀湘儀), who examines her family history beginning when her grandfather came to Taiwan with the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) army in 1949.
■ 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)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$450, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Ping-Fong Acting Troupe (屏風表演班) is resurrecting its popular stage piece Notice From a Bachelorette (徵婚啟事). The star-studded production includes entertainer Tseng Kuo-chen (曾國城), who takes up the challenge of playing 15 different male characters.
■ 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
■ NT$600 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Relief in Summer — Mahler No. 3 (夏夜晨夢 — 馬勒第三) is a concert in the National Symphony Orchestra’s (國家交響樂團) series of Mahler concerts. The program comprises Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 in D Minor and features alto Weng Jo-pei (翁若珮) and the Hua Sin Children’s Choir (華新兒童合唱團) and Taipei City Teachers Choir (台北市教師合唱團). The orchestra will be conducted by Lu Shao-chia (呂紹嘉).
■ Sunday at 2:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Coloratura Soprano Tsuchida Satoko Solo Recital brings Japanese singer Tsuchida Satoko to Taiwan for a concert of songs ranging from Handel, Liszt, Strauss and a selection of works by Japanese composers. She will be accompanied on piano by Tanaka Kozue.
■ Wednesday at 7:30pm
■ National Recital Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$800, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Summer Dance (夏之舞), part of New Art Inc’s New Art Showcase of Top Chinese Talent (新逸藝術華人樂壇的翹楚), presents pianist Liao Chiao-han (廖皎含) in a program that includes Bach’s Partita No. 6 in E Minor, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 10, Schumann’s Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6 and Ravel’s La Valse.
■ Sunday at 3pm (Greater Taichung). Liao will also perform concerts in Yilan and Taipei next month
■ Taichung Tun District Art Center (台中市立屯區藝文中心), 201 Dasing Rd, Taiping Dist, Greater Taichung (台中市太平區大興路201號)
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$500, 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 and tomorrow’s shows featuring Mando-pop sensation Aska Yang (楊宗緯) are already sold out. Fans of Finnish heavy metal are in luck on Sunday, as renowned groups Amorphis and Children of Bodom take to 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)
■ All shows start at 8pm, except Wednesday concerts, which begin at 8:30pm
■ Sold out tonight and tomorrow. Sunday’s shows are NT$1,600, NT$1,900 and NT$2,200, depending on seating area. 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 veteran rocker Sissey Chao (趙一豪), who sounds like Jim Morrison singing in Mandarin, and his band Double X. Indie pop faves 1976 perform tomorrow, followed by Dance Rock Taipei, a party featuring DJs Spykee, MinJay and Databass, among others. On Sunday night, Japanese rocker Alvino 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 tonight, tomorrow (dance party starts at 11:30pm) and 6pm Sunday
■ NT$400 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow (NT$400 in advance), and NT$1,600 on Sunday (NT$1,500 in advance). Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
As of press time, no shows are scheduled for this weekend at Witch House (女巫店), an intimate coffeehouse-style venue in the National Taiwan University area. On Thursday, indie rock singer Ban Ban (斑斑) of Boyz & Girl (男孩們女孩) performs with another music project, Skip Skip Ben Ben.
■ 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
As of press time, no shows are scheduled tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow the venue hosts Mando-pop singer Princess Ai (戴愛玲). On Sunday, soul rock group Taiwan Soul opens for Mando-pop singer Alex Lee (李崗霖). On Monday, the venue holds its 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
■ Show starts tonight 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$350 tomorrow, NT$350 Sunday and NT$150 Monday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Suming (舒米恩), who mixes indie rock, electronica and Aboriginal folk, performs tonight at Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館). Mando-pop producer/songwriter Lee Cheng-fan (李正帆) and his band Indylegonza take to the stage tomorrow. On Thursday, Morning Call (輕晨電) opens for Aboriginal chanteuse Jia Jia.
■ 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 at 8:30pm tonight, tomorrow and Thursday
■ NT$400 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow and NT$400 on Thursday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Electro rockers The Looking Glass and nu-metal band Gray Spiral (灰色螺旋) play tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. Tomorrow it’s emo-rock/nu-metal group The Hindsight (光景消逝) and pop-minded punks Peppercats (胡椒貓). On Wednesday, it’s Black Summer Days and Sugar Lady.
■ 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 on Fridays and Saturdays, which includes one drink. Entrance for Wednesday shows is NT$100
Warabu (和拉伯) performs Latin Jazz tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts live jazz and blues performances. Tomorrow it’s Wild Cactus. Pianist Yen Chia-yu (顏嘉瑩) performs with her trio on Tuesday. On Wednesday, DJ Leo37 takes to the stage with The FTT Quartet, and Elin’s Jazz Quartet plays on Thursday.
■ 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 tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday, 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) 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 Taipei 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 emo band Mister Mouth (嘴哥樂團) takes to the stage. Post-punk rockers Macbeth (馬克白) and Posh Inverse (優雅逆轉) perform tomorrow.
■ 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$400 tonight and NT$300 tomorrow
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts shows every Saturday. This week it hosts indie-pop group 23 Half (23號半) and local indie rock trio Fuguko (河豚子).
■ 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
The Village Cafe (村落餐廳), a bar and cafe located at the Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村), hosts live music every Saturday. This week is a special afternoon event dubbed the “2011 Taipei International BBQ Concert” and features bands including BB Bomb, Long Hair Monster, Inhuman Species (非人物種) and Skaraoke. [See story on page 13.]
■ 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號), tel: (02) 3393-7377, X207
■ Tomorrow from 4pm to 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$400, includes one drink
Taipei Discussion and Learning meets every Sunday at Cafe Bastille to hear lectures and discuss topics such as philosophy, science, anthropology, globalization and alternative medicine. All discussions and lectures are conducted in English. This Sunday’s topic is entitled “Is Free Will an Illusion?”
■ 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
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
The following three paragraphs are just some of what the local Chinese-language press is reporting on breathlessly and following every twist and turn with the eagerness of a soap opera fan. For many English-language readers, it probably comes across as incomprehensibly opaque, so bear with me briefly dear reader: To the surprise of many, former pop singer and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ex-lawmaker Yu Tien (余天) of the Taiwan Normal Country Promotion Association (TNCPA) at the last minute dropped out of the running for committee chair of the DPP’s New Taipei City chapter, paving the way for DPP legislator Su
It’s hard to know where to begin with Mark Tovell’s Taiwan: Roads Above the Clouds. Having published a travelogue myself, as well as having contributed to several guidebooks, at first glance Tovell’s book appears to inhabit a middle ground — the kind of hard-to-sell nowheresville publishers detest. Leaf through the pages and you’ll find them suffuse with the purple prose best associated with travel literature: “When the sun is low on a warm, clear morning, and with the heat already rising, we stand at the riverside bike path leading south from Sanxia’s old cobble streets.” Hardly the stuff of your
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