Theater
The 2011 New Taipei City Riverside Art Festival (新北市水岸藝術節) comprises a series of concerts, dance performances and art fairs in Yonghe and Sindian every Saturday and Sunday through Aug. 28. This weekend’s performing groups include Paper Windmill Theater Troupe (紙風車劇團), Totem (圖騰樂團), Dingding & Shishi (丁丁與西西樂團) and Wonfu (旺福).
Photo: Taipei Times
■ Venues include East Plaza at Bitan, Sindian District, New Taipei City (新北市新店區碧潭東岸廣場), the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Yonghe (永和國父紀念館) and Yonghe Renai Park (永和仁愛公園)
■ Festival runs through Aug. 28
■ Free admission
Photo: Taipei Times
■ Visit www.ntpcriverside.com.tw
for details
NG Improv Club (新激梗社劇團) presents Television in Crisis — The Audience Is Always Right (新危機電視台之觀眾我最大), a comedy inspired by political talk shows, soap opera and children’s theater.
■ Comedy Club, 20, Ln 553, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段553巷20號)
■ Tomorrow and Sunday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 or NT$360 in advance at the door or through tickets.books.com.tw
Part of the ongoing Taipei Children’s Arts Festival (台北兒童藝術節), Magic World in a Box (BOX之奇幻世界) by Comma Theater Company (逗點創意劇團) tells the adventures of a doll who falls into a box and encounters curious characters in a wonderland. For more information about the festival, visit its bilingual site at www.taipeicaf.org.
■ Jiuzhuang Borough Square (舊莊里里民廣場), 213, Jiuzhuang St Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市舊莊街一段213號)
■ Today at 2pm and 4:30pm
■ Free admission
The Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe (上海京劇院) will perform classics including Silang Visits His Mother (四郎探母), Famen Temple (法門寺), and Gathering of Heroes (群英會) this weekend.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 and NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Launched as a choreographic collective by Taiwanese dancer and choreographer Chou Shu-yi (周書毅), the 2011 Next Choreography Project I (下一個編舞計畫I) presents its second program this weekend, featuring works by eight dance students.
■ Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Center Four Hall (中四館), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$350, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Graz Salon Orchestra 2011 Taiwan Tour (星鑽圓舞曲Tanz Graz — 奧地利格拉茲沙龍樂團2011台灣巡演) presents the famous string orchestra from the Austrian city of Graz performing a concert in Taichung, and another in Taipei the following week. The program ranges from Vivaldi to Henry Mancini, with plenty of waltzes in between.
■ Thursday at 7:30pm
■ 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)
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$1,500, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.tickets.com.tw
The 2011 Taipei International Choral Festival (TICF11台北國際合唱音樂節) continues with its series of performances by outstanding choral groups from all over the world. Tomorrow APZ Tone Tomsic from Slovenia takes to the stage. The final concert, a production of David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus, will be performed by APZ and the Puzangalan Children’s Choir (屏東佳義國小希望兒童合唱團) from Pingtung, Taiwan, and the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (長榮交響樂團). Detailed information for the whole festival can be found on the Web site of the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation at www.tpf.org.tw.
■ Tomorrow and Sunday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
It’s a weekend of heavy metal at The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists. Tonight the venue hosts Greasy Jelly for Mercy Killing, Eye of Violence (暴唳之眼), Side Effect (賽德費) and Since Anne Was Dead. Tomorrow it’s black metal heroes Chthonic (閃靈).
■ 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
■ Show starts at 9pm tonight, 8pm tomorrow, 7pm on Sunday and 8pm on Thursday
■ NT$500 tonight and NT$700 tomorrow (NT$600 in advance). Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a concert series featuring a classic lineup of bands and DJs, with the festivities ending this weekend. Tonight features Fucking Need Not Reasons (幹不需要理由) and Taiwan’s nakashi-punk pioneers, Loh Tsui Kweh Commune (濁水溪公社, LTK). Later on it’s an evening of nu rave and electro featuring DJs Bounce Girlz and Fake Collection, among others [see The Vinyl Word]. Tomorrow, indie pop band 1976 reunites with past members. The evening continues with DJs from Taiwan’s indie music scene, including Hsu Che-yu (許哲毓) of Tizzy Bac, Floaty of 78bpm and Dirt Star and Showyao (小搖).
■ 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
Tonight Witch House (女巫店), an intimate coffeehouse-style venue in the National Taiwan University area, hosts jazz singer Tsai Wen-hui (蔡雯慧). Tomorrow it’s Mando-pop singer-songwriter Debbie Hsiao (蕭賀碩) and Chinese folk and pop singer Gu Hao (古皓).
■ 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, rock club Revolver hosts Ween tribute band SkyCruiser. Tomorrow it’s expat indie bands The Homo Jews and Squids and dance rock group P!SCO.
■ 1-2, Roosevelt Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路一段1-2號), tel: (02) 3393-1678
■ Shows usually start after 10pm. Contact venue for precise times
■ Entrance is NT$400 tonight and NT$300 tomorrow, includes one drink
Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) hosts jazz combo Brussel Van Taipeh tonight. Tomorrow night indie rock band Echo will take to the stage, and on Sunday, it’s pop rock groups MOI and Oli Band. 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
■ 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$400 tonight, NT$450 tomorrow (NT$400 in advance) and Sunday and NT$150 on Monday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
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 Harlem Yu (庾澄慶) are sold out, as are Crowd Lu’s (盧廣仲) concerts on Sunday and Monday. On Wednesday, UK trip-hop pioneer Tricky returns to Taiwan to perform as part of the TWinkle Rock Festival.
■ 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 through Monday and 9pm on Wednesday
■ Sold out tonight, tomorrow, Sunday and Monday, NT$3,500 on 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
Tonight, Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館) hosts indie pop group The Girl and the Robots (女孩與機器人) and indie rock band Mojo. Tomorrow Chinese-Canadian rockers io take to the stage, opening for Craze Band (酷愛樂團).
■ 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
■ Show starts at 8:30pm tonight, 8pm tomorrow and 8:30pm on Thursday
■ NT$500 tonight and tomorrow. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
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 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
Italian restaurant Capone’s hosts Taipei Swing’s weekly social on Fridays. All are welcome to join and a beginner’s lesson is offered. Electric blues band Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ), which normally plays on Fridays, is taking a break this week. Tomorrow, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans. On Wednesday nights, it’s Latin music from guitarist Roberto Zayas and bassist Rick Taira.
■ 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 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 performances every Saturday. This week’s performers are Pierre Hujoel (aka Hue Yue, 胡月), who performs avant-garde pop sung in Mandarin, and rockers Black Summer Days.
■ 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號), tel: (02) 3393-7377 X207
■ Tomorrow at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$300, which includes one drink
Tomorrow, The 3 Baboons Sports Bar & Grill, an expat hangout at the Taimall Shopping Center (台茂購物中心) in Taoyuan, hosts an evening of live acoustic rock from expat musicians Red Rob and Keith.
■ Taimall Shopping Center (台茂購物中心), 112, Nankan Rd Sec 1, Lujhu Township, Taoyuan County (桃園縣蘆竹鄉南崁路一段112號), tel: (03) 212-2150. On the Net: www.3baboons.com
■ Starts at 8pm
■ 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 the venue hosts indie groups XOXO (叉圈叉圈), Combine (抗敗樂團) and Enfys (恩菲斯).
■ 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$300 tonight
Promise Leaf (葉子) and Pochiaochi (跛腳雞) play tomorrow night at The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung.
■ 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
■ Starts at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$250, includes one drink
Sept.16 to Sept. 22 The “anti-communist train” with then-president Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) face plastered on the engine puffed along the “sugar railway” (糖業鐵路) in May 1955, drawing enthusiastic crowds at 103 stops covering nearly 1,200km. An estimated 1.58 million spectators were treated to propaganda films, plays and received free sugar products. By this time, the state-run Taiwan Sugar Corporation (台糖, Taisugar) had managed to connect the previously separate east-west lines established by Japanese-era sugar factories, allowing the anti-communist train to travel easily from Taichung to Pingtung’s Donggang Township (東港). Last Sunday’s feature (Taiwan in Time: The sugar express) covered the inauguration of the
The corruption cases surrounding former Taipei Mayor and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) head Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) are just one item in the endless cycle of noise and fuss obscuring Taiwan’s deep and urgent structural and social problems. Even the case itself, as James Baron observed in an excellent piece at the Diplomat last week, is only one manifestation of the greater problem of deep-rooted corruption in land development. Last week the government announced a program to permit 25,000 foreign university students, primarily from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, to work in Taiwan after graduation for 2-4 years. That number is a
In a stark demonstration of how award-winning breakthroughs can come from the most unlikely directions, researchers have won an Ig Nobel prize for discovering that mammals can breathe through their anuses. After a series of tests on mice, rats and pigs, Japanese scientists found the animals absorb oxygen delivered through the rectum, work that underpins a clinical trial to see whether the procedure can treat respiratory failure. The team is among 10 recognized in this year’s Ig Nobel awards (see below for more), the irreverent accolades given for achievements that “first make people laugh, and then make them think.” They are not
This Qing Dynasty trail takes hikers from renowned hot springs in the East Rift Valley, up to the top of the Coastal Mountain Range, and down to the Pacific Short vacations to eastern Taiwan often require choosing between the Rift Valley with its pineapple fields, rice paddies and broader range of amenities, or the less populated coastal route for its ocean scenery. For those who can’t decide, why not try both? The Antong Traversing Trail (安通越嶺道) provides just such an opportunity. Built 149 years ago, the trail linked up these two formerly isolated parts of the island by crossing over the Coastal Mountain Range. After decades of serving as a convenient path for local Amis, Han settlers, missionaries and smugglers, the trail fell into disuse once modern roadways were built