Theater
The 2011 Taipei Poetry Festival (台北詩歌節) ends this weekend with a series of lectures, seminars, poetry performances and exhibitions. Aboriginal musicians Ilid Kaolo, Gelresai Chen, Pisuy Poro and Atayal poet Walis Norgan will join together for a celebration of Aboriginal poems and songs on Sunday. The Polish Liberature exhibition sheds light on Polish writer Zenon Fajfer’s concept of liberature, showing that the material that forms a textual work is important and essential to the whole creative process through a collection of stone books, bottle books and a 10-meter-long street book. For more information, visit the event’s Web site at poetry.culture.gov.tw/2011.
■ Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂), 98 Yanping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號)
Photo courtesy of New Aspect Entertainment
■ Poetry performance takes place on Sunday at 2:30pm, exhibition runs from 1pm to 9pm today to Saturday, till 5pm on Sunday
■ Free admission
The Comedy Club hosts an all-English show starring Tom Levene, Matt Bronsil, Clint Rand, Jason Kaja, Nic Sando and Torch Pratt.
■ 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)
■ Saturday at 10pm
■ Tickets are NT$350, one NT$140 drink coupon included. Contact the Comedy Club to reserve seats by sending an e-mail to ticket@comedy.com.tw or calling (02) 2764-5529
A collaboration between American director Dan Chumley and Taiwanese actress Peng Tzu-ling (彭子玲), the Black Dog Theater’s (烏犬劇場) The Way We Move (豐饒之地) is a satirical comedy that demonstrates how fulfilling the feminine gender role can drive a woman mad.
■ 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 and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Lin Hwai-min’s (林懷民) latest work, How Can I Live On Without You (如果沒有你), could surprise Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (雲門舞集) fans familiar with the troupe’s meditative style. Envisioned as an ode to Taiwanese music from the past six decades, the production has bright colors, swinging hips and features an eclectic mix of songs from the likes of folk singer Tsai Chin (蔡琴), Fong Fei-fei (鳳飛飛), rocker Wu Bai (伍佰), indie singer-songwriter Crowd Lu (盧廣仲), Jay Chou (周杰倫) and 1940s crooner Bai Guang (白光).
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are sold out, but seats remain for shows tonight and tomorrow at 7:45pm
■ Tickets are NT$1,200 and NT$1,600, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
My Ancestors of 18 Generations (三口組.我的祖宗十八代) by Taiwan Drama Performance (台灣戲劇表演家) fuses rock music, dance and Chinese stand-up comedy to tell a story of three friends that spans 18 generations and dates back to Chinese history’s Three Kingdoms Period (三國時代).
■ Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中市中山堂), 98 Syueshih Rd, Greater Taichung (台中市學士路98號)
■ Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical
Mengla Huang & Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (打開貝多芬的音樂盒.黃蒙拉與長榮交響樂團) features acclaimed violinist Mengla Huang (黃蒙拉) performing with the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (長榮交響樂團) under Gernot Schmalfuss. The program will include Beethoven’s Prometheus Overture, Violin Concerto in D Major and Symphony No. 7.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$1,500; available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Beethoven 9th & Richard Strauss (浪漫英雄主義) presents the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團) and the Taipei Symphony Orchestra Chorus (台北市立交響樂團附設合唱團) performing a program that includes Strauss’ Traumerei am Kamin Interludio dall’opera Intermezzo, Op. 72 and Horn Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 11, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125. The performance will feature French horn soloist Chen Yen-how (陳彥豪). The orchestra will be conducted by Wu Shou-ling (吳琇玲).
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂), 98 Yanping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號)
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,000; available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Eric Le Sage Piano Recital (法國鋼琴巨擘.雷薩吉鋼琴獨奏會) features Eric Le Sage, widely regarded as a leading pianist of his generation and a representative of the French style, notable for subtlety and poetic phrasing. The program includes Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109 and Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110, and Shumann’s Carnaval and Symphonic Etudes.
■ Wednesday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500; available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
NSO Basically Beethoven — Beethoven & Haydn (NSO就是貝多芬系列.貝多芬與海頓) sees the National Symphony Orchestra (國家交響樂團) performing a program that includes Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge, Op.133, arranged by Weingarthner for String Orchestra and Symphony No. 4, Op. 60 in B-flat Major, as well as Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D Major, featuring cellist Yang Wen-sinn (楊文信) and guest conductor Gunter Pichler.
■ Saturday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500; available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. Hong Kong rock musician and guitar maven Paul Wong (黃貫中) and his band The Postman take to the stage tomorrow. Saturday’s show featuring Mando-pop singer Valen Hsu (許茹芸) is already sold out. On Monday, the venue hosts two New York bands, neo-disco group French Horn Rebellion and indie pop outfit The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Japanese rock star Sugizo, the guitarist from Visual Kei band Luna Sea, performs next 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)
■ Shows start at 8pm
■ NT$1,800 tomorrow, sold out Saturday, NT$1,700 on Monday (NT$1,350 in advance) and NT$2,500 next Thursday (NT$2,000). 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 Japanese rock outfit Plastic Tree tomorrow. Up-and-coming Chinese pop singer Xian Zi (弦子) takes to the stage on Saturday, followed by an electronica dance party featuring DJs Dasha Rush of Russia and Mattahias Vogt from Germany, as well as local DJs Youshi and Minijay. On Sunday it’s melodic metal group Greasy Jelly for Mercy Killing, who share the bill with Japanese emo/screamo bands Tribal Chair, Last Alliance and Countlost.
■ 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
■ All shows start at 8pm
■ NT$2,000 tomorrow, NT$500 on Saturday, NT$1,000 for dance party on Saturday and NT$500 on Sunday (NT$400 in advance). Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Witch House (女巫店), an intimate coffeehouse-style venue in the National Taiwan University area, hosts hip-hop duo Chiu and Love (丘與樂) and acoustic hip-hop band Olangimgaksia (黑人音樂社). Tomorrow, it’s indie bands The Okay Cars and Radicalo. Vita Eterna (唯異新民樂), a classical Chinese music ensemble that also dips into new age fusion, takes to the stage on Saturday.
■ 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
Ambient electronica artist Empty Space on a Chessboard (棋盤上的空格) and electro-rock band Nintendo Generation Blues (任天堂世代憂鬱) take to the stage tomorrow at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. On Saturday low-key duo Zag Lope (柴可洛噗) opens for post-rock trio The Capelin (柳葉魚). On Wednesday, it’s start-up indie bands The Sexy Pouch (性感眼袋) and BHD.
■ 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 Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) hosts indie-pop band Za-sh (子安聖皓). Tomorrow drummer Chang Wen-kuang (張文光) performs jazz fusion and rock with his quartet. On Saturday, Aboriginal folk icon Panai (巴奈) leads a group of performers to celebrate International Human Rights Day. Indie rockers Love Manana (愛的大未來) and Zhongligou (中離狗) take to the stage on Sunday. 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$350 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow and Saturday, NT$350 on Sunday, and NT$150 on Monday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or at tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館) hosts Mando-pop singers Elmer Ou (歐育齊) and Alex Lee (李崗霖). Tomorrow it’s Hong Kong actor and singer Richie Ren (任賢齊) and on Saturday Aboriginal singer and Seediq Bale actor Laka Umaw (拉卡·巫茂) takes to the stage. On Sunday, it’s Japanese visual kei rocker Miyavi.
■ 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
■ Shows start at 8:30pm
■ NT$400 tonight, NT$700 tomorrow night (NT$600 in advance), NT$600 on Saturday and NT$2,000 on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts live jazz and blues performances, hosts expat pianist Alex Pryrodny and his trio tonight. Tomorrow, it’s local ska-mavens Skaraoke and on Saturday, Ash and Friends play modern jazz standards. The Sappho House Band leads an open jam on Tuesday while on Wednesday, it’s African percussion group Mamaya (非音鼓舞團).
■ 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 Saturday, free other nights
Acclaimed Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君) performs every Thursday at EZ5 Live House, which mostly hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), who performs every Saturday, and veteran performer Ann Lang (郎祖筠) on Wednesdays.
■ 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
Tonight indie rock club Revolver hosts slick emo-punks Pa Pang (怕胖團), indie rockers Bowztiger (包子虎) and Frusicante (佛香甜). Tomorrow, it’s “O’PA” with DJs Aries Zoe, Kermit and Yellow Jam. On Saturday, reggae band High Tide and Ween tribute group SkyCruiser take to the stage, and on Wednesday, the venue celebrates its one-year anniversary with live music from indie bands My Skin Against Your Skin and Forests (森林合唱樂團).
■ 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 start at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$300 tonight, NT$200 tomorrow and NT$350 on Saturday, includes one drink. Wednesday’s show is free
Italian restaurant Capone’s hosts pop rock band Mary Jane and her Quartet every Friday. Tomorrow, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans. On Wednesday nights, it’s 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 Organology Jazz Quartet tonight. On Saturday, it’s the Jason Hayashi Jazz Quartet.
■ 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號), tel: (02) 3393-7377, ext 207
■ Shows start at 9:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$350 for all shows
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tomorrow celebrated composer and songwriter Chen Chien-chi (陳建騏) teams up with pop chanteuse Sandee Chan (陳珊妮) as 19 (19音樂系).
■ 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
■ Show starts at 7:30pm
■ Admission is NT$500
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts live music every Saturday. This weekend features slow-core rock favorites Windmill (風籟坊) and Tainan indie band Killjoy.
■ 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
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
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
April 22 to April 28 The true identity of the mastermind behind the Demon Gang (魔鬼黨) was undoubtedly on the minds of countless schoolchildren in late 1958. In the days leading up to the big reveal, more than 10,000 guesses were sent to Ta Hwa Publishing Co (大華文化社) for a chance to win prizes. The smash success of the comic series Great Battle Against the Demon Gang (大戰魔鬼黨) came as a surprise to author Yeh Hung-chia (葉宏甲), who had long given up on his dream after being jailed for 10 months in 1947 over political cartoons. Protagonist
Peter Brighton was amazed when he found the giant jackfruit. He had been watching it grow on his farm in far north Queensland, and when it came time to pick it from the tree, it was so heavy it needed two people to do the job. “I was surprised when we cut it off and felt how heavy it was,” he says. “I grabbed it and my wife cut it — couldn’t do it by myself, it took two of us.” Weighing in at 45 kilograms, it is the heaviest jackfruit that Brighton has ever grown on his tropical fruit farm, located