DIY CHRISTMAS
Huashan 1914 Creative Park will host a series of holiday performances and activities this weekend. Highlights include workshops on Sunday, during which attendees can make felted wool Santa key chains and other crafts, as well as a movement class taught by members of Cloud Gate Theater (雲門舞集). Live performances at Huashan Theater (華山劇場) tomorrow afternoon include indie groups D.C.W. (東城衛), 23 Half (23號半), Tic Tac Tea and singer Jelly, as well as a show by artist Mr Eyeball (眼球先生).
Cast members from the ensemble TV drama The M Riders (萌學園之萌騎士傳奇) will be on hand to sign autographs tomorrow and Sunday afternoon. Pick up last-minute gifts at a holiday market that runs throughout the weekend.
Photo courtesy of Brass Monkey
■ Live performances are tomorrow from 1pm to 6:40pm. Activities start from 1pm and run until about 7pm tomorrow and Sunday
■ Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號). On the Net: www.huashan1914.com
■ Performances are free, but limited to the first 250 people who show up. Workshops are NT$500 each and include materials for craft classes
Photo: Taipei Times
Simple Market’s special Christmas workshops focus on recycling worn-out clothing into holiday decorations. Bring your old clothes to the market and learn how to turn them into hanging ornaments, tote bags or patchwork cushion covers. Classes are about 30 minutes each.
■ Tomorrow from 1pm to 5pm
■ Xinyi Public Assembly Hall (信義公民會館), 54 Songqin St, Taipei City (台北市松勤街54號), tel: (02) 2758-2609. On the Net: tw.streetvoice.com/writing/SimpleMarket
Photo courtesy of Brass Monkey
■ Class fees range from NT$90 to NT$200 and include supplies. Bring your own used clothing or fabric
PERFORMANCES
Singer-songwriter Peggy Hsu (許哲珮) and Circus Band (馬戲團) headline Riverside Live House’s (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館) Dear Christmas concerts tomorrow and Sunday. A Berklee College of Music graduate and Golden Melody Award winner, Hsu is a highly sought after songwriter who has worked with the likes of Tizzy Bac and Sandy Lam (林憶蓮). Her own best-selling albums blend folk and pop.
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 8:30pm
■ Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館), 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
■ Tickets are NT$500 in advance, available from www.riverside.com.tw or www.tickets.books.com.tw, or NT$600 at the door
Folk-pop singer-songwriter (and occupational therapist) Europa Huang (黃建為) will lead Christmas celebrations at Witch House for the third year. He will be joined by singer and songwriter Pumpkin Li (李德筠).
■ Tomorrow at 10:30pm
■ 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
■ Admission is NT$450 at the door, which includes one drink
Underworld’s (地下社會) Christmas Eve party includes performances by shoegazers Manic Sheep and brother-sister indie pop duo Come On! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!). DJs William Lo, Mono Chao, Two and a Half Stars (兩星半), Bounce Girlz and Dizzy will man the decks.
■ Tomorrow at 9:30pm
■ B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1), tel: (02) 2369-0103. On the Net: www.underworld-taipei.blogspot.com
■ Admission is NT$500 before 11:30pm and NT$300 after. Both prices includes one drink
Celebrate Christmas Eve with LaLa Hsu (徐佳瑩) at Legacy Taipei (傳音樂展演空間). Hsu, the winner of One Million Star’s (超級星光大道) third season, is one of the most critically acclaimed contestants to have had their careers launched by the hit TV competition. Hsu is known for her genre-crossing sound and ability to blend different musical influences, including Taiwanese folk opera. She will perform tomorrow at Legacy starting at 8pm.
■ Tomorrow, starting at 8pm
■ 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), tel: (02) 2395-6660. On the Net: www.legacy.com.tw
■ Admission is NT$700 in advance or NT$800 at the door. Advance tickets are available until the end of today through ERA ticketing outlets and online through www.ticket.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Conductor Wu Shou-ling (吳琇玲) will lead the Taipei Symphony Orchestra Chorus (臺北市立交響樂團附設合唱團) in a performance of beloved classics for Say I Do in Year 100 (婚禮音樂會百年好合的奇蹟金婚100分) on Sunday. Couples celebrating their 50th anniversary this year will be in attendance as guests of honor. The golden duos will be invited on stage to share their secrets for a long-lasting marriage. The music includes J.S. Bach’s Air From Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Greensleeves.
■ Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Zhongshan Hall’s Zhongzheng Auditorium (中山堂中正廳), 98 Yanping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號), tel: (02) 3393-7377. On the Net: www.tso.taipei.gov.tw
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Chopin’s Silver Christmas (台灣元素系列音樂會) at the National Concert Hall features Poland’s Andrzej Jagodzinski Jazz Trio, which is known for its jazz-infused interpretations of the famous composer’s piano works. Polish jazz singer Agnieszka Wilczynska will perform with the trio on several popular Christmas songs.
■ Tonight at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000, available though NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
PARTIES
Carnegie’s Christmas Eve set dinner is NT$1,500 per person and includes the NT$500 cover charge for Carnegie’s Christmas party, as well as unlimited house wines from 6pm to 9pm. Celebrate Boxing Day on Monday by donning the most hideous and embarrassing Christmas sweater you can find. In return for your humiliation, Carnegie’s will give you a glass of beer or house wine. Stay for Christmas karaoke at 4pm.
■ Christmas Eve dinner is tomorrow from 6pm to 9pm. The Boxing Day special is valid for lunch or dinner on Dec. 26
■ 100, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段100號), tel: (02) 2325-4433. On the Net:
www.carnegies.net
Jolly old Saint Nick used to be a chunky elderly gentleman who delivered children’s presents. Now he prefers to drop into Brass Monkey right after midnight on Christmas Eve for tequila. The venue’s annual Sexy Santa Christmas party is tomorrow. The most scintillating Santa costume wins NT$5,000. “Guys as well as girls are able to enter, which is always good value and creates a laugh,” Max Murphy, co-owner of the Brass Monkey, said in an e-mail interview. On Christmas morning, players from the Taipei Baboons rugby club and the Taipei Celts football team will give out presents that have been collected throughout December to orphans. “If you are coming down to party, be sure to bring a gift for the little ones at The Harmony Home AIDS/HIV orphanage, too,” Murphy said.
■ 166 Fuxing N Rd, Taipei City (台北市復興北路166號), tel: (02) 2547-5050. On the Net: www.brassmonkeytaipei.com
■ Women wearing red or white get free entry and drinks before 10pm, while men wearing the same colors get in for NT$150, including one drink. The cover charge after 10pm is NT$300 for men, including two drinks, and NT$150 for women, including one drink coupon and free drinks until midnight.
Don’t celebrate Christmas, or just have a deep-seated aversion to the colors red and green? Here are a few alternatives to holiday-themed events.
Get a close-up look at the work of Kaohsiung designers at High Concept Design (高雄設計節), which kicks off tomorrow at the Pier 2 Arts Center and runs through Feb. 28. The event also features designers from other Asian countries and a market with goods from 40 stores and 40 designers and books sold by Eslite.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號), tel: (07) 521-4899. On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw
■ Mondays to Thursdays from 10am to 6pm, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 8pm. Closed on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3 for Lunar New Year
■ Entrance is NT$99
Indie singer Ianson (伊恩森) plays Sunday night at A House, Taipei City, a cozy venue dedicated to acoustic performances and a cappella music. Born in Pingtung, Ianson’s dedication to music started young. By the time he was in high school, Ianson’s had written 300 songs and he once performed for 12 hours straight while working as a restaurant singer. Ianson’s A House performance will require less stamina, but audience members will still get to enjoy the full power of his folk-pop blend.
■ A House, 18, Alley 5, Ln 107, Fuxing S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市復興南路一段107巷5弄18號), tel: (02) 2778-8612. On the Net: ahousetaipei.pixnet.net
■ Sunday at 8pm
■ Tickets are NT$100. Call ahead for reservations
Metal bands Anthelion, Beyond Cure (病入膏肓), Flesh Juicer (血肉果汁機), Solemn (恕), Sideffect (賽德費) and Clubs of Three (梅花參) perform tomorrow night at The Wall.
■ B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). On the Net: www.indievox.com/a/thewall
■ Tomorrow at 7pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 in advance, available by calling (02) 2930-0162 and online at www.the-wall.com.tw, or NT$700 at the door
Sappho regulars Ash and Friends jam tonight at the jazz club. Their cool-jazz improv is influenced by Miles Davis, Shelley Mann and Art Farmer.
■ 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 starts at 10:30pm
■ Admission is NT$200
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