Theater
Tap Dogs is a tap dance sensation that started out with six male dancers from the Australian steel town of Newcastle. Ever since its world premiere in Sydney in 1995, the 80-minute production has toured the world and wowed audiences with its action and energy.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$800 to NT$3,600, available through www.kham.com.tw
Adapted from Irish playwright Martin McDonagh’s multi-award winning The Pillowman, Rookiemen’s (路崎門) One, Two, Three, Pillowmen (一、二、三枕頭人) is a black comedy that revolves around a writer being interrogated about the connection between his grisly stories and a number of child murders that take place in his hometown.
■ Representation Theatre’s Arts Factory (再現劇團藝術工場), B1, 43, Nanchang Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市南昌路一段43號B1)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
All U People Theatre (全民大劇團) returns to the stage with A Sandwich Husband (當岳母刺字時…媳婦是不贊成的), which looks at rivalry between mothers and their daughters-in-law through a comic rendition of the story of Yue Fei (岳飛), a Southern Song Dynasty general noted for his loyalty to the emperor.
■ Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (國父紀念館), 505, Renai Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市仁愛路四段505號)
■ Tonight to Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$350 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Chen Wu-kang (陳武康) and Su Wei-chia (蘇威嘉) from all-male dance collective Horse (驫舞劇場) teamed up with Hong Kong theater director Edward Lam (林奕華) to stage Relationship Between Two Men (兩男關係), a dance duet that explores emotions, friendship and sexuality.
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight to Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Being staged as part of the ongoing Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival (高雄春天藝術節), Open Theater Group’s (大開劇團) Marriage (金花囍事) explores the changing roles of women through a family drama about a single mother and her four grown-up daughters.
■ Da-Dong Cultural Center (大東文化藝術中心), 161 Guangyuan Rd, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市光遠路161號), next to KMRT Dadong Station (高雄捷運大東站)
■ Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
All and None About Love (有關與非關愛戀) presents the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (國立台灣交響樂團) performing with concert pianist Barry Douglas under the baton of Lan Shui (水藍). The program includes Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23 and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14.
■ Today at 7:30pm (Taipei) and tomorrow at 7:30pm (Taichung)
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City and 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$300 to NT$1,000 for both venues, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
L’Ensemble de Clarinettes de Paris (法蘭西六君子 ─ 巴黎單簧管六重奏) brings the French clarinet group to Taipei to perform a program that includes Marc Eychenne’s Sextuor Lyrique, Florent Schmitt’s Sextuor and Debussy’s Petite Suite.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$1,800, available through NTCH ticketing and 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. Tomorrow, indie rock band Green!Eyes celebrates the release of its new album, Glossolalia. Baroque indie-pop group The Tic Tac opens the show. On Saturday, American indie-rock/dream-pop veterans Blonde Redhead take to the stage. On Wednesday, the venue hosts veteran entertainer/singers Allen Chao (趙樹海) and Wang Mon-ling (王夢麟) for an evening of Taiwanese folk-pop nostalgia from the 1970s and 1980s.
■ 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 tomorrow and Saturday, 8:30pm Wednesday
■ NT$400 tomorrow, NT$1,800 Saturday (NT$1,600 in advance), NT$1,200 (NT$1,000) on Wednesday. Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw and www.legacy.com.tw and at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Tomorrow The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, hosts an evening of nu-metal and industrial rock with Beright (做對樂團), Salamander (沙羅曼蛇) and Wavelight (波光折返). Following that show is Deetron Balance 20, a dance party presented by EarWorm and Reboot Taipei that features DJs Deetron, Databass, Vertigo and Jerry Aseret. On Saturday, Kashiwa Daisuke, an avant-garde/post-rock artist, brings his heavily textured, ambient soundtrack music to the stage. On Sunday, it’s punk night with Damnkidz, Human Brutality, Out of Survive and Dying Chelsea.
■ 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
■ NT$500 tomorrow (NT$400 in advance), NT$800 for tomorrow’s dance party (NT$650 in advance), NT$1,000 Saturday (NT$800 in advance), and NT$400 on Sunday. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Witch House (女巫店), an intimate coffeehouse-style venue in the National Taiwan University area, hosts Tamdeed, a Taiwanese quartet performing traditional Arabic music. Tomorrow, female Amis singer Hsiao Mei (小美) performs modern folk, with indie band Tuesday (星期二樂團) also on the bill. On Saturday, jazz bassist Vincent Hsu (徐崇育) and his ensemble Soy La Ley play Cuban jazz.
■ 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
Noisy experimental rock group She Bang-a (死蚊子) and veteran blues/garage rockers Celluloid (賽璐璐) each perform a set tomorrow at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. On Saturday, it’s indie rock vocalist/guitarist Insecteens (昆蟲白) and chamber quartet-cum-post-rock group Cicada. Wednesday’s schedule is not available as of press time.
■ 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 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance is NT$300 on Friday and Saturday (includes one drink). Entrance for Wednesday shows is NT$100
Tonight indie rock club Revolver hosts live music from electro and dance/rock bands Acidy Peeping Tom (微酸的偷窺狂), OCD Girls (強迫女孩) and Manic Sheep. Tomorrow, it’s DJs Edify, C-Type, James Ho and AM Stereo, and on Saturday DJs Chamber, Anti Hero and 8 Ball take to the decks spinning nu-funk, glitch hop and dubstep.
■ 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 9:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$200 tonight, NT$250 tomorrow, NT$300 on Saturday, which includes one drink
Indie pop duo Yi-Cheng (依錚) and Yi-Ching (依靜) and pop band Stereo appear tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow it’s rock and fusion group E Zzy Band. Mando-pop singer/songwriter Blue Vela (陳曼青) takes to the stage on Saturday. Pop singer Tong-en (同恩) and Mando-pop group Every Planet (美味星球) on Sunday.
■ 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
■ Shows start at 9pm
■ NT$350 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow, NT$500 on Saturday, and NT$350 Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
R ‘n’ B rock band VF (心室細動) appears tonight at Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館). Tomorrow, it’s a concert titled Rock and Roll Never Dies, which consists of classic rock covers performed by Evergreen Rocking Band. One Million Star (超級星光大道) alumnus Queen (魏如昀) is among the performers at Christian worship concerts on Saturday and Sunday.
■ 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 tonight and tomorrow, 7:30pm on Saturday and Sunday
■ NT$400 tonight, NT$ 500 tomorrow and free on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Indian music troupe Coromandel Express performs tomorrow at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts live jazz. Also appearing is Ash and Friends, which play modern jazz standards. On Saturday, it’s blues, funk and surf rock from Blues Vibrations.
■ 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 all other nights
Acclaimed Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君) performs every Thursday at EZ5 Live House, which 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 Tiger Huang (黃小琥), who appears weekly 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
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at Italian restaurant Capone’s, with live music from electric blues band Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). On Saturday, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans. Iris sings “romantic chansons” Sunday nights, and on Wednesdays it’s Latin music from guitarist Roberto Zayas.
■ 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). On Saturday, the venue hosts local punk band Combine (抗敗樂團), The Girl’s Mood (少女情懷) and Broken Flowers (碎紙花). Post-rock band Sorry Youth (拍謝少年), indie rock trio Fuguko (河豚子) and ambient electronica artist Empty Space on a Chessboard (棋盤上的空格) take to the stage on Sunday.
■ 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 start at 7:30pm
■ Admission is NT$300 for each show
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts live music every Saturday. This weekend, it’s indie rockers HiJack and psychedelic rock band The Gigantic Roar (巨大的轟鳴).
■ 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$200, which 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
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
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