Contemporary
Formed by cellists Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser from Croatian, 2CELLOS makes its debut performance in Taiwan tomorrow night at Legacy Taipei. Sunday is a party featuring a troupe of popular online musicians and performers from Japan. Wednesday’s roster is post-punk band Manic Sheep and garage rockers The White Eyes (白目). A birthday concert will be held by Indie-folk duo katncandix2 (棉花糖) on 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)
■ Show starts at 7:30pm tomorrow and on Thursday, 2pm on Sunday, NT$8:30pm on Wednesday
■ NT$1,800 and 2,000 tomorrow, NT$1,400 and NT$1,700 on Sunday, NT$500 on Wednesday and NT$900 on Thursday. Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw, www.legacy.com.tw and at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, hosts Japanese pop idol group Dempagumi.inc tomorrow. On Sunday, it is Indie pop group Queen Suitcase (皇后皮箱). Japanese psychedelic band Acid Mothers Temple performs on Wednesday with Taiwan’s noise maker Black Wolf (黑狼) as the opening act. Boris, an experimental rock band from Japan, takes the stage on Thursday.
■ 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 on 8pm
■ NT$1,000 tomorrow, NT$400 on Sunday, NT$1,200 on Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets for all shows, with discounts on advance tickets, can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Instrumental/post-rock outfit Mass Man and Moonlight River (月光流) play tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club and a favorite indie rock hangout in Taipei. Mental bands Greedy Black Hole and Dying Chelsea (垂死喬絲) are on tomorrow’s bill. On Wednesday, it is three-piece rock band Roxymoron and punk outfit Forests (森林合唱樂團).
■ 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.tw
■ Shows run from 9pm to 11pm. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance for music shows is NT$300 on Friday and Saturday, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesday
Aboriginal singer and actor Min Hsiung (民雄) appears tonight at Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館), followed by electronic pop band The Girl and The Robots (女孩與機器人) tomorrow. Award-wining jazz sextet Timeless Fusion Party (無限融合樂團) performs on Sunday. On Thursday, it is indie rock band No Name.
■ 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 on 8:30pm tonight, tomorrow and on Thursday, NT$3pm on Sunday
■ NT$400 for all shows. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Japanese drummer Dafu and guitarist Shun Kikuta lead their Project (Project樂團) to perform tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Young Atayan singer Rachel (呂薔) shares the bill with saxophone player and singer Ouyuchi (歐育齊) tomorrow. Sunday’s roster is pop rock bands Huoyaodays (火曜日) and #Soundboss#. On Tuesday, it is disco/post-punk outfit New Sunglasses (新墨鏡) and pop group Dimples and Smile Lines (酒窩與法令紋), followed by Japanese singer and illustrator Pepe Shimada and acoustic indie-pop group French Cheese (法式綺思) on Wednesday. Paiwan hip-hop artists Boxing (拳樂團) and acoustic rocker Elisa Lin (林依霖) on Thursday.
■ 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 on 9:30pm tonight, 9pm tomorrow, on Sunday and weekdays
■ NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and weekdays. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Tainan-based thrash metal veterans Solemn (恕樂團) makes a rare unplugged performance tomorrow at Kafka on the Shore (海邊的卡夫卡), a coffee house-cum-music and arts venue in the National Taiwan University area.
■ 2F, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號2樓). On the Net: kafkabythe.blogspot.tw
■ Show starts on 8pm. Cafe/bookstore opens noon to midnight Sundays through Thursdays, noon to 2am Fridays and Saturdays
■ NT$400 at the door, one drink included.
Monkey Bar, composed of Norwegian pianist Steinar Nickelsen and Swedish drummer Erik Nylander fusing jazz, electronica and pop, stage two performances tonight and tomorrow at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts mostly jazz shows. Taster Jazz (調味者爵士樂團) is scheduled on Wednesday, followed by N.E.S. Jazz 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
■ Show starts on 10:30pm tonight and tomorrow, 9:30pm on Wednesday, 9:30pm on Tuesday and Thursday. The venue is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow, free on other nights
Veteran voice teacher and singer Reisei Huang (黃麗星) holds a mini concert tonight at A House, a venue dedicated to a cappella and with a focus on classical, jazz and world music. Acoustic singer Gladys croons tomorrow.
■ 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: ahouse.vocalasia.com
■ Shows start at 8pm
■ NT$400 tonight and NT$350 tomorrow. Tickets can be purchased online through www.walkieticket.com. Admission includes one free drink
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. Other highlights include Mando-pop songstress Julia Peng (彭佳慧) on Tuesdays and male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), who performs every Saturday.
■ 211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段211號), tel: (02) 2738-3995. On the Net: 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
On Fridays at Italian restaurant Capone’s, it is live music from electric blues band Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). On Saturdays, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans. Sunday nights feature Ariel & Michael playing disco oldies. Leavy croons light standard jazz songs on Mondays, followed by jazz duo Mary Jane and Nathan on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays it’s Latin music from guitarist Roberto Zayas. Yvonne sings classic jazz tunes on Thursdays.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號), tel: (02) 2773-3782. On the net: www.capones.com.tw
■ Live music from 9pm to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 8pm to 10pm on Sundays and 8:45pm to 10:45pm on weekdays
■ On Fridays, minimum charge of one drink. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
Indie rockers NPC (非玩家操控) and college rock band Kaogutuan (考古團) hit the stage tonight at Treellage (樹樂集), a cafe with live music. Pop metal group Crystal Dancer (舞璃) plays tomorrow. Wednesday’s roster is blues outfit The Ghosts of Mississippi and accordionist Vincent.
■ 33 Minzu W Rd, Taipei City (台北市民族西路33號), tel: (02) 2599-1599. On the net: www.treellage.com
■ Shows run from 8pm every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
■ NT$250 for all shows, one drink included. Tickets can purchased online through www.walkieticket.com and FamilyMart (全家) FamiPort kiosks
A-san (阿三) and Eric, who perform on guitar and cajon, share the bill with acoustic folk duo Tom and Huck (湯姆與哈克) tonight at Tiehua Music Village (鐵花村), an arts village composed of a music venue, design and crafts shops and a weekend arts fair in Taitung. Paiwan hip-hop artists Boxing (拳樂團) and Aboriginal group Original Brew (原味醞釀) perform tomorrow.
■ 26, Ln 135 Sinsheng Rd, Taitung City (台東市新生路135巷26號), tel: (089) 343-393. On the Net: tw.streetvoice.com/users/tiehua
■ Shows run from 8pm to 10pm. Music venue and crafts shops open 2pm to 10pm Tuesdays through Sundays. Weekend arts fair opens 6pm to 10pm every Friday, 3:30pm to 10pm every Saturday and Sunday
■ NT$250 tonight and tomorrow, one drink included. Tickets can purchased online through tickets.books.com.tw
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Indie rock band Green!Eyes takes the stage tonight, followed by veteran rockers Tizzy Bac tomorrow.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號), tel: (07) 521-5148. On the Net: www.thewall.com.tw
■ Show starts at 7:30pm
■ NT$300 tonight and NT$600 tomorrow. Tickets for all shows, with discounts on advance tickets, can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
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
This year’s Michelin Gourmand Bib sported 16 new entries in the 126-strong Taiwan directory. The fight for the best braised pork rice and the crispiest scallion pancake painstakingly continued, but what stood out in the lineup this year? Pang Taqueria (胖塔可利亞); Taiwan’s first Michelin-recommended Mexican restaurant. Chef Charles Chen (陳治宇) is a self-confessed Americophile, earning his chef whites at a fine-dining Latin-American fusion restaurant. But what makes this Xinyi (信義) spot stand head and shoulders above Taipei’s existing Mexican offerings? The authenticity. The produce. The care. AUTHENTIC EATS In my time on the island, I have caved too many times to
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