Hangovers are likely running rampant on this first day of the long weekend, but if you think you can go strong two nights in a row, the Beer & Cheese Social House is hosting an unconventional and exclusive shindig tonight with Evil Nine. If you missed them at last night’s Ultra Dance Society party at The Wall with Adam Freeland, here is your second and last chance.
“I got a lot of music with me so I’m not sure how I’m going to take it yet, but it will probably be deeper and more eclectic [than last night],” said Tom Beaufoy, one half of the British DJ duo. “Some house and techno styles, a touch of rappy steez and maybe a few cheeky classics.”
Beaufoy will play a more intimate set tonight alongside his partner — his only partner as there is neither nine of them nor is either of them evil as their moniker suggests — Pat Pardy. Since the duo’s last romp in Taipei, Beaufoy said that they’ve embraced a menagerie of sounds but seem to be steering back towards the break beats that have come to define them.
Photo courtesy of Evil Nine
“I guess the unifying and consistent element that has remained the same from then until now is the bass,” said Beaufoy.
“We like it best when it shakes the room like a tiny earthquake.”
And for this reason, tonight should be especially exciting for those bored with clubs and club music. Beer & Cheese might not be equipped to handle too large of tremors, but it’s a refreshing change served alongside even more refreshing beers. And of course, giant grilled cheese and jalapeno sandwiches in case you need a little extra help absorbing last night.
“We’re really excited to have our first international artist this Friday,” said Shawn Kidd, owner of Beer & Cheese.
“We’ve decided to give back to our regular customers by throwing free special events, and thank them for helping make our dream come true.” I think he means that there is more like this to come.
■ Evil Nine play tonight from 10pm to 3am at the Beer & Cheese Social House, 169, Jianguo S Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市大安區建國南路2段169號). Capacity is extremely limited and entrance is reserved for guests of Beer & Cheese, but reservations can be made via e-mail: info@beerandcheese.com.tw.
While Luxy is certainly the better fit for international DJ shows, the drawbacks on going there on your average weekend have been the younger crowd it tends to attract. With this in mind, tomorrow night Luxy opens the doors to its latest concept: Cercle. The goal there is to provide a more luxurious and high-end clubbing experience for mature people by blending artisan cocktails, theatrical entertainment and intelligent music.
There are a number of things that will set the experience apart from other clubs, explained Joanna Su (蘇沁怡), marketing manager for The Loop. For starters, every few months they will invite world-renowned mixologists to create a custom cocktail menu. This month, the 2011 winner of the illustrious Diageo World Class Bartending Competition, Mark Huang, joins the signature design team at Cercle.
As for entertainment, Luxy has long been known for providing an interactive clubbing experience, but they’re stepping it up a notch on the Cercle side. Expect dancers to be a little less freestyle and a lot more artistic.
“The shows are going to be a lot different from what you’ve ever seen at Luxy before. Actually, we’ve got a Cirque du Soleil dancer training the girls and he’s focusing a lot on stuff like aerial acrobatics,” Su said.
But of course, the most important thing is music and the last thing Taipei needs is another EDM club. Fortunately, according to resident DJ Reason (real name: Hsieh Pai-wei, 謝柏偉), it’s going to be pretty chilled out.
“The music will be 100 percent different from the main room of Luxy. Actually, we are going to minimize the use of vocals so it will sound totally different. Occasionally, some EDM might be included but it’s not our main goal. Our goal is mainly house music, or at least everything based on house,” Su said.
■ Cercle’s grand opening is tomorrow night from 10pm to 5am at 5F, 201 Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段201號5樓). Admission at the door is not available, but reservations can be made by calling 0955-904-600.
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