Contemporary
Legacy Taipei hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. As part of the 2014 Pulima Art Festival (2014 Pulima 藝術節, pulima.com.tw), celebrated Atayal musician Inka Mbing (雲力思) from the Puyuma village of Katatepan and the Flying Fish and Cloud Panther Music Collective (飛魚雲豹音樂工團) perform tonight. Newly formed by members of the now disbanded Sugar Plum Fairy (甜梅號), instrumental rock band Shimmering Islands (微光群島) puts on a show tomorrow. The latest installment of The Next Big Thing takes place on Thursday, with shoegazing outfit TuT, electronic rockers The Black Map and Mr. Loud Who Chance (三十萬年老虎鉗).
■ Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山 1914), Center Five Hall (中五館), 1, Bade Rd Sec
Photo courtesy of New Sunglasses
1, Taipei (台北市八德路一段 1 號)
■ Shows start at 8pm
■ Admission is NT$1,200 tonight, NT$800 tomorrow, NT$200 on Thursday. Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased online through www.indievox.com and at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Photo courtesy of Sangpuy
Blackbird Blackbird, a folktronica/dream pop musician from San Francisco, arrives tonight at The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, while Japanese guitarist duo Depapepe take the stage tomorrow. Emo/post-hardcore outfit Twisted Donut Monsters (麻花捲怪獸) and San Hu (散戶樂團) each plays a set on Sunday.
■ 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
■ Show starts at 9:30pm tonight, 8pm tomorrow and on Sunday
■ Admission is NT$750 tonight, NT$1,200 tomorrow, NT$200 on Sunday. Tickets for all shows, with discounts on advance tickets, can be purchased online through tickets.books.com.tw.
There will be live music from Slack Tide, Pleasure Science II (愉悅科學 II) and Floating Boat (浮舟) at indie rock club Revolver tomorrow night. Disco/post-punk outfit New Sunglasses (新墨鏡) and all-woman trip-hop group NekoJam (妮可醬) and ska band Skaraoke will congregate on Wednesday.
■ 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$300 for both shows
Tonight’s roster include punk rockers Landman (殘僑仔) and bwbc (廢埕樂團) at Pipe Live Music, a main venue for indie music and parties. The venue hosts a hip-hop party tomorrow, featuring rap artists SLB, BP and DJ Klone. Later the same night, a group of DJs, including Spacey Stacey, Carlos and Morpheus take audiences pm a psychedelic and space trip.
■ 1 Siyuan Rd, Taipei City (台北市思源路 1 號), tel: (02) 2364-8198. On the Net: www.pipemusic.com.tw
■ Show starts at 7pm tonight and tomorrow, 11pm for the late-night party
■ Admission is NT$350 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow, NT$500 for the late-night party, available online through www.indievox.com and www.walkieticket.com
The third installment of Future Proof Sound Fest (第三屆的聲響驗證未來) takes place at Witch House (女巫店), an intimate coffeehouse-style venue in the National Taiwan University area, tomorrow, featuring two-piece live electronic, synth-based band Dronetonics, experimental noise artist Swivelized Sounds and Trabajo, a noise/electronic duo from Brooklyn, New York.
■ 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 starts at 2pm. 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 is NT$600
Tonight, electronic pop group The Forest Party (森林樂園) is among the performers 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. Tomorrow’s show is by indie pop outfit Come on! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙).
■ 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: www.kafkabythe.blogspot.tw
■ Shows start at 8pm. Cafe/bookstore opens noon to midnight Sundays through Thursdays, noon to 2am Fridays and Saturdays
■ Admission is NT$400 tonight and NT$500 tomorrow, available online through www.indievox.com
Japanese visual kei bands Kiryu (己龍), Royz and Codomo Dragon join forces tonight at 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
■ Show starts at 7:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$2,000 and NT$2,300. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight, Amis-Paiwan music combo Mafana performs at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言), with Aiyas (鐘硯誠) from Dulan (都蘭), Taitung, also on the bill. Aboriginal hip-hop/rock outfit Generation7 (七字輩) and The Voice of Life (原味醞釀) appear tomorrow, followed by funk/fusion rock act Holy Jam and SilkWood (絲木) on Sunday. Tuesday’s lineup is formed by electronic/new wave group Jade Eyes (孔雀眼) and post-grunge/pop band One Take (玩鐵客) . Wednesday’s performers include alternative rock band Jindowin (觔斗雲) and No Key Band. No Promise and 3.D.B (參噸半樂團) play 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
■ Shows start at 9pm
■ Admission is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and weekdays. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Shun & Kenyatta play blues, R&B and funk music tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts mostly jazz shows, and Taiwan-based reggae act Dread Rider celebrates the release of its debut album tomorrow. French cellist Hugues Vincent from Crossing Boundaries performs on Wednesday, followed by modern jazz ensemble The Beat Brothers 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.sappholive.com
■ Shows start at 9:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$200 on Wednesday, NT$300 on Thursday
Trip-hop artist Mate Lin (林瑪黛) and You-S (你們你們) are scheduled tomorrow at There Cafe & Live House (那兒咖啡), a venue for indie music in Taoyuan.
■ B1, 454, Fusing Rd, Taoyuan City (桃園市復興路 454 號 B1), tel: (03) 339-8819. On the Net: www.therelivecafe.com
■ Show starts at 7:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$350. Tickets available online through www.indievox.com and tickets.books.com.tw.
Indie rockers Mary See the Future (先知瑪莉) tours Legacy Taichung, a spin-off of Legacy Taipei, on Sunday, along with grunge rock band Slack Tide as the opening act.
■ 117, Anhe Rd, Greater Taichung (台中市安和路 117 號), tel: (04) 2359-8780. On the Net: www.legacy.com.tw/taichung.
■ Show starts at 7pm
■ Admission is NT$600. Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased online through www.indievox.com and at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
It will be a night of metal noises tomorrow at Sound Live House (迴響音樂藝文展演空間), an independent venue for music performances and art exhibitions in Greater Taichung, with Rainmaker (幻雨), Gear (齒輪), Triangle and House Bomber. Sunday’s show is by Ever Green and Tiyuguzhang (体慾股長) .
■ B1-1, 429, Henan Rd Sec 2, Greater Taichung (台中市河南路二段 429 號 B1-1), tel: (04) 2451-1989. On the Net: soundlivehouse.msmusic.com.tw
■ Show starts at 7:30pm tomorrow and 7pm on Sunday
■ Tickets cost NT$300, available online through www.indievox.com and www.walkieticket.com
Harpist and singer-songwriter Paige Su (蘇珮卿) puts on a performance 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 City, 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: www.tw.streetvoice.com/users/tiehua
■ Show starts at 8pm. Music venue and crafts shops are open 2pm to 10pm Tuesdays through Sundays. Weekend arts fair opens 6pm to 10pm every Friday, 3:30pm to 10pm every Saturday and Sunday
■ Admission is NT$250. Tickets can be purchased online through tickets.books.com.tw
The Help Music Festival (救命音樂節) takes place at Treasure Hill Artist Village (寶藏巖國際藝術村) in Taipei tomorrow, with a troop of musicians and bands, including pop rocker Misi Ke (柯泯薰), indie rock veterans Freckles (雀斑) , folk combo Four Pens (四枝筆樂團) and Hello Nico, which mixes pop and alt rock with electronic sounds. For more information, go to the event’s Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/helpmusicfestival.
■ 49, Ln 230, Dingzhou Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市汀州路三段 230 巷 49 號)
■ Festival runs from 2pm to 9pm
■ Handmade tickets cost NT$700, available at various venues in Taipei, including White Wabbit Records (小白兔唱片), Forgood (好多咖啡) and CAFE Macho (早秋咖啡), and through emailing to doorcatstudio@gmail.com
Event
An open discussion, Comparative Religion: Can we use the language of math and science to make Ethical judgements comparing religions?, will be held on Sunday at the Frog Free Cafe. The forum will address the complicated question of making qualitative comparisons between religions based on ethics. The discussion is based on arguments between intellectuals Sam Harris and Reza Aslan.
■ Frog Free Cafe (蛙咖啡), 5, Alley 9, Songjiang Rd, Taipei City (台北市松江路69巷5號)
■ Sunday at 7:30pm. Admission is free
Last week Joseph Nye, the well-known China scholar, wrote on the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s website about how war over Taiwan might be averted. He noted that years ago he was on a team that met with then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), “whose previous ‘unofficial’ visit to the US had caused a crisis in which China fired missiles into the sea and the US deployed carriers off the coast of Taiwan.” Yes, that’s right, mighty Chen caused that crisis all by himself. Neither the US nor the People’s Republic of China (PRC) exercised any agency. Nye then nostalgically invoked the comical specter
Relations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic have flourished in recent years. However, not everyone is pleased about the growing friendship between the two countries. Last month, an incident involving a Chinese diplomat tailing the car of vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) in Prague, drew public attention to the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) operations to undermine Taiwan overseas. The trip was not Hsiao’s first visit to the Central European country. It was meant to be low-key, a chance to meet with local academics and politicians, until her police escort noticed a car was tailing her through the Czech capital. The
April 15 to April 21 Yang Kui (楊逵) was horrified as he drove past trucks, oxcarts and trolleys loaded with coffins on his way to Tuntzechiao (屯子腳), which he heard had been completely destroyed. The friend he came to check on was safe, but most residents were suffering in the town hit the hardest by the 7.1-magnitude Hsinchu-Taichung Earthquake on April 21, 1935. It remains the deadliest in Taiwan’s recorded history, claiming around 3,300 lives and injuring nearly 12,000. The disaster completely flattened roughly 18,000 houses and damaged countless more. The social activist and
Over the course of former President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) 11-day trip to China that included a meeting with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping (習近平) a surprising number of people commented that the former president was now “irrelevant.” Upon reflection, it became apparent that these comments were coming from pro-Taiwan, pan-green supporters and they were expressing what they hoped was the case, rather than the reality. Ma’s ideology is so pro-China (read: deep blue) and controversial that many in his own Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) hope he retires quickly, or at least refrains from speaking on some subjects. Regardless