Contemporary
Hip-hop artist Aristophanes (貍貓) will play tomorrow at Legacy Taipei, a venue that hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. The Taipei-based artist’s verbal wordplay and unique delivery fuses slam poetry, jazz, soul and electronica.
■ 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).
Photo courtesy of Riverside Live House
■ Show starts at 8pm tonight
■ Admission is NT$700 tonight, NT$800 on Sunday, NT$200 on Thursday. Tickets available through www.indievox.com and at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Electronic dance/rock outfit OVDS will have a party for their new EP release, The Parallel, tomorrow at The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists. They will be supported by Unions, drum and bass group The Game Shop and Portuguese electronic dance group Ninja Kore. On Wednesday, post-rock/instrumental outfit Ego-Fugue (自我意識神遊) will share the venue with folk/shoegazing combo Erwin Schrodinger’s Cat (薛丁格的貓) and four-piece rockers Pacers (步行者). Korner, which is located inside the venue, will hold a techno party tonight with DJ Yen, Inn Masato, Elin and Wayland.
Photo courtesy of Funky Brothers
■ 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: thewall.tw
■ The Wall shows start at 8pm; Korner performances begin at 11:50pm
■ Tickets cost NT$200 tonight, NT$600 tomorrow and NT$400 on Wednesday, available online through thewall.tw
Tonight Pipe Live Music, a major venue for indie music and parties, hosts its Hop Sauce, an event that brings together plenty of music and craft beer. Japan’s indie electronic band 80kidz will lead the party and be joined by rap artist MC Xiao (小人).
■ 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 7:30pm tonight
■ Admission is NT$950 tonight. Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased online through www.indievox.com, pipemusic.kktix.cc and at FamilyMart (全家) FamiPort kiosks
JJ & the Catz plays an eclectic collection of blues, jazz, Latin and reggae tonight at Bobwundaye (無問題), a small pub in Taipei. Tomorrow it is Three Days Bender & .22.
■ 77, Heping E Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市和平東路三段77號), tel: (02) 2377-1772. On the Net: bobwundaye.blogspot.tw
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Admission is NT$300
Puyuma guitarist Nawan takes the stage tonight at Witch House (女巫店), an intimate coffeehouse-style venue in the National Taiwan University area. He will be joined by soul and female singer Zoomie (陳柔米). Tomorrow it is guitarist and singer Hannah Chang (張涵真) and Miss Wei (魏郁).
■ 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$350
Indie pop group Queen Suitcase (皇后皮箱) will play tomorrow at Kafka by the Sea (海邊的卡夫卡), a coffee house-cum-music and arts venue.
■ 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
■ Show starts at 8pm. Cafe/bookstore opens noon to midnight Sundays through Thursdays, noon to 2am Fridays and Saturdays
■Admission is NT$400 tonight, available online through www.indievox.com
Indie-pop singer-songwriter Peggy Hsu (許哲珮) takes the stage tonight at Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館). Indie rock band College Kingdom (學院王國) will play from their new album tomorrow and respected American jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel will perform on 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 8pm
■ Admission is NT$800 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow and NT$2,300 Sunday and available online through www.indievox.com and tickets.books.com.tw
Shidaren (師大人), a group composed of graduate students from National Taiwan Normal University music department who play jazz, blues and Latin, will take the stage tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow it is rock band Amuse Me Behind the Gates, while Japan’s digda, funk/disco/nu-jazz combo Funky Brothers (放客兄弟) will take the stage on Wednesday. They will be joined by electronic outfit Dizparity and ambient group Barkher (吠人).
■ 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 at 8pm tonight and 9pm Sunday and Wednesday
■ Admission is NT$400 tonight and NT$350 on Sunday and weeknights, available online through www.indievox.com and tickets.books.com.tw
Sappho Live, a late-night lounge bar that hosts mostly jazz shows, hosts five-piece jazz band Lu Sir Friend Project tonight. JJ & the Catz play an eclectic collection of blues, jazz and Latin tomorrow. On Sunday and Tuesday the club hosts an open jam, while Thursday it is The Taipei Dixieland Collective, a New Orleans jazz-style band formed with Taiwanese and Spanish musicians “playing foot tapping, danceable happy jazz music reminiscent of 1920’s and 1930’s Chicago.”
■ 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, free on Sunday and Tuesday and NT$200 on Thursday
Mark Kuo (郭馬克), a pianist, will take the stage tonight with four other jazz musicians at TADA Ark (TADA方舟), a music venue located inside the Taichung Cultural & Creative Industries Park (台中文化創意產業園區) in Taichung.
■ 362, Fuhsing Rd Sec 3, Taichung City (台中市復興路三段362號), tel: (04) 2229-0989. On the Net: www.tadaark.com.tw
■ Show starts at 7pm
■ Admission is NT$400.
Legacy Taichung, a spin-off of Legacy Taipei, will tonight host hip-hop artist Aristophanes (貍貓). The Taipei-based artist, whose striking verbal wordplay, poetry and unique delivery fuses slam poetry, jazz, soul and electronica. Tomorrow’s roster features alternative rock outfit Silverbus (銀巴士) and post-rock band Bugs of Phonon (聲子蟲). Indie rockers Hippocampus (海馬迴) and Greater Taichung rockers Jiang Dong Cheng Ming (江東成名) play on Sunday.
■ 117, Anhe Rd, Taichung City (台中市安和路117號), tel: (04) 2359-8780. On the Net: www.legacy.com.tw/taichung
■ Show starts at 8pm today and tomorrow, 6:30pm on Sunday
■ Admission NT$600. Tickets available online through www.indievox.com and at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Pop folk artist PiA (吳蓓雅) performs at Taichung’s Forro Cafe (呼嚕咖啡) on Sunday.
■ 47, Jingcheng 3rd St, Taichung City (台中市精誠三街47號), tel: (04) 2310-1661. On the Net: forrocafe.blogspot.tw
■ Show starts at 7pm
■ Admission is NT$600. Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased online through www.indievox.com
Vence Han & Murphic Band play tomorrow at The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung. They will be joined by The Minors (半成年).
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市立文路46號), tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.tw
■ Show starts at 7:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$250, available at www.indievox.com
Hip-hopsters and activists Community Service (勞動服務) take the stage tomorrow night at Uri-Sabaki-Jo (The Wall, 賣捌所), a historical building-turned-music venue in Yilan.
■ 38 Kangle Rd, Yilan City (宜蘭市康樂路38號), tel: (03) 935-2493.On the Net: thewall.tw
■ Show starts at 5pm
■ Admission is NT$350, available online through thewall.tw
Amis-Paiwan artist and singer Hsi Tzu (希紫) and Indie pop band Smoke Ring (煙圈) play tonight at Tiehua Music Village (鐵花村), an arts village in Taitung City. Tomorrow, the venue hosts its annual H.O.T. Island Music Festival, with live music, music workshops and exhibitions. On Sunday, there will be a flea market.
■ 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 tonight and tomorrows festival runs from 3pm to 8pm. Sunday’s flea market runs from 3:30pm to 6pm. Music venue and crafts shops are open 2pm to 10pm Tuesdays through Sundays
■ Entrance is NT$250 tonight and NT$120 tomorrow and Sunday, available online at tickets.books.com.tw
Theater
China National Peking Opera Company (中國國家京劇院) presents a series of classic Beijing opera performances over the next week, bringing over established stars and introducing emerging talent in a huge showcase of outstanding operatic technique. Highlights include tonight’s performance of Women Generals of the Yang Family (楊門女將) and tomorrow’s performance of Judge Bao and the Qin Xiang Lian Case (鍘美案).
■ Today and tomorrow at 7pm and tomorrow and Sunday at 2pm
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500; available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw. NT$500 are sold out
EX-Theatre Asia (EX-亞洲劇團) will perform A True Calling, a theater performance it calls a play about acting. Adapted from Indian folklore, it tells the story of an actor who wanders the countryside impersonating different people and animals. But when he attempts to put on his greatest performance, he calls into question his own acting ability.
■ Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm and tomorrow and Sunday at 2pm
■ Experimental Theater (國家實驗劇場), 21-1 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei City (台北市中山南路21-1號)
■ Tickets are NT$700, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
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
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