Because registration for bands, vendors and artists for this year's Spring Scream began only earlier this week, the concert's organizers are not yet able to provide a full list of the acts that will perform. So Taipei Times has tracked down some bands that have played at previous Spring Screams and that hope to make the annual pilgrimage between April 5 and April 8 to Liu-fu Ranch (
Psychedelic Kindergarten (迷幻幼稚園)
PHOTO COURTESY OF PSYCHEDELIC KINDERGARTEN
Psychedelic Kindergarten is a goth-rock band with a touch of punk and modern rock. On stage, band members paint their faces black and white, wear black, and adorn themselves with other goth paraphernalia. Since Taiwan's goth scene is still barely embryonic, the band's members all lead double lives, with music fulfilling the Mr Hyde side of their personas. As for Dr Jekyll, the resounding example is Ah-chang (
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPTAIN PEANUT
What Psychedelic Kindergarten (迷幻幼稚園) and Editec
Where Underworld (地下社會), 45 Shihda Rd. B1 (師大路145號B1)
When March 14, 10pm
Tickets NT$250
Captain Peanut
Over the last two years, Captain Peanut has shifted its focus from modern rock to bossa nova. The six-man group, which adds brass instruments to the standard rock ensemble, said they simply got fed up with being another underground rock band, said vocalist Abee (阿比). "Everyone's getting heavier and heavier," he said, referring to last year's Spring Scream, "and we said to ourselves we just can't do that." So the band, whose members found themselves listening to more and more jazz, began to take inspiration from the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Stan Getz. But it was just inspiration, not a prefab plan. "We're not really pure bossa nova" said Abee, who says that the group was also listening to lounge music and Shibuya, a new type of Japanese musical fusion. "In Shibuya, you have samba, mambo, bossa nova, and they're all mixed with other things," he said. Sometimes that includes disco, rock or even grunge. In performance, Captain Peanut often transforms the stage into a miniature carnival, inviting friends and audience members onto the stage to play small percussion instruments. Though they have attended Spring Scream in the past, Abee worries that they may not be able to make it this year, as they are busy recording an album. The band will be playing tomorrow night at Zeitgeist with Darcy.
Nicole Darcy
According to rock/folk singer-songwriter Nicole Darcy: "After I went to India for the third time to see the Dalai Lama in 1991, I decided to get a guitar, move back to Taiwan and start singing." Ever since, she has been living in Tainan, where she composes songs and is fairly famous as the girl who walks around barefoot. Most songs are in Mandarin. Darcy, now 38, said she chose the language out of a combination of desires to connect with the local community and take something with her when she eventually leaves Taiwan, which she may do next year. She says that recently, when she returns to Minneapolis, Minnesota, she gets plenty of gigs on the basis of her Chinese songs. She recalls that her first major gig, however, was the first Spring Scream in 1995, and plans to play again this year. In addition to a show tomorrow at Zeitgeist, Darcy will also perform at the Underworld on March 13 and at Witch House on March 17 (see listings for details).
What Captain Peanut and Nicole Darcy
Where Zeitgeist (聖界), 122 Chunghsiao E. Rd., Sec. 2, B1 (忠孝東路二段122號B1)
When Tomorrow, 9pm
Tickets NT$250
For more information on registration, camping, transportation or other news surrounding Spring Scream, check: http://www.springscream.com.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern
RSS