The Source is no longer gay. At least it wasn't last Friday when we visited and the owner said it wasn't marketed at the pink pocket any more. We should have known when we saw a flyer advertising the "sexy girls" to be found there on Wednesday nights.
The place was hopping but it needed to be twice as big -- and have twice as many bathrooms. It was an all-you-can-drink-style soiree and the crowd gave the owners a run for their money. No surprise there. The beer was Becks and punters could opt for cocktails off the rail. We've a sneaking suspicion that if the party happens again it'll happen a bit differently. But we hope to see it happen again, nonetheless.
We also reported last week that local dance music Web portal, djtaiwan.org, had undergone a face lift. But even as we wrote that, another local portal, TaipeiNightLife.com was reportedly preparing to shut its doors. The site's administrator, Paul Torkenhagen, is heading back to Norway and had planned on pulling the plug. But The Vinyl Word learned earlier this week that he'll be be handing its administration over to clubbing cohort Bernard Pol, allowing the site to remain online. Nonetheless, Torkenhagen will be missed. No one has more ardently chronicled the local dance music scene. Log onto http://www.taipeinightlife.com to wish him well and enjoy the site he's left for us.
The big news this week is Ice-T and Afrika Islam's gig at Ministry of Sound tonight. For local hip-hop heads and aficionados of old-school this is a must see. Few names are bigger than Ice-T's, having crossed over not only from hardcore rap to heavy metal, but from music to movies and TV. He's been a regular on Law and Order and appeared as himself in dozens of other television shows.
In 1992, Ice-T fronted a heavy metal group called Body Count. Its self-titled debut album became mired in controversy due to its final track, Cop Killer, written from the perspective of an angry African-American man who shoots Los Angeles police officers in retaliation for their beating of Rodney King. Conservatives and police groups protested, prompting Ice-T's record company to censor new pressings of the album. The following year he toured several universities, including Harvard, NYU and Stanford, lecturing on free speech and civil liberties.
As his politics were grabbing headlines, his film and television career were taking off. He secured roles in Trespass, Johnny Mnemonic, and New Jack City, for which he also contributed to the soundtrack, earning him a Grammy nomination.
Working with him on New Jack City and other albums was Afrika Islam, a virtuoso DJ who is able to work four turntables at a time. He's best known for his production work with Ice-T, but he's also been heard on releases by Michael Jackson, New Order, and the Eurythmics.
Tonight's show is bound to be packed and anyone interested in attending is encouraged to get there early. Tickets cost NT$500 before 11pm and NT$350 after. (310 Lequn 3rd Rd, Neihu
Also tonight, Japan's No. 1 drum'n bass specialist, DJ Aki from Womb in Tokyo will be at Partyroom. He'll be backed up up by Mykal, Dino and Spykee. Men NT$600 and ladies NT$450 (12F, Living Mall, 138 Bade Rd 北市八德路四段138號12樓).
Tomorrow night, Luxy offers Kai and Raji K in the Lotus Room with T-Bone and Goldfish and Too Phat in the Galleria.
There is no politician today more colorful than Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯). The recall vote against her on July 26 will test the limits of her unique style, making it one of the most fascinating to watch. Taiwan has a long history of larger-than-life, controversial and theatrical politicians. As far back as 1988, lawmaker Chu Kao-cheng (朱高正) was the first to brawl and — legend has it — was the first to use the most foul Taiwanese Hokkien curse on the floor of the legislature. Current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Wang Shih-chien (王世堅) has become famous
July 14 to July 20 When Lin Tzu-tzeng (林資曾) arrived in Sansia (三峽) in 1830, he found the local conditions ideal for indigo dyeing. Settlers had already planted indigo across the nearby hills, the area’s water was clean and low in minerals and the river offered direct transport to the bustling port of Bangka (艋舺, modern-day Wanhua District in Taipei). Lin hailed from Anxi (安溪) in Fujian Province, which was known for its dyeing traditions. He was well-versed in the craft, and became wealthy after opening the first dyeing workshop in town. Today, the sign for the Lin Mao Hsing (林茂興) Dye
Xu Pengcheng looks over his shoulder and, after confirming the coast is clear, helps his crew of urban adventurers climb through the broken window of an abandoned building. Long popular in the West, urban exploration, or “urbex” for short, sees city-dwelling thrill-seekers explore dilapidated, closed-off buildings and areas — often skirting the law in the process. And it is growing in popularity in China, where a years-long property sector crisis has left many cities dotted with empty buildings. Xu, a 29-year-old tech worker from the eastern city of Qingdao, has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers for his photos of rundown schools and
At times, it almost seems that former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is out to sabotage the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). As if on cue, with the recall campaigns against KMT lawmakers in full swing, Ma thought it would be a good time to lead a delegation of students to China and attend the 17th Straits Forum (海峽論壇) and meet with Wang Huning (王滬寧), the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo member entrusted by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to be his second in command on Taiwan policy and to run the United Front Work Department (UFWD) in charge of subverting enemies,
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