Highlight
Cloud 9 Adventure Camp is staging a Rubber Ducky Race from 2pm to 5pm tomorrow to help raise money for former TV entertainer Mark Selikoff, who was severely injured in a motorcycle accident last September. The camp is in the mountains in Pinglin (坪林), a 40-minute drive from Taipei. Participants sponsor a duck for NT$200. Hundreds of the little rubber duckies, each with a number, will race down the Beixi River (北溪). The first 10 ducks to cross the finish line will win prizes donated by local businesses. Hamburgers, French fries and drinks will be available throughout the day and participants can spend the day swimming or barbecuing at the adventure camp. There will also be an impromptu music jam around the campfire at night and Cloud 9 will offer free camping for anyone who brings a musical instrument and takes part in the jam. Normal camping rates are NT$200 per person per night. An English Hangover Buster Brunch with coffee (NT$200) will be served the following morning.
- Reservations are recommended. Call 0911-126-337 or send an e-mail to andre@cloud9tw.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CLOUD 9
- Directions: Take a bus from Taipei Main Station to Pinglin. Cloud 9 will arrange free pick-up from Pinglin to the camp. A taxi ride from Taipei costs between NT$400 and NT$600
- Proceeds go directly to provide for Selikoff's medical expenses and care for his wife and two young children
- For information about Cloud 9, log on at www.cloud9tw.com. To learn more about Mark Selikoff, log on at markselikoff.spaces.live.com
Theater
Mamma Mia (媽媽咪呀) is the internationally acclaimed smash hit musical that infuses the story with popular hits from the Swedish pop group ABBA. The story unfolds on a Greek island on the eve of a woman's wedding. The bride seeks the identity of her father, which brings three men out of the woodwork. Songs for the Taipei performance include Dancing Queen, Take a Chance on Me, and The Winner Takes It All.
- Taipei County, Sinjhuang Stadium (台北縣立新莊體育場)
- Today, tomorrow, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm and tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm
- Tickets are NT$800 to NT$5,800 and are available through Kuang Hong Arts at www.kham.com.tw and through ERA ticketing
Spicy Era (麻辣時代) is a play by Assignment Theater (差事劇團) that explores a female university graduate's attempt to enter the job market using Taiwan's 104 job bank.
- Guling Street Theater (牯嶺街小劇場), 2, Ln 5, Guling St, Taipei (台北市牯嶺街5巷2號)
- Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm and tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm
- Tickets are NT$250 and are available through NTCH ticket outlets or at www.artsticket.com.tw
Communicating Doors (開錯門中門) is performed by Godot Theater (果陀劇場) and is based on the play by Alan Ayckbourn. The screwball comedy takes place in a five-star hotel where an elderly man is about to admit complicity in the murders of his two former wives by his business partner Julian. But when Julian gets wind of the plan, he attempts to foil the confession.
- Cultural Affairs Bureau of Hsinchu County (新竹縣立文化中心), 146 Hsiencheng 9th Rd, Chubei City, Hsinchu County (新竹縣竹北市縣政九路146號)
- Tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
- Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,900 and are available through ERA ticketing
Heart of Ocean (海洋之心) is a diabolo dance performance by Diabolo Dance Theater (舞鈴劇場) that recreates for audiences the experience of life underwater.
- Taipei Municipal Social Education Hall (台北市社教館城市舞台), 25 Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei (台北市八德路三段25號)
- Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
- Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,100 and are available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical Music
Lee Che-yi Harp Recital (豎琴藝類 - 李哲藝2007豎琴獨奏會). Joined by violinists Lin Tien-chi (林天吉) and Roger Chiang (姜智譯), violist Ou Tsung-yang (歐聰陽) and cellist Ouyang Hui-ru (歐陽慧儒), Lee will present a program including some of his own works such as American Image, Chopin's Nocturne Op.72, No.1, Bl 49 and Valse Brillante, Op.18, Bl 62, Paganini's Caprices No.1, 9 and 24, Kreisler's Schon Rosmarin, Liebesleid and Liebesfreud, Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen and Carmen Fantasy and Arban's The Carnival of Venice.
- At the National Recital Hall, Taipei
- As of press time, NT$600 tickets are sold out, but NT$300 to NT$500 tickets are still available thorugh NTCH ticketing
- Tomorrow at 7:30pm
Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra - Felix Mendelssohn's Symphonic World (高雄市交響樂團 - 孟德爾頌的交響世界). Conducted by guest conductor Yu Yen-cheng (庾燕誠), the KCSO will present a program of Mendelssohn's symphonic works, including Die Hebriden (Fingalshohle) Overture, Op.26, Symphony No.8 in D Major for String Orchestra, and Symphony No.3 in A Minor, "Schottische," Op.56.
- At the Kaohsiung City Music Hall (高雄市音樂館), 99 Hehsi Rd, Kaohsiung (高雄市河西路99號)
- All tickets cost NT$150 and are available through ERA ticketing
- Tomorrow at 7:30pm
The Encounter Between Finger Picking and Bow-String Friction - Guitar and Violin Duo Concert (撥與拉交會之浪漫風情 - 吉他與小提琴二重奏). Featuring young Taiwanese guitar prodigy Jason Lin (林家瑋) and violinist Jennifer Hsieh (謝佳樺), the duo will play Domeniconi's Koyunbaba, Dyens' Tango en Skai, Bellinati's Jongo, Paganini's Sonata Concertata and Sonata in E Minor, No.6, Op.3, and Piazzolla's Histoire du Tango.
- Tomorrow at Taichung's Shinmin Senior High School Art Center (新民高中藝術中心), 289 Sanmin Rd Sec 3, Taichung City (台中市三民路三段289號) and Sunday at the Taipei Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂), 98 Yenping S Rd, Taipei (台北市延平南路98號).
- All NT$100 tickets are sold out, but there may be a good chance of obtaining last-minute tickets by calling Taiwan Guitar Society (台灣吉他學會) on 0935-117-792
- Tomorrow and Sunday at 7:30pm
Academy of Taiwan Strings - Taiwanese Music Atlas: Sounds From Taiwan's Land (台灣絃樂團 - 台灣音樂地圖:土地長出來的聲音). Presided over by Wu Ming (吳鳴) and featuring conductor Wang Chan (王戰), clarinetist Lin Shih-wei (林士偉) and pianist Tang Wan-chun (湯婉君), the concert will be presented by musicians of the Academy of Taiwan Strings. The program includes Taiwanese ballades arranged by James Chen (陳哲聖).
- At the National Concert Hall, Taipei
- Tickets range from NT$300 to NT$2,000 and are available through ERA ticketing
- Sunday at 7:30pm
Chuang Yi-ting Piano Recital (莊貽婷鋼琴獨奏會). Pianist Chuang began her piano study at the age of four and received her doctoral degree in music from the University of Maryland in 2004. She will present a program of works by composers of the Romantic era. All the works share the same title "Moments Musicaux," including Schubert's Six Moments Musicaux, Op. 94, Rachmaninoff's Six Moments Musicaux, Op.16, and Moszkowski's Three Moments Musicaux Op.7 and Four Moments Musicaux Op.84.
- At the National Recital Hall, Taipei
- As of press time, NT$400 tickets are sold out, but seats are still available from NT$200 to NT$300 through ERA ticketing
- Sept. 5 at 7:30pm
Contemporary
Ai Ching (艾青) and her band perform tonight at The Living Room (小客廳), followed by Crossroad, led by guitarist and vocalist Ray "The Jimi Hendrix of Singapore" Anthony, who play rock classics from the 1960s to the present day. Tuesday is tarot night with Eiffel (塔羅老師艾菲爾).
- Tonight's shows start at 9pm and 10:30pm. Tuesday's tarot is from 8pm to midnight
- Entrance is NT$300 plus a two-drink minimum
- 3F, 8 Nanjing E Rd Sec 5, Taipei (台北市南京東路五段8號3樓). Call (02) 8787-4154 or visit www.livingroomtaipei.com
Bliss features Bad Monx and special guests tomorrow. Crossroads play Thursday.
- Performances start at 10pm
- Entrance to the bar is free. On Fridays women wearing skirts get a free drink of their choice. Cover for the shows upstairs is NT$200.
- Address: 148, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei (台北市信義路四段148號). Call Bliss at (02) 2702-1855 or log on at www.bliss-taipei.com
Shui (水), Chamber 6 and The Newsonghead play tonight at The Wall (這牆). Tomorrow is Pumpkins Night, a tribute to US alt-rock band the Smashing Pumpkins with Bearbabes (熊寶貝), Tizzy Bac and Sugar Plum Fairy (甜梅號). Sunday there's an awesome lineup with Nan Zi Han (男子漢), rapper Kou Chou-ching (拷秋勤), Ho-hai-yan's 2007 battle of the bands winner Children Sucker (表兒) and The Chairman (董事長). Heavy metal bands R'aie XIII, Empyrean and 13 (恕) play Wednesday. On Thursday it's another round of Challenging the Fire (火焰大挑戰), a battle of young or otherwise unknown bands.
- Entrance tonight, tomorrow and Sunday is NT$400, Wednesday is NT$300. Thursday is NT$150. Admission includes one free drink
- Bands take the stage at 8pm tonight, 8pm tomorrow, 7pm Sunday, 8pm Wednesday and 7pm Thursday
- B1, 200 Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Call (02) 2930-0162 or visit www.the-wall.com.tw
Underworld (地下社會) presents Living Force (存活勢力) tonight, along with Hindsight (光景消逝). Tomorrow it's Golden Horse nominee electronica collective KbN (凱比鳥), with Sonic Deadhorse. Eat Up Music (嗑音) and Crannabits (麻兔子) take the stage Wednesday.
- The bar opens at 8pm and the bands start playing around 9pm
- Entrance is NT$300
- B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei (台北市師大路45號B1). Call (02) 2369-0103 or visit www.underworld-taipei.blogspot.com for more information
Onyx (奧尼斯爵士四重奏) perform tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow there's a mini-concert with rock band Echo (回聲樂團). Lucky Pie and Jacuzzi play Sunday. As usual, Monday is open-jam night, when amateur bands and singers, as well as the occasional visiting rock star, play short sets. On Tuesday it's Ocean (海洋樂團) and shredder Marty Young. Wednesday features happy punks Children Sucker (表兒) and Formula. Thursday is an evening of jazz with A Funky Horn Band (夢幻星球大樂隊) and Skyline (爵士樂團).
- Shows start at 9:30pm
- Entrance tonight, tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday is NT$350. Sunday and Tuesday is NT$300. On Monday there is a one-drink minimum
- B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號B1). Call (02) 2368-7310, or visit www.riverside.com.tw
On Tap shows English Premier League games starting at 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays upstairs on its big-screen TV. On Wednesdays the pub hosts Underdog, Taipei's mid-week funk and acid jazz bonanza, with Shorty. The DJ starts at 10pm and spins until 3am or 4am.
- 49, Ln 308, Guangfu S Rd, Taipei (台北市光復南路308巷49號).
- Call (02) 2741-5365
Friday night is Salsa Night, where professional instructors teach salsa and merengue to the tune of Cuban music, at Grooveyard in Taichung. Following the salsa, Vento will play pop covers from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Tomorrow, Les Chats Noirs play jazz, blues, and African-style music. On Sunday there's an Amnesty International mini film festival, with screenings of Total Denial and Burma's Secret War. Guitarist Russel Rogers plays blues, jazz, Middle Eastern- and African-influenced music on Wednesday. Thursday is Taiwan Exposed open-mic night.
- Salsa night runs from 8pm to 10pm. The live bands play from 10pm to midnight tonight and tomorrow. Sunday's movie screenings start at 7pm. Rogers plays from 10pm to midnight. Open-mic night starts at 9pm
- Grooveyard cover is NT$200 tonight and NT$300 tomorrow. On Sunday an NT$200 donation is required. There's no cover Wednesday and Thursday
- Grooveyard is located at 2F, 105 Huamei W Rd, Taichung (台中市華美西街105號二樓). Visit www.grooveyardtaiwan.com or call 0939-574-737 for more information
EXHIBITION
Exquisite Beauty - Islamic Jades (國色天香 - 伊斯蘭玉器). Featuring the museum's collection of over 200 pieces of Islamic jade, the exhibition aims to reveal the hidden history of the gems that provided inspiration to Chinese artisans as well as those in the Timurid Empire (1370 to 1506) in Central Asia, the Mughal Empire (1526 to 1857) in Southern Asia and the Ottoman Empire (1300 to 1923) in Western Asia.
- National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院), 221 Zhishan Rd Sec 2, Taipei (台北市至善路二段221號). Open Monday to Sunday from 9am to 3pm. Call (02)2881-2021
- Until Dec. 20
Deng Nang-guang Photography Retrospective (鄧南光百歲紀念展). To celebrate the centennial of the birth of Deng (1907 to 1971), a pioneering figure of Taiwanese modern photography, the exhibit provides a chronological overview of his artistic life, beginning with his first portraits and street scenes, which were heavily influenced by Japan's New Photography movement in the 1930s. The exhibition also shows Deng's nudes and portraits in the 1950s and 1960s.
- Taipei Fine Arts Museum (台北市立美術館), 181 Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3, Taipei (台北市中山北路三段181號) Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30am to 5:30pm. Call (02) 2595-7656
- Until Nov. 18
The Ritual of Love - Art and Clothing Show by Heidi Yip (Heidi愛的儀式服裝與繪畫展). After studying painting and tailoring in Canada and Italy, the Russian-Hong Kong artist has traveled across the world with her whimsical art. Falling in love with Hualien during her Taiwan tour, Yip stayed on to work. A free opening party is being held tomorrow at 7:30pm with red wine, olive bread and cookies on the house and Balkan punk music.
- Salt Peanuts, 23, Ln 60, Taishum St, Taipei (台北市泰順街60巷23號). Open Monday to Sunday from 12pm to 12am. Call (02) 2368-1019
- Tomorrow through Sept. 30
Zone V2 Unstable Media: Act - Interact (V2特區動態媒體 - I行動互動). Curated by Alex Adriaansens from the Netherlands, the exhibition critically and playfully reflects on the electronic media that are both closely intertwined with our understanding of history and the present as our daily movements are recorded by various devices such as CCTV.
- Museum of Contemporary Art (台北當代藝術館), 39 Changan W Rd, Taipei (台北市長安西路39號). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Call (02) 2552-3721
- Until Oct. 7
Season Three: Resident Artist's Group Show (第三季藝術家聯展). While Takao Minami created digital impressions on his journey by ship from Japan's Kagoshima islands off Amami, Okinawa, to Keelung Harbor in Taiwan, Gregory Pryor from Australia made a cultural investigation on fast-disappearing craftsmanship. Taiwanese media artist Sasson Kung (龔維德) invites viewers to experience the inversion of reality through a series of interactive programs and Yang Chun-sen (楊春森) focuses on environmental issue with visual wit and irony.
- Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村), 7 Peiping E Rd, Taipei (台北市北平東路7號). Open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 6pm. Call (02) 3393-7377
- Until Oct. 28
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