Theater
The widely popular UK theater group Stomp, which combines percussion, everyday objects and body movements, returns to Taipei with a run of six performances.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
Photo courtesy of Urban Nomad Film Fest
■ Tonight and Thursday at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are from NT$800 to NT$4,800, available through www.kham.com.tw
Tainaner Ensemble’s (台南人劇團) Play Games (遊戲邊緣) explores the twists and turns a mother and her daughter’s relationship make.
Photo courtesy of Trees Music and Art
■ Crown Theater (皇冠小劇場), 50, Ln 120, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei City (台北市敦化北路120巷50號)
■ Tonight and Thursday at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Slow Island Theater (慢島劇團) presents two shows in one performance. In Clear Life (黑白過), theater director and performer Vera Chen (陳雪甄) deploys video art installation to criticize commercialism, while director Wang Ke-yao (王珂瑤) aims to introduce olfactory elements into theater with The Smell Of (鼻子記).
■ Wenshan Theater (文山劇場), 32 Jingwen St, Taipei City (台北市景文街32號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
A Beijing opera performance written by contemporary playwright Chao Hsueh-chun (趙雪君), Guoguang Opera Company’s (國光劇團) Three Persons and Two Lamps (三個人兒兩盞燈) presents a story about three young women’s feelings of loneliness and longing.
■ Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Flying-Group Theatre (飛人集社劇團) presents The Dying Fish (魚) which centers on the tragic yet comic romance between a kindergarten teacher and her insurance salesman boyfriend, whose life together is a grind. Then an uninvited guest comes along and shakes things up.
■ Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Fruit Wine Building (果酒禮堂), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Part of the Kuandu Arts Festival (關渡藝術節) lineup, Maestro Poulet and TNUA Orchestra (小提琴泰斗普雷與北藝大管絃樂團) feature violinist Gerard Poulet performing with the TNUA Orchestra (北藝大管絃樂團) under the baton of Felix Chen Chiu-sen (陳秋盛). The program includes Verdi’s Overture from “La Forza del Destino,” Dvorak’s Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 53 and Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Suite (arranged by Chen). Poulet will also perform a second concert tomorrow with Yori Kawashima on piano, in a program that includes Grieg’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in G Major Op.13, Schumann’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in D Minor Op. 121, and Rachmaninoff’s Morceaux de Salon Op. 6.
■ Today at 7:30pm and tomorrow at 2:30pm
■ Taipei National University of the Arts Theater (國立臺北藝術大學展演藝術中心戲劇廳), 1 Xueyuan Rd, Taipei City (台北市學園路1號)
■ Tickets are NT$300, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Part of the NSO’s Viennese dialogue series (NSO維也納世代對話系列) of concerts, The Dawn of Fate, the Rise of Sun (命運之晨 黎明再起), sees violinist Lu Si-qing (呂思清) performing with the National Symphony Orchestra (國家交響樂團) under the baton of guest conductor Mihkel Kutson. The program includes Schonberg’s Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16, Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67.
■ Sunday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. Disco-rockers Cosmos People (宇宙人) take to the stage one last time before taking a hiatus when several band members enter military service. Fans shouldn’t worry, though, as the band has billed the show as a “temporary farewell.” Tomorrow the venue hosts veteran indie rock band Air Dolphin (海豚樂團), a group formed during the 1990s that is making a rare appearance. Opening the show are indie bands Jindown (筋斗雲) and Black Summer Days.
■ 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)
■ Show starts at 8:30pm tonight and tomorrow
■ NT$600 tonight (NT$500) and NT$500 tomorrow (NT$400 in advance). Tickets can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
DJ Spykee Fat leads a dance rock party tonight at The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock musicians. For Halloween the venue tomorrow hosts Little Wonfu (小旺福), the alter ego of Wonfu (旺福).
■ 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
■ Shows start at 9pm tonight, 8pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$350 tonight, NT$600 tomorrow (NT$500 in advance). Tomorrow’s show is sold out. Tickets can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Folk rock group Who Knows (再生草) takes to the stage tonight at Witch House (女巫店), which regularly hosts performances from both indie rock bands and folk artists in a coffeehouse setting. Also appearing tonight is indie rock outfit Soundboss. New age pianist Wang Jun-jie (王俊傑) performs tomorrow.
■ 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$300
Tonight Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) hosts jazz drummer Chang Wen-kuang (張文光). Tomorrow night, it’s Mando-pop singer Jay Shih (是元介). Indie-pop acoustic duo Ding Ding and Xi Xi (丁丁與西西) share the billing on Sunday with pop-rock band A-Pay (阿霈樂團). Monday is the venue’s weekly open jam.
■ 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 9:30pm tonight and 9pm all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ Entrance is NT$400 tonight, NT$480 tomorrow night, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 on Monday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館), it’s a Halloween party organized by lesbian group Lez’s Meeting. Tomorrow the venue hosts the final showcase performance of the Taiwan Band Festival, which features indie bands that won this year’s annual grants from the Government Information Office to produce new CDs. Performers tonight include Loh Tsui Kweh Commune (濁水溪公社, also known as LTK), Queen Suitcase (皇后皮箱) and Echo (回聲樂團).
■ 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
■ Party starts at 9pm tonight. Taiwan Band Festival event begins at 2pm. See www.taiwanbandfestival.com for detailed schedule
■ Entrance is NT$700 tonight (includes four drinks). Entrance is free tomorrow. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight and tomorrow indie rock club Underworld (地下社會) hosts a Halloween party presented by Predator Productions. No shows are scheduled for Wednesday as of press time.
■ B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Tel: (02) 2369-0103. On the Net: www.upsaid.com/underworld
■ Shows run from 9:30pm to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance for music shows is NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesdays
Flaneur Daguerre, a quartet that plays everything from free jazz and Balkan folk to classical and rock ‘n’ roll, performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late night lounge bar that hosts live jazz and blues performances. Tomorrow Italian drummer Pietro Valente returns to Taiwan for a visit, and on Tuesday, it’s Roger’s Jazz trio.
■ 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.sappho102.biz
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$200 tonight and NT$150 tomorrow, free on other nights
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include Mando-pop songstress Julia Peng (彭佳慧) and male crooner Shin Lung (辛隆), who performs every Saturday. Legendary pub songstress and pop singer Tiger Huang (黃小琥) performs on Mondays.
■ 211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段211號). Tel: (02) 2738-3995. On the Net: visit www.ez5.com.tw
■ Shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at Capone’s, with live music from blues band BoPoMoFo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). Dancers of all levels are welcome, and beginner’s lessons are offered while the band takes a break. Tomorrow, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號)
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ On Fridays, minimum charge of one drink, dancers receive a free drink coupon. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
Tonight 89k, Taichung’s long-established spot for local indie bands, hosts blues rock band The Silence. Tomorrow it’s a Halloween party featuring a host of indie and expat bands: rockabilly swing group Full House, The Deadly Vibes, My Skin Against Your Skin and DJ Colour Wolf.
■ 21 Daguan Rd, Nantun Dist, Taichung City (台中市南屯區大觀路21號)
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tonight the venue presents indie groups Solidor (固定客), Overdose and Lazy Lady. Smooth indie-pop singer-songwriter Peggy Hsu (許哲珮) appears tomorrow.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw, www.thewall.com.tw
■ Shows start at 7pm tonight and 7:30pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$300 tonight and NT$400 tomorrow
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts Sky Post and Hi Jack tomorrow.
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市左營區立文路46號). Tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Show starts at 9:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$200, includes one drink
Lecture
Birgitt Ory, director General of the German Institute Taipei, and Patrick Bonneville, director of the French Institute in Taipei, will give a talk titled Who Offers the First Olive Twig? An Exchange of French-German Perspectives tomorrow as part of the Lung Yingtai Cultural Foundation’s (龍應台文化基金會) Taipei Salon (台北沙龍) lecture series. Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) will moderate the discussion. The speakers will discuss how erstwhile enemies France and Germany overcame their differences after World War II and signed the Treaty of Friendship in Jan. 1963, which was followed by decades of cooperation.
■ The Salon will be held tomorrow from 2pm to 4pm at Yue-han Hall (月涵堂), 110 Jinhua St, Taipei City (台北市金華街110號)
■ Admission is free, but those attending must preregister online at www.civictaipei.org or by calling (02) 3322-4907. The lecture is in English only
HIGHLIGHT
By David Chen
Last week, the Urban Nomad Film Fest started its Drive-In Movies series at Treasure Hill Artist Village (寶藏巖國際藝術村). The event continues on Sunday with a screening of Wild Zero (2000), a cult comedy that stars Japanese rock band Guitar Wolf. The screening comes ahead of Guitar Wolf’s shows in Kaohsiung on Nov. 12 and Taipei on Nov. 13.
The band, which is modeled after the Ramones and whose members cite Joan Jett as their biggest influence and don black leather, plays thrashing garage punk. Their wild energy has drawn acclaim from Western indie rock critics and helped get them signed to Matador Records in the US. Wild Zero, modeled after B-movie horror flicks, offers a taste of the band’s eccentric rock ‘n’ roll fantasies.
Expect to see zombies from outer space, lots of guns and transsexuals.
Urban Nomad’s Drive-In Movie series, which continues every weekend until the end of next month, takes place outdoors on a grassy area at Treasure Hill, a former veterans community that has been renovated into an art space. For information on other films, visit www.urbannomad.tw.
■ Wild Zero, a film starring Japanese rock band Guitar Wolf
■ Sunday at 7:30pm, Treasure Hill Artist Village (寶藏巖國際藝術村), 4-8, Alley 37, Ln 230, Dingzhou Rd Sec 3, Taipei City
(台北市汀州路三段230巷37弄4-8號). The entrance to Treasure Hill is located near the corner of Dingzhou and Keelung
(基隆) roads
■ Event is free. In case of rain, check the organizer’s Web site for rescheduled screenings at www.urbannomad.tw
HIGHLIGHT
By David Chen
CORRECTION: Friday's edition of the Taipei Times incorrectly listed Lin Sheng-xiang's (林生祥) performance at Kaohsiung Cultural Center (高雄市立文化中心西側草坪) as scheduled for Oct. 30. The correct date for Lin's show in Kaohsiung is Nov. 6 at 7pm. The Taipei Times regrets the error.
Hakka singer-songwriter Lin Sheng-xiang (林生祥) started a run of shows last week to promote his upcoming release, The Land Is My Study (大地書房). The tour continues with performances tonight at Eslite Music Store on Dunhua South Road (誠品敦南音樂館) in Taipei and at Kaohsiung Cultural Center (高雄市立文化中心) tomorrow.
The album, the Golden Melody Award-winning musician’s fourth solo venture, is based on the life of the late renowned Hakka writer Chung Li-ho (鍾理和), whose work centered on rural life in southern Taiwan in the early 20th century.
Lin performs solo tonight and with Japanese musicians guitarist Ken Ohtake (大竹研) and bassist Toru Hayakawa (早川徹) tomorrow in Kaohsiung. The two were Lin’s backing musicians on the new acoustic folk album, which is scheduled for release next month. Visit music label Trees Music & Art’s Facebook page for details (in Chinese only).
■ Hakka singer-songwriter Lin Sheng-xiang
■ Tonight from 8pm to 9pm at Eslite Music Store (誠品敦南音樂館), B2, 245, Dunhua S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路一段245號B2) and tomorrow from 7pm to 8:30pm at the west side of the Kaohsiung Cultural Center (高雄市立文化中心西側草坪), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市五福一路67號)
■ Both events are free
■ For more info, search for “Trees Music & Art” on Facebook
It is barely 10am and the queue outside Onigiri Bongo already stretches around the block. Some of the 30 or so early-bird diners sit on stools, sipping green tea and poring over laminated menus. Further back it is standing-room only. “It’s always like this,” says Yumiko Ukon, who has run this modest rice ball shop and restaurant in the Otsuka neighbourhood of Tokyo for almost half a century. “But we never run out of rice,” she adds, seated in her office near a wall clock in the shape of a rice ball with a bite taken out. Bongo, opened in 1960 by
Common sense is not that common: a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania concludes the concept is “somewhat illusory.” Researchers collected statements from various sources that had been described as “common sense” and put them to test subjects. The mixed bag of results suggested there was “little evidence that more than a small fraction of beliefs is common to more than a small fraction of people.” It’s no surprise that there are few universally shared notions of what stands to reason. People took a horse worming drug to cure COVID! They think low-traffic neighborhoods are a communist plot and call
Over the years, whole libraries of pro-People’s Republic of China (PRC) texts have been issued by commentators on “the Taiwan problem,” or the PRC’s desire to annex Taiwan. These documents have a number of features in common. They isolate Taiwan from other areas and issues of PRC expansion. They blame Taiwan’s rhetoric or behavior for PRC actions, particularly pro-Taiwan leadership and behavior. They present the brutal authoritarian state across the Taiwan Strait as conciliatory and rational. Even their historical frames are PRC propaganda. All of this, and more, colors the latest “analysis” and recommendations from the International Crisis Group, “The Widening
The sprawling port city of Kaohsiung seldom wins plaudits for its beauty or architectural history. That said, like any other metropolis of its size, it does have a number of strange or striking buildings. This article describes a few such curiosities, all but one of which I stumbled across by accident. BOMBPROOF HANGARS Just north of Kaohsiung International Airport, hidden among houses and small apartment buildings that look as though they were built between 15 and 30 years ago, are two mysterious bunker-like structures that date from the airport’s establishment as a Japanese base during World War II. Each is just about
RSS