Tomorrow is a good day for fans of live music in Taipei, with a handful of events taking place across the city, most of them outdoors and free of charge. A few concerts aim to raise money for charity and promote social awareness, while others are simply being held to celebrate the arrival of summer.
Blues and Roots for Japan
At Ximending (西門町), a group of Japanese expats are teaming up with the Blues Society on Taiwan for the 1,000 Cranes Charity Event, which aims to help children orphaned by the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11.
Photo Courtesy of Amnesty International Taiwan
A dozen bands will perform throughout the day outside of the Red House Theater (西門紅樓). The lineup includes Japanese guitarist Shun Kikuta, Chicago-style blues outfit BoPoMofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ), expat reggae band High Tide and my own group, The Muddy Basin Ramblers, which performs swing jazz and jug band music.
The event is free, but volunteers will be collecting donations for the Japanese charity Ashinaga, a long-established group devoted to helping orphans. Audience members and passersby will also be encouraged to help fold origami cranes. According to Japanese custom, a wish is granted for every 1,000 paper cranes made. On the event’s Facebook page, organizers wrote: “The hope is that with all the Saturday traffic in [Ximending], there will be thousands of cranes made.”
Where: North Square (北廣場), Red House Theater (西門紅樓), 10 Chengdu Rd, Taipei City (台北市成都路10號)
Photo Courtesy of Amnesty International Taiwan
When: Tomorrow from 12:30pm to 9pm
Admission: Free
On the Net: Search for “1000 Cranes Charity Event for Orphans of the 3-11 Tsunami in Japan” on Facebook
Rocking for Freedom in Burma
Aung San Suu Kyi is now free, but the fight continues for the Taiwan Free Burma Network (台灣自由緬甸網絡) and Amnesty International Taiwan, which have co-hosted annual rock concerts since 2006 in honor of the Myanmar democracy icon and social dissident.
This year’s Voice for Freedom Concert takes place at the outdoor park on Shida Road (師大路) tomorrow and features the usual roster of performers known for making music with a social conscience: Hakka hip-hop outfit Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤), PhD-holding underground rapper Chang Jui-chuan (張睿銓), and Taichung rockers The Tonic (主音樂團). There will also be short speeches by Amnesty Taiwan board members, including outspoken rocker Freddy Lim (林昶佐) of the metal group Chthonic (閃靈).
There are still more than 2,000 political prisoners in Myanmar — a point that the concert hopes to impress upon young people in Taiwan, said Tony Yang (楊宗澧), a representative with Amnesty International Taiwan.
Amnesty Taiwan has been making a special effort to appeal to youth through music. Last month, it held a global contest for young songwriters, and the winner, 19-year-old Paula Alcasid of the Philippines, will also be performing tomorrow.
Where: Corner of Shida Road (師大路) and Pucheng Street (浦城街)
When: Tomorrow from 7pm to 9pm
Admission: Free
On the Net: tasskn.blogspot.com, or search for “Amnesty International Taiwan” on Facebook
Punk and Ska Barbecue
The Village Cafe (村落餐廳) is taking advantage of its open-air courtyard location at the Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村) by holding an outdoor party dubbed the 2011 Taipei International BBQ Concert. The lineup consists of established punk groups BB Bomb, Long Hair Monster and Inhuman Species (非人物種), as well as funk and soul group Funky Brothers (放客兄弟) and local ska-meisters Skaraoke. Included in the NT$400 ticket price is a barbecue provided by the cafe.
Where: 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號), tel: (02) 3393-7377 X207
When: Tomorrow from 4pm to 10pm
Admission: Entrance is NT$400, includes one drink
On the Net: Search for “Village Cafe” on Facebook
Indie Rock at the Temple
Now (鬧), a group of promoters devoted to providing “spaces” for indie rock groups, holds monthly concert showcases inside the underground mall at Longshan Temple MRT Station (龍山寺捷運站). Tomorrow’s concert lineup includes electro-rockers The Looking Glass, expat group Roxymoron, and Skip Skip Ben Ben, the latest project of the talented songwriter and vocalist Ban Ban (斑斑) from the noise rock group Boyz & Girl (男孩們女孩).
Where: Longshan Temple Underground Mall (龍山寺地下街), B2, Longshan Temple MRT Station (龍山寺捷運站)
When: Tomorrow from 3pm to 9pm
Admission: Entrance is free
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