Classical music
Chee-Yun Violin Recital (提琴超女Chee-Yun金志妍小提琴獨奏會) presents South Korean violin prodigy Kim Chee-yun, who has carved out an international reputation as one of the most glamorous facets of classical music. She has also produced notable concerts (and massively popular YouTube clips)
in which she integrates jazz and other genres with classical performance techniques.
Photo Courtesy of Guling Street Avant-Garde Theatre
■ Tonight at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
NSO 3+1 String Quartet — Kafka on the String (NSO實驗音場 3+1絃樂四重奏‧絃上的卡夫卡) combines the talents of the string quartet and the VM Theatre Company (耀演劇團) in what is described as a “sound box theater” production. The music includes Haydn’s String Quartet No. 53 in D Major, Op. 64, No. 5, Gounod’s Waltz from “Faust,” and Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ National Recital Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Newstead Trio — Tango Remembrance (紐斯德三重奏首度訪台音樂會‧探戈回憶) brings the Newstead Trio, a highly regarded group made up of Xun Pan on piano, Michael Jamanis on violin and Sara Male on cello to Taipei. The concert will also feature Wang Sung-en (王頌恩) on oboe. The program includes Four Seasons of Buenos Aires and Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla, Rachmaninoff’s Trio Elegiaque in G Minor and Schoenfield’s Cafe Music.
■ Monday 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
The Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in Ximending hosts a weekend of jazz and world music performances, starting tonight with Indian music troupe Coromandel Express. [See story on page 14.] Tomorrow afternoon A Moving Sound (聲動劇場), a well-known Taiwanese troupe that mixes elements of dance, traditional Chinese and Aboriginal folk music, takes to the stage. Later on in the evening, it’s Orbit Folks (世界軌跡), a group that recently won a Golden Melody Award for its debut album, which fuses Balkan and Mediterranean folk with jazz.
■ 10 Chengdu Rd, Taipei City (台北市成都路10號)
■ 7:30pm tonight, 2:30pm tomorrow, 7:30pm tomorrow night
■ NT$500 tonight, tomorrow and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.artsticket.com.tw
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. Chinese pop singer Yisa Yu (郁可唯) takes to the stage tonight and Malaysian Mando-pop singer Z-Chen (張智成) performs tomorrow night. On Wednesday, it’s veteran power-chord rock duo Power Station (動力火車) and Mando-pop singer Roger Yang (楊培安).
■ 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)
■ Shows start at 8pm tonight and tomorrow and 7:30pm on Wednesday.
■ NT$1,000 and NT$800 tonight (depending on seating area), NT$1,000 (NT$700 in advance) tomorrow and NT$800 on Wednesday. Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, tonight hosts Taiwanese rapper Soft Lipa (蛋堡), along with Japanese DJ/producer Shin-ski and DJ Ryow. Tomorrow, Japanese glam rock/visual kei band Cali Gari takes to the stage. Sunday is for punk fans, as the venue hosts Kaohsiung trio Combine (抗敗樂團) and Inhuman Species (非人物種). Also on the bill is alt-rock band Silent Toads (啾吉惦惦). On Thursday, slick 1970s-style garage rock band Okamoto’s shares the bill with beloved nakashi-punk group Loh Tsui Kweh Commune (濁水溪公社, LTK).
■ 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
■ All shows start at 8pm
■ NT$1,200 tonight, NT$1,700 tomorrow (NT$1,500 in advance), NT$500 on Sunday, NT$700 on Thursday (NT$500 in advance). Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Expat indie rock bands The Okay Cars and Hi-Life Wedding take to the stage tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. Tomorrow the venue hosts power-pop group Moon to the Fifth (月的五次) and pop-punk band The Looking Glass. On Wednesday, it’s ambient electronica artist Empty Space on a Chessboard (棋盤上的空格) and Human Beings (人).
■ 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 9pm to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. 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. Entrance for Wednesday shows is NT$100
Tonight Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) hosts Tenor Madness, featuring tenor saxophonists Terry Hsieh (謝明諺), Terry Chou (周泰明) and Hank Pan (潘恒健). Tomorrow it’s rock fusion band Mercenary Soldier (傭兵樂團) and on Sunday, OKI, a renowned Japanese musician who mixes Ainu folk with dub and reggae, takes to the stage. 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
■ Show starts tonight at 9:30pm, 9pm on all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ NT$400 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow, NT$350 Sunday and NT$150 Monday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Riverside Live House
(河岸留言西門紅樓展演館) hosts 25-year-old Japanese jazz saxophonist Saori Yano, who started out as a teenage prodigy at the age of 16 and now leads a fusion group. Tomorrow, it’s Mando-pop singer Roger Yang (楊培安).
■ 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
■ Shows start at 8:30pm
■ NT$1,000 tonight and NT$700 tomorrow night (NT$600 in advance). Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight indie rock club Revolver hosts UK DJ X-Kutz, supported by DJs Robi Roka, Marcus Aurelius and MTB. Tomorrow it’s Night Zoo featuring DJs James Ho, C-Type, AM Stereo, Kolette and Salamander.
■ 1-2, Roosevelt Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路一段1-2號), tel: (02) 3393-1678
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance each night is NT$250, includes one drink.
American saxophonist Steph Chou (周紹慈) performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts live jazz and blues performances. No shows are scheduled for tomorrow as of press time. The Sappho House Band leads an open jam on Tuesday, while Caught Up In (卡到音即興樂團) takes to the stage on Wednesday.
■ 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. The venue is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is NT$200 tonight, free other nights
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), who performs every Saturday. Acclaimed Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君) performs
on Thursdays.
■ 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
Italian restaurant Capone’s hosts Taipei Swing’s weekly social on Fridays. All are welcome to join and a beginner’s lesson is offered. Music is provided by electric blues band Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). Tomorrow, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans. On Wednesday nights, it’s Latin music from guitarist Roberto Zayas and bassist Rick Taira.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號), tel: (02) 2773-3782
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ On Fridays, minimum charge of one drink. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
Tomorrow, The 3 Baboons Sports Bar & Grill, an expat hangout at the Taimall Shopping Center (台茂購物中心) in Taoyuan, hosts Mando-pop singer Sing-Ling (昕羚).
■ Taimall Shopping Center (台茂購物中心), 112, Nankan Rd Sec 1, Lujhu Township, Taoyuan County (桃園縣蘆竹鄉南崁路一段112號), tel: (03) 212-2150. On the Net: www.3baboons.com
■ Starts at 8pm
■ Entrance is free
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, tomorrow hosts rockabilly-punk band Full House and girl punks Hot Pink.
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市左營區立文路46號), tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Starts at 9pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$200, which includes one drink
Theater
Written and directed by esteemed theater veteran Wang Mo-lin (王墨林), Black Hole 3 (黑洞3) is a penetrating reflection on Taiwan’s past and present that addresses the subject of war and the military. The production will go on tour to Macau next weekend.
■ Guling Street Avant-Garde Theatre (牯嶺街小劇場), 2, Ln 5, Guling St, Taipei City (台北市牯嶺街5巷2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
This weekend at Comedy Club, the members of Stand-Up Gang (站立幫) will examine what it means to be a man in their latest live gig, Nanqihan Leba (男子漢‧來吧). Tomorrow night, the venue also hosts an all-English show starring Torch Pratt, Tobie Openshaw, ST. Ross, Nikhil Pandey and Luke Georgiou.
■ Comedy Club, 20, Ln 553, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段553巷20號)
■ Stand-Up Gang’s gigs are tonight, tomorrow and Sunday at 8pm. The English show takes place tomorrow at 10pm
■ Admission is NT$350 per show. Contact the Comedy Club to reserve seats by sending an e-mail to ticket@comedy.com.tw or calling (02) 2764-5529
Puppet artist Godoli Peli Massimo from Italy’s Teatro del Drago is in Taipei to introduce local audiences to three iconic Italian puppet characters through a series of performances that run over three months. The puppet taking center stage this month is Arlecchino, a sly and lazy character.
■ Nadou Theater (納豆劇場), 79 Xining N Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧北路79號)
■ Every Saturday at 3:30pm through the end of this month
■ Tickets are NT$200, available in advance from NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw and at the door
Based on Eileen Chang’s (張愛玲) novel of the same title, Red Rose and White Rose (紅玫瑰與白玫瑰) is celebrated Chinese theater director Tian Qingxin’s (田沁鑫) attempt to explore the representation of females in the author’s masterpiece. The production stars accomplished Chinese actress Qin Hailu (秦海璐) and has toured to Chinese-speaking regions and cities including Hong Kong, Beijing and Singapore.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Film maestro Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮) returns to the stage after 27 years with Only You (只有你), which is composed of three monodramas starring Yang Kuei-mei (楊貴媚), Lu Yi-ching (陸弈靜) and Lee Kang-sheng (李康生). Pop songs from 1940s Shanghai connect the stories about three lonesome lives.
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Lee’s monodrama is tonight at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm, Lu’s is tomorrow at 2:30pm, and Yang’s is tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$1,000 per show, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Sept.16 to Sept. 22 The “anti-communist train” with then-president Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) face plastered on the engine puffed along the “sugar railway” (糖業鐵路) in May 1955, drawing enthusiastic crowds at 103 stops covering nearly 1,200km. An estimated 1.58 million spectators were treated to propaganda films, plays and received free sugar products. By this time, the state-run Taiwan Sugar Corporation (台糖, Taisugar) had managed to connect the previously separate east-west lines established by Japanese-era sugar factories, allowing the anti-communist train to travel easily from Taichung to Pingtung’s Donggang Township (東港). Last Sunday’s feature (Taiwan in Time: The sugar express) covered the inauguration of the
The corruption cases surrounding former Taipei Mayor and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) head Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) are just one item in the endless cycle of noise and fuss obscuring Taiwan’s deep and urgent structural and social problems. Even the case itself, as James Baron observed in an excellent piece at the Diplomat last week, is only one manifestation of the greater problem of deep-rooted corruption in land development. Last week the government announced a program to permit 25,000 foreign university students, primarily from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, to work in Taiwan after graduation for 2-4 years. That number is a
This year’s Michelin Gourmand Bib sported 16 new entries in the 126-strong Taiwan directory. The fight for the best braised pork rice and the crispiest scallion pancake painstakingly continued, but what stood out in the lineup this year? Pang Taqueria (胖塔可利亞); Taiwan’s first Michelin-recommended Mexican restaurant. Chef Charles Chen (陳治宇) is a self-confessed Americophile, earning his chef whites at a fine-dining Latin-American fusion restaurant. But what makes this Xinyi (信義) spot stand head and shoulders above Taipei’s existing Mexican offerings? The authenticity. The produce. The care. AUTHENTIC EATS In my time on the island, I have caved too many times to
In the aftermath of the 2020 general elections the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was demoralized. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had crushed them in a second landslide in a row, with their presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) winning more votes than any in Taiwan’s history. The KMT did pick up three legislative seats, but the DPP retained an outright majority. To take responsibility for that catastrophic loss, as is customary, party chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) resigned. This would mark the end of an era of how the party operated and the beginning of a new effort at reform, first under
RSS