Theater
Part of the Taiwan International Festival of the Arts (台灣國際藝術節), Shadows of Love (人間影) is a three-way collaboration between Taiwan’s Taiyuan Puppet Theatre Company (台原偶戲團), the Cengiz Ozek Shadow Theater of Istanbul and the Beijing Shadow Puppet Theater Company (北京皮影劇團). The production is a contemporary shadow puppet show that includes animation and film.
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Only remaining tickets are for Sunday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Borrowing Arrows With Boats (草船借箭) by If Kids Theater Company (如果兒童劇團) is a child-friendly, comic rendition of a chapter from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義) in which Zhuge Liang (諸葛亮) uses clever tactics to steal ammunition from the enemy.
■ Wenshan Theater (文山劇場), 32 Jingwen St, Taipei City (台北市景文街32號)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$200, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Once Upon a Time, in 8-12 (小七爆炸事件) by Action 1911 (1911劇團) takes its cue from the omnipresent 7-Eleven convenience stores to tell the stories of seven individuals who find themselves at such a shop on a rainy night.
■ 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 and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$480, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
All U People Theater (全民大劇團), the multimedia group that produced the wildly popular spoof politics TV show The Largest Political Party (全民最大黨), turns its satirical eye to soap operas starring entertainment industry idols for Crazy Idol Soap (瘋狂偶像劇). The show stars TV soap actor James Wen (溫昇豪) as a successful TV producer who coaches supporting actress Megan Lai (賴雅妍) on how to become a female lead.
■ Metropolitan Hall (台北市社教館城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$2,400 to NT$3,000, available online at www.artsticket.com.tw and through 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Kaohsiung City Ballet (高雄城市芭蕾舞團) presents the ninth instalment of its Dance Shoe series, which aims to provide young choreographers with a platform to perform in public. Dance Shoe 2012 (2012點子鞋) is composed of works by six choreographers, including Yan Feng-hsi (顏鳳曦), Ke Tzu-chun (柯姿君) and Wu Cheng-en (吳承恩).
■ Kaohsiung Cultural Center’s Chihshan Hall (高雄市文化中心至善廳), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市五福一路67號)
■ Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$350, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
The Martin Stadtfeld 2012 Piano Recital (史岱費爾德首度抵台鋼琴獨奏會) brings the German pianist, winner of Leipzig’s International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in 2002, to Taipei for a performance at the National Concert Hall. The program includes J.S. Bach’s English Suite No. 4 in F Major, BWV 809, and Preludio, Gavotte en Rondo and Gigue from Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006 (arranged for solo piano by Sergei Rachmaninov).
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei
■ Tuesday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$1,200 to NT$2,500, available from NTCH ticketing and 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. Tonight, it’s American metal band Lamb of God, with local metal heroes Chthonic(閃靈) opening the show. Tomorrow, British indie rock group The Horrors take to the stage, with an opening set from Taipei indie outfit My Skin Against Your Skin. A-Lin (黃麗玲), the two-time Golden Melody Award-nominated Aboriginal songstress, plays a sold-out show on Saturday. On Sunday, the venue hosts indie-pop band We Save Strawberries (草莓救星), and on Wednesday it’s world music/jazz multi-instrumentalist and singer Paige Su (蘇珮卿).
■ 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
■ NT$2,000 tonight, NT$1,600 tomorrow (NT$1,400 in advance), sold out on Saturday, NT$2,000 or NT$2,800 on Sunday (depending on seating area) and NT$500 (NT$400 in advance) on Sunday and Wednesday. Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw, www.legacy.com.tw and at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Tonight The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, hosts electronica groups Miss Banana (香蕉小姐) and Sleeping Brain (眠腦). Tomorrow, it’s indie rockers Gayyung (假勇) and indie-folk group Hush!. Taiwanese rapper Dog-G (大支), who has just released a new album, performs on Saturday.
■ 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 8pm
■ NT$400 tonight (NT$300 in advance), NT$500 (NT$400 in advance) tomorrow and Saturday. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Witch House (女巫店), an intimate coffeehouse-style venue in the National Taiwan University area, hosts acoustic rock group Vast and Hazy and indie rock band Promise Leaf (葉子). Tomorrow, it’s shoegazer band Nuin 8 (扭音八) and rock trio Silent Sign. On Saturday, the venue hosts indie rockers Aiphy (愛妃) and ambient electronica artist Empty Space on a Chessboard (棋盤上的空格).
■ 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
Hard rock/metal groups Gsus (激射) and Guntzepaula (槍擊潑辣) play tomorrow at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. On Saturday, it’s low-key indie-rock duo Zag Lope (柴可洛噗) and electronica group BHD. Japanese punk band The Jongha plays on Wednesday, with an opening set by goth-punks Qi Lai Observatory (奇萊山觀測站).
■ 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 is NT$300 tomorrow (includes one drink) and NT$500 on Saturday (includes one drink before 11:30pm, two drinks after). Entrance for Wednesday shows is NT$100
Mando-pop singer Lien Yi-han (連依涵) and her group Heavy Rain Report (大雨特報) appear tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Expect a full house tomorrow for JACK, or “jazz plus rock,” featuring pianist Chang Kai-ya (張凱雅) and violinist Hsieh Chi-pin (謝啟彬). The two lead a jazz band that performs classic rock and pop songs, which in the past have included Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song and the Jackson Five’s Going Places. Rock guitar shredder Marty Young (楊沛霖) takes to the stage on Saturday.
■ 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 9pm tonight, and 9:30pm tomorrow and Saturday.
■ NT$350 tonight, NT$400 and NT$350 on Saturday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館) hosts pop rock group Great Adventure (大冒險樂團) and Mando-pop crooner Hsieh Yi-wen (謝苡雯). Tomorrow it’s Macau pop duo Soler, and on Saturday, pop-rock groups MOI and What Century (花世紀) take to the stage.
■ 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$400 tonight, NT$600 tomorrow (NT$500 in advance) and NT400 on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Tomorrow The TAV Cafe (村落餐廳), a bar and cafe located at the Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村), hosts
The Kenyatta Funksters. On Saturday, it’s Musa’s Trio, a top-notch Latin jazz group formed by two Argentines and a Brazilian, all based in Shanghai. On Wednesday, saxophonist Terry Hsieh (謝明諺) leads an ensemble performing the work of Joshua Redman.
■ 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號), tel: (02) 3393-7377 X207
■ Shows start at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$350, which includes one drink
N.E.S. Jazz, a violin/guitar/bass trio, performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar. Saxophonist Terry Hsieh (謝明諺) and his quartet perform avant-garde and post-bop tomorrow, and on Saturday, it’s experimental jazz from The Yellow Lighter Dogma. The house band hosts an open jam on Tuesday and on Wednesday MaJam Jazz Quartet (麻將爵士樂團) plays fusion, funk and blues.
■ 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 tomorrow and Saturday, free all other nights
Tonight indie rock club Revolver hosts live music from Faded Moment, Reigndear and Phantasy of Mirage. Tomorrow, it’s wrestler and singer Ladybeard (鬍鬚女), an eccentric Australian expat living in Hong Kong who combines his love for Canto-pop with metal in a genre he calls “Cantocore,” and dresses in drag to boot. Also performing are emo-rockers The Looking Glass and No Order. On Saturday, it’s DJs Zulu, Digital D, Wangheart and 8Ball.
■ 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 is NT$200 tonight, NT$300 tomorrow, NT$250 on Saturday
Acclaimed Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君) performs every Thursday at EZ5 Live House, which 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, and veteran performer Ann Lang (郎祖筠) on Wednesdays.
■ 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 Italian restaurant Capone’s, with live music from electric blues band Taipei blues band Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). On Saturday, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans. Iris sings “romantic chansons” Sunday nights and on Wednesdays, it’s Latin music from guitarist Roberto Zayas.
■ 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
On Saturday, Bobwundaye, a small pub on Taipei’s Heping East Road (和平東路), hosts live music from South African expat folk group Reigndear. The venue holds an open mic every Wednesday.
■ 77, Hoping E Rd, Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市和平東路三段77號)
■ Shows start at 9:30pm
■ NT$200 on Saturday
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tomorrow it’s heavy metal from Burning Island (火燒島), Artemis (阿台米斯) and Peacecrew. On Saturday, it’s indie bands Outlet Drift (漂流出口), Red Sofa (紅沙發) and The Tic Tac.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (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 7:30pm
■ NT$300 tonight and tomorrow
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts live music every Saturday. This weekend, it’s prog-rock/post-rock group Killjoy and solo female indie folk performer Promise Leaf (葉子).
■ 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
■ Entrance is NT$200, which includes one drink
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