Jazz is back, but just don’t call it a festival as the Give Me Five concert series is set to kick off tomorrow in Taichung.
Running through Oct. 31, the small-scale performances take the place of the annual jazz festival, which was canceled for a second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In years past, the multi-day event attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators.
“It’s totally different this year,” Hsiao Jing-ping (蕭靜萍), head of performing arts for the city’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, says.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Nearly 30 traditional and contemporary jazz bands will perform at venues throughout the city. The old Taichung railway station will play host to the largest of the concerts, with performances taking place on the abandoned tracks.
Crowd sizes will be limited to 500 spectators at the old train station, while most of the other sites are even smaller. Hotels and restaurants around the city will also host concerts, but numbers will be limited due to safety concerns.
“Whether it’s 10,000 people or 10, we’ll do our best,” says Richard Li (利啟正), bassist for Skyline, a jazz fusion band set to perform on Sunday.
Photo courtesy of Richard Li of Skyline
Organizers stressed that government COVID-19 regulations will be followed, including the wearing of masks, temperature checks and real-name registration via QR code.
Tickets for the concerts are free, but must be confirmed in advance through an online booking system.
“We hope people truly appreciate the music,” Hsiao says. She adds that she feels optimistic that the traditional large-scale jazz festivities would be back next year.
Photo Courtesy of Riverside Live House
Photo courtesy of Taichung Jazz Festival
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