Last Thursday, reporters on the Jay Chou (
In any event, it would be the only scrap that Alfa Music was going to toss to the media in the runup to tomorrow's stop on the Jay Chou Incomparable Tour.
The drab warehouse where Jay and his band have been practicing was stacked floor-to-ceiling with scores of amplifiers the size of Volkswagen Beetles while piles of thick cable were coiled in the back, along with stacks of enormous klieg lights.
Upstairs, reporters jammed into a tiny antechamber, the shaggy cameramen and newspaper photographers chain-smoking and the lady reporters chattering nervously. The only quiet, smoke-free place to await Jay's arrival was outside in the rain. And keeping people waiting is part of what stardom is about, which is why he showed up over half an hour late without anyone seeming to mind.
When Jay arrived in the company of his entourage of managers and sound people it was difficult at first to pick him out, as he was the only one ducking his head and staring at his feet. The others strode with purpose, politely shoving reporters aside and radiating a confidence attributable perhaps to their close proximity to celebrity. The star, though, showed mild ennui and seemed unimpressed by reporters calling him by his nickname Chairman Chou (周董).
He returned the hellos in his awkward, camera-shy manner before being ushered by his manager into the session room. The reporters spilled in after him, elbowing their way to the best spots at the foot of the singer's keyboard while he warmed up for what would be a truncated and mumbled version of two songs, off his latest album Common Jasmine Orange (七里香). It's been at or near the top of the charts in Taiwan most of the summer.
With that part of the event taken care of, Jay got down to the real business of the day, which was having his photo taken at his piano, draped over bongos and standing next to a turntable that provides the scratching on hip-hop numbers.
He played along for the media, even smiled a bit and explained his mumbling as a precaution against straining his voice when a couple of concerned reporters asked whether he'd recovered from a cold picked up recently in China.
The question-and-answer period was cut short, though, thanks to a reporter asking whether Jay would sing at the National Day celebrations on Oct. 10, a topic that Alfa had said beforehand was off-limits. The reporters were then asked to please leave and Jay was off the hook.
So the reporters, including myself, dispersed feeling a mixture of elation at meeting with the top icon of Mandarin pop music and disappointment that the only quotes he offered were trite soundbites of the, "Lately I've just been resting and practicing so I can put on a great concert," variety.
But these stage-managed media moments are part of the game for a singer whose album sales bankroll an entire record label's operations and who's graced the cover of Time, as well as practically every other publication in Taiwan since his 2001 eoponymous debut album.
Jay has also single-handedly redrawn the Mando-pop map with five albums by defying what was long accepted as the only format for success in the industry: ie, a handsome star singing simple love songs over harmless melodic instrumentation. Jay, by contrast, can rap in Taiwanese about nothing in particular before segueing into a more standard love ballad and then moving into a heavier, guitar-laden piece decrying a social ill. All without coming across as forced or insincere.
His album Jasmine sold 300,000 copies in Taiwan and Chou's total album sales in Asia are approximately 10 milion, from five albums.
His outward persona as the befuddled class dawdler who somehow happened into success also seems to strike a chord with young people's need for an anti-hero amid Mando-pop's crowded pantheon of polished, packaged pop stars.
At 173cm and of average looks, with a tendency to hide under a hooded sweatshirt and baseball cap, Jay could be any other 25-year-old wandering around Ximending. Except, he's not. At the annual Golden Melody Awards he has for the past three years walked away with the lion's share of trophies in the pop categories.
At tomorrow's concert Jay can be expected to perform some of the hits off that album and selections from his earlier ones. A word of caution, though: if he goes through all his hits, while breaking for the half-dozen or so outfit changes he's known for, the show could go until morning. So wear comfortable shoes and keep in mind that etiquette calls for raincoats not umbrellas.
Performace Notes:
What: Jay Chou Incomparable Tour 2004
When: Tomorrow, 7:30pm
Where: Taipei Municipal Stadium, 5 Dunhua N Rd, Taipei
Tickets: Tickets remain for NT$1,200. Available at the door or through artsticket.com.tw
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern