Highlight
The fourth annual Peacefest is on tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday at the Kunlun Herb Gardens in Longtan, Taoyuan County. Over 50 expat and local bands and DJs are scheduled to perform, including Aboriginal singers Kimbo Hu (胡德夫) and Biung (王宏恩). This year the organizers are encouraging everyone to arrive on time to participate in the Peace Circle. Here’s how the circle works: at around dusk, the Dream Community’s Samba Drummers start to play. The organizers will direct everyone on the field by the stage into a circle, after which a guest from the Amis tribe sings an invocation song, followed by one to three minutes of silence. Once the music starts again, the circle starts to move. The Samba Drummers play again to signal the end of the circle. For the more details on Peacefest, see last Friday’s article on Page 13 of the Taipei Times.
Tonight from 7pm through Sunday at 5pm
PHOTO COURTESY OF KLOIE PICOT
Kunlun Herb Plant Tourism Garden (崑崙藥用植物園), 8-2, 1st Neighborhood, Kaoping Village, Lungtan Township, Taoyuan County (桃園縣龍潭鄉高平村一鄰8-2號)
Entrance is NT$700, NT$600 with a flyer; admission on Sunday is free. (Pick up flyers at The Wall, Emerge Live House, The Velvet Underground, Witch House, Riverside and Underworld in Taipei; ATT, Live House, and Join Us in Kaohsiung; 89K, Y-Pa, and the Pigpen in Taichung.) In case of rain, the event will be postponed to the following week. See the Peacefest Web site for details. On the Net:
www.hopingforhoping.com
Theater
Animal School (動物學校) is a children’s performance by New Cool Children’s Theater (牛古演劇團). Imagine a school in the middle of a verdant forest where the teachers possess special pedagogical powers and the students are free to follow their own creativity. Together, the animal students and animal teachers exist in a world free from the pressures usually associated with Taiwan’s educational system.
▲ Family Theater (台北市立親子劇場), 2F, 1 Shifu Rd, Taipei City (台北市市府路1號2樓)
▲ Tomorrow and Sunday at 10:30am and 3pm; tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲ Tickets are NT$250 to NT$650, available through NTCH ticketing
After Taiwan and Penghu were ceded to Japan under the terms of the Treaty of Shimonoseki and before the Japanese army arrived en masse, a group of officials and intellectuals proclaimed the short-lived Republic of Formosa (台灣民主國). One symbol of the new republic was a flag called the “yellow tiger on a blue ground flag” (藍地黃虎旗). The Seal of 1895 (黃虎印) is an opera based around the creation of the republic and the life of an officer assigned to protect the “yellow tiger seal” (黃虎印).
▲ National Theater, Taipei City
▲ Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm; Sunday at 2:30pm
▲ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing
Taiwan’s raucous legislature and zany television shows are some of the fodder for Mad in Taiwan (瘋狂年代), the latest work by Ping-Fong Acting Troupe (屏風表演班). The play within a play tells the story of a theater group that attempts to produce a musical that captures the spirit of Taiwan. The trope they eventually hit on is betel nut beauties.
▲ Chiayi Performing Arts Center (嘉義縣表演藝術中心) 265, Jianguo Rd Sec 2, Minhsiung Township, Chiayi County (嘉義縣民雄鄉建國路二段265號)
▲ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing
Classical music
The King’s Singers 40th Anniversary Celebration Concerts (國王歌手40周年音樂會).
The British a cappella group is back in town with its inimitable arrangements. The program includes a musical history of the madrigal form, arrangements of European folk songs and the Suite for The Jungle Book. The second concert will include Celtic sounds, a salute to Broadway and arrangements of Brit pop.
▲ Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲ Tickets are NT$800 to NT$2,000, available through ERA ticketing
NSO Tchaikovsky Cycle 10 — Poetic Manfred (NSO 發現柴科夫斯基10 — 情•詩•交響) sees cellist Wang Jian (王健) feature as the soloist in a program consisting of two works both inspired by Byron’s epic poem Manfred: Schumann’s Manfred Overture, Op. 115 and Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony in B Minor Op. 59. The program will also include Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A Minor Op. 129. The National Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by Hubert Soudant.
▲ Sunday at 2:30pm
▲ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing
Romantik Aus Deutschland
(浪漫德意志) is a concert featuring pianist Lin Ming-hui (林明慧) by the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (臺北市立交響樂團), which will be performing under the baton of David Wroe. The program includes Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Weber, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op.23 and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98.
▲ Today at 7:30pm
▲ Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂中正廳), 98 Yenping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號)
▲ Tickets are NT$200 to NT$800, available through NTCH ticketing
The Egoists II — Percussion Concertante (極度自我 — 擊樂協奏曲之夜) by the Taipei Percussion Group (台北打擊樂團) features a program including John Thrower’s Aurora Borealis, Alex Orfaly’s Divertissement, Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic’s Uneven Souls, and Hsu Ya-min’s (許雅民) Timeless Whisper, among other works.
▲ Today (Taipei) and tomorrow (Ilan) at 7:30pm
▲ Novel Hall (新舞臺), 3-1 Songshou S Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路3-1號); Ilan Performance Hall (宜蘭演藝廳), 482, Chungshan Rd Sec 2, Ilan City (宜蘭市中山路二段482號)
▲ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,000 for Taipei and NT$300 to NT$800 for Ilan, available through NTCH ticket outlets
Contemporary
Jazz Quintessence appears on Friday nights at Sappho de Base, the current favorite late night hangout for Taipei’s jazz musicians. Tomorrow it’s the Paper Scissors Stone Band. On Tuesday night, there’s a set by the Grace Jazz Trio with an open jam afterwards. Soul Express, led by guitarist Ray Anthony, takes to the stage on Wednesday night, and on Thursday night, it’s DJ Zulu, spinning what he calls “timeless and positive black sounds.”
▲ B1, 1, Ln 102, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段102巷1號B1). Call (02) 2700-5411 (after 9pm) or visit www.sappho102.biz for more information
▲ Performances begin at 10:30pm
▲ No entrance fee
Tonight at Italian restaurant
Capone’s, it’s Taipei’s most
authentic funk and blues band, the Kenyatta Quintet, led by drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta, a New Orleans native. The group plays every Friday until June 27.
▲ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號). Call (02) 2773-3782 for more information
▲ Tonight from 9pm to 11pm
▲ No entrance fee, dinner seating
Underworld (地下社會) showcases the indie pop-punk sounds of Punkhoo (胖虎) and Hotpink tonight. Tomorrow evening, it’s metal punk bands Total Disruption and Bazooka (鐵拳火箭). Slow Motion performs on Wednesday.
▲ B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Call (02) 2369-0103 or visit www.upsaid.com/underworld for more information
▲ Live shows go from 9pm to 11pm. The bar is open from 8pm daily, closed Mondays
▲ Entrance on Fridays and Saturdays is NT$300 and includes one drink. Entrance on Wednesdays is NT$100. Before midnight on Tuesdays and Thursdays, drinks are buy-one-get-
one-free
Gross Fugue, which combines “an intense rock show, electronic dance music, and edgy videos,” plays tonight at Bliss. Tomorrow, Kester “Hat” Jones plays an acoustic set, followed by Idioteque, a DJ who spins indie and alternative rock.
▲ 148, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City
(台北市信義路四段148號), one block east of Dunhua South Road (敦化南路). Call Bliss at (02) 2702-1855 or log on at www.bliss-taipei.com. For more information on live performances at Bliss, visit www.myspace.com/blisslivehouse
▲ Tonight and tomorrow at 10pm. Bar/kitchen open from 7pm daily. Ladies night Fridays; women get one free cocktail of their choice
▲ Entrance to the bar is free. NT$200 cover for music shows
The Wall (這牆) rocks tonight with indie act Red Flower (紅花), Zoom In, and veteran combo The Chairman (董事長). Rabbit is Rich (兔子很有錢), a favorite in Taipei’s underground rock scene, makes an appearance tomorrow. On Sunday, it’s Zag Lope, pop-punks Twice a Week (一週兩次), and alt-rock outfit Aphasia (阿飛西雅). On Thursday, the venue hosts the 2008 Free Aung San Suu Kyi Concert, an annual event sponsored by the Taiwan Free Burma Network (台灣自由緬甸網絡). Bands playing include Underflow, whose lead singer Eric Duan (段培權) is from Myanmar’s Shan State, Double Wide, Valhalla (英靈殿), and Oxymoron (白癡奧克西).
▲ B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Call (02) 2930-0162 or log on at www.the-wall.com.tw for more information
▲ Tonight and tomorrow at midnight; Sunday at 3pm
▲ NT$400 tonight and tomorrow; NT$300 on Sunday. Admission includes one drink. On Thursday, tickets are NT$88 (in remembrance of the 8888 uprising in Myanmar).
Acoustic act Jasmine Music Little Band (假死貓小便) plays tonight at Witch House. Green!Eyes (綠色眼睛), which describes its music as having a “flavor of guitar pop and a bit of country,” takes the stage tomorrow. On Thursday, it’s laid-back acoustic act Smoke Ring (煙圈).
▲ 7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號). For more information, call (02) 2362-5494 or visit www.witchhouse.org
▲ Performances 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
▲ NT$300 entrance includes one drink
Big band jazz ensemble Dizzy Jazz Band (底細爵士樂團) plays tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言).
On stage tomorrow is Ziyou Fahui (自由發揮), a two-man comedy and hip-hop music act. On Sunday, it’s R ’n’ B hip-hop crew Genesis Open Mic (創世紀音樂會). Monday is open-mic night.
▲ 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). Call (02) 2368-7310 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information
▲ Shows start at 9:30pm
▲ NT$400 tonight and tomorrow; NT$350 Sunday. Admission includes one free drink. There is a one-drink minimum on Monday
Tonight at 89K in Taichung, there’s a farewell party for guitarist Will Lloyd, with his band, the funk outfit The Money Shot Horns, post-punk group Blood Orange, and glam rockers Crome Relic. No show is scheduled for tomorrow because of the Peacefest (see the Highlight on Page 14).
25 Daguan Rd, Taichung City (台中市大觀路25號). Call (04) 2381-8240 for more information
▲ 10:30pm until late
▲ NT$300 entrance includes one drink
Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill there’s a blues open mic, held by the Blues Society on Taiwan and hosted by Torch Pratt. All are welcome to bring their instruments and sit in on guitar, bass, or drums.
▲ 1F, 218 Changchun Rd, Taipei City (台北市長春路218號1樓). Call 2508-0304 or visit www.cosmo.com.tw for more information
▲ 8pm to 11pm every Wednesday
▲ Free admission
The Diner’s (樂子) new branch on Dunhua Road hosts The Diner Jam, an open mic every Thursday.
▲ 6, Ln 103, Dunhua S Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路二段103巷6號), just off Anhe Road (安和路), in the lane behind Carnegie’s. Call (02) 2700-1680 or visit www.thediner.com.tw for more information
▲ 9:30pm to midnight every Thursday
▲ Free admission
Exhibition
Millet and His Time: Masterpieces from Musee d’Orsay (驚艷米勒—田園之美畫展). The special exhibition of 19th-century paintings and photographs from the collection of Paris’ Musee d’Orsay includes 16 of naturalist or realist painter Jean-Francois Millet’s best-known works, as well as paintings by other French artists from the 19th century, and photographs serving as a references to the scenery depicted by Millet and other artists of the Barbizon school in rural France.
▲ National Museum of History (國立歷史博物館), 49 Nanhai Rd, Taipei City (台北市南海路49號). Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Call (02) 2361-0270 for more information
▲ Until Sept. 5
Never Walk Away, Painting’s Lisao (我未曾遠去—繪畫之離騷). By working with what is seen as a classical or traditional art form, mixed-media paintings, the group of 10 young artists attempts to demonstrate that painting is an enduring art form.
Main Trend Gallery (大趨勢畫廊), 209-1, Chengde Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市承德路三段209-1號). Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11am to 7pm. Call (02) 2587-3412 for more information
Until July 5
2008 Guandu International Outdoor Sculpture Festival (2008關渡國際自然裝置藝術季—藝術品特展). Celebrating its third year, the annual festival features installation works by eight artists from home and abroad. With help from local volunteers, each artist worked on his or her piece from April 7 to April 20, using natural material found in the park. The finished artworks will be left to biodegrade during the festival period. Guided tours take place every Saturday and Sunday from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. For more information, visit www.colorfultree.com.tw/gdpark/index.htm
▲ Guandu Nature Park (關渡自然公園), 55 Guandu Rd, Beitou Dist, Taipei City (台北市北投區關渡路55號). Call (02) 2858-7417 X211, X212 or X213 for more information
▲ Until Sept. 14
The Woes and Joys of Little Alphonse (小巨人艾爾菲斯的生命之歌). A winner of the highest award for cultural achievements in Lithuania, photographer Romualdas Pozerskis’ poetic and metaphorical images capture the strong spirit of his country’s shortest farmer, who measures 90cm.
▲ Pethany Larsen Gallery (Pethany Larsen藝坊), 2F, 30, Ln 45 Liaoning St, Taipei City (台北市遼寧街45巷30號2樓). Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11am to 7pm. Call (02) 8772-5005 for more information
▲ Until July 13
A Kaleidoscopic View: Reinterpretations of Taiwanese Folk Images and Design (七彩電光琉璃花—台灣常民文化圖像轉譯). The exhibition features works by a dozen of local artists who take “Taiwan-ness” as their subject and translate it into a style and look.
▲ Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (高雄市立美術館), 20, Meishuguan Rd, Gushan Dist, Kaohsiung City. (高雄市鼓山區美術館路20號). Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9am to 5pm. Call (07) 555-0331 for more information
▲ Until Aug. 3
In 1990, Amy Chen (陳怡美) was beginning third grade in Calhoun County, Texas, as the youngest of six and the only one in her family of Taiwanese immigrants to be born in the US. She recalls, “my father gave me a stack of typed manuscript pages and a pen and asked me to find typos, missing punctuation, and extra spaces.” The manuscript was for an English-learning book to be sold in Taiwan. “I was copy editing as a child,” she says. Now a 42-year-old freelance writer in Santa Barbara, California, Amy Chen has only recently realized that her father, Chen Po-jung (陳伯榕), who
Famed Chinese demographer Yi Fuxian (易富賢) recently wrote for The Diplomat on the effects of a cross-strait war on demography. He contended that one way to deter the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is by putting the demographic issue front and center — last year total births in the PRC, he said, receded to levels not seen since 1762. Yi observes that Taiwan’s current fertility rate is already lower than Ukraine’s — a nation at war that is refusing to send its young into battle — and that its “demographic crisis suggests that Taiwan’s technological importance will rapidly decline, and
Jan. 6 to Jan. 12 Perhaps hoping to gain the blessing of the stone-age hunter-gatherers that dwelt along the east coast 30,000 years ago, visitors to the Baxian Caves (八仙洞) during the 1970s would grab a handful of soil to bring home. In January 1969, the nation was captivated by the excavation of pre-ceramic artifacts and other traces of human habitation in several caves atop a sea cliff in Taitung County. The majority of the unearthed objects were single-faced, unpolished flake tools fashioned from natural pebbles collected by the shore. While archaeologists had found plenty of neolithic (7,000 BC to 1,700
These are volatile times for the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), with the party’s founder, Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), in and out and back in jail repeatedly, Ko resigning as party chair and naming TPP caucus convener Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) to replace him and an upcoming party leadership vote. How representative of the party’s supporters has the party’s leadership been recently? The TPP caucus in the legislature is so closely aligned — and votes so similarly to — the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that they are in effect a pan-blue party now. Billing themselves as the “white force” between the pan-blue and pan-green
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