Theater & dance
Based on Canadian playwright Lee MacDougall’s work of the same title, the Japanese production High Life by director, actor and producer Ryuzanji Show is a black comedy about four men who plan a bank robbery.
■ Taipei Cultural Center, Wenshan Branch (台北市立社會教育館文山分館), 32, Jingwen St, Taipei City (台北市景文街32號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
In Waiting for What!? (等待窩窩頭之團團圓圓越獄風雲) by 4 Chairs Theatre (四把椅子劇團), two pandas decide to escape from the zoo because the zookeeper never serves them Chinese snacks on time and they aren’t able to watch the latest soap operas.
■ Nanhai Gallery (南海藝廊), 3, Ln 19, Chongqing S Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市重慶南路二段19巷3號)
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
Part of Taipei Fringe, Solitary Grudge (妖魅) by Shine Theater (曉劇場) is composed of two theatrical pieces. In Solitary, a city
is evacuated because of a plague, and Grudge is a ghost story about a girl with a hidden identity.
■ Taipei Stock (倉庫藝文空間), 3F, 34,
Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段34號3樓)
■ Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
Five young artists from Extreme Art Space (極光藝術空間) put together dance piece Ghost or Not (搞什麼鬼), a playful examination of the taboos observed during Ghost Month.
■ Guling Street Theater (牯嶺街小劇場),
2, Ln 5, Guling St, Taipei City (台北市牯嶺街5巷2號)
■ Today at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$250, available by calling 0975-417-937
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (雲門舞集) presents Wild Cursive (狂草), the last installment of Lin Hwai-min’s (林懷民) Cursive trilogy, beginning on Wednesday. The production runs through Sept. 20 at the National Theater. All shows are sold out. Tickets are available for performances of Cursive II (行草貳) tonight and tomorrow at at 7:45pm and Sunday at 2:45pm.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Wednesday and Thursday at 7:45pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
A Hero’s Song — TSO With Vlatkovic (捷克三傑—北市交與弗拉柯維克) has the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (臺北市立交響樂團) performing under guest conductor Charles Olivieri-Munroe and features French horn virtuoso Radovan Vlatkovic. The program includes Smetana’s Overture to “The Secret”, Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Dvorak’s A Hero’s Song, Op. 111 and Janacek’s Taras Bulba.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$200 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
Evergreen Orchestra With Alexander Gavrylyuk (琴定烏克蘭—長榮交響樂團古典音樂紀行) will showcase Ukrainian-born pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk performing with the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (長榮交響樂團) under Gernot Schmalfuss. The program includes Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1.
■ Tuesday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$1,500,
available through ERA ticketing or online
at www.tickets.com.tw
Carnival of Venice (威尼斯狂歡節) sees the Taiwan Wind Ensemble (臺灣管樂團) in celebratory mood with a program of music related to Italy, including J.B. Arban’s Carnival of Venice for Trumpet and Band, Rossini’s Overture to “La Gazza Ladra” and Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italian.
■ Sunday at 2:30pm and Wednesday
at 7:30pm
■ Ilan Performing Arts Center (宜蘭縣政府文化局演藝廳), 101, Fusing Rd Sec 2, Ilan City, Ilan County (宜蘭縣宜蘭市復興路二段101號)
■ Tickets are NT$200 to NT$500 on Sunday and NT$300 to NT$800 on Wednesday, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.tickets.com.tw
Come to the Music — A Capella Moment Musical Concert Tour Episode II (Come to the Music! 樂興之時女聲合唱團貳部曲巡迴演唱會) presents Moment Musical (樂興之時女聲合唱團) under conductor Chan Yi-chia (詹怡嘉) performing such popular favorites as Stand by Me, Hey Jude, Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree, selections from musicals such as Memory and Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man, and folk classics such as Red is the Rose.
■ Monday and Tuesday at 7:30pm
■ Taipei County Cultural Affairs Bureau Auditorium (台北縣政府文化局演藝廳), 62 Jhuangjing Rd, Banciao City, Taipei County (台北縣板橋市莊敬路62號) on Monday and the National Recital Hall, Taipei City on Tuesday
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$500 (Taipei County) and NT$300 to NT$800 (Taipei City), available through ERA ticketing or online at www.tickets.com.tw
Contemporary
Pop-rock band Totem (圖騰) celebrates the release of its latest album tonight at the The Wall (這牆). Hard-hitting metal and punk are the sounds tomorrow with Freeloader, Blair Witch and Total Disruption. They open for Oathean of Korea, which was featured at the Formoz Festival in 2007. On Sunday it’s post-rock bands Orangegrass (澄草), Sorry Youth (拍謝少年) and Mosquilephant (蚊子大象). On Thursday, punks Fire Ex (滅火器) open for French hard-core punk band Tagada Jones, which is embarking on a mini-tour of Taiwan, with shows in Taichung and Kaohsiung. See The Wall’s Web site for details.
■ 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
■ Music shows start at 8pm tonight, 7:30pm tomorrow, 8pm on Sunday and on Thursday
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow (NT$400 in advance) and NT$300 Sunday and NT$400 Thursday. Tickets can be purchased online at www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight at Witch House (女巫店) acoustic group Gina’s Can (吉那罐子樂團) plays ballads, jazz, fusion and funk. Tomorrow it’s HE (有激人), a singer-songwriter duo on electric guitar and bass. They open for Rukai singer and guitarist Gelresai (陳世川). On Thursday, the venue hosts Come on! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!), which has an indie-pop sound along the lines of Belle and Sebastian.
■ 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
■ 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
■ Entrance fee for music shows is NT$300
Tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) it’s acoustic and jazz standards by Real Collective (河岸留言精選爵士四重奏), the band composed of Riverside’s owner and guitar maestro Geddy Lin (林正如) with Eric Song (宋輔仁) on drums, keyboardist Uno (烏野薰) and Kinya (池田欣彌) on double and electric bass. Mando-pop singer Shadya (藍又時) takes the stage tomorrow. Aspiring female Mando-pop rocker Fish (陳詩雨) shares the bill on Sunday with Hsiao Nan and Friends (小南and Friends), a new folk rock group. 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
■ Shows start at 9:30pm tonight and 9pm tomorrow, Sunday and Monday. Open jam starts at 9pm. For a list of standard songs and ground rules, visit the venue’s Web site
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight, NT$450 tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 on Monday
A charity event for disaster relief held by the Levites Ministry takes place tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館). Mando-pop singer Mavis Fan and her band 100% appear tomorrow night. On Thursday it’s nu-metal and rap group Overdose, which opens for folk rocker Elisa Lin (林依霖).
■ 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
■ Entrance fee is NT$500 tonight, NT$550 tomorrow and NT$400 on Thursday. Tickets can be purchased online at www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Indie-electronica group The Shine and Shine and Shine and Shine (閃閃閃閃) splits the bill with local indie rock favorites 88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽) tonight at Underworld (地下社會). Boyz and Girl (男孩們女孩), whose fan base has grown quickly since it formed last year, appears tomorrow night with fellow
indie rockers Touming Magazine (透明雜誌). On Wednesday it’s post-rock electronica from Lily et Coco and Eaten By the Cab.
■ 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
■ Music shows run from 9:30pm to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays. Sunday’s show is from 7pm to 11pm. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy Hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow and includes one drink, NT$100 on Wednesday
Jazz Your Mind performs acid jazz and cool jazz tonight at Sappho de Base tonight. On Saturday, Blues Vibrations plays surf rock and old school blues. Rock band Double J takes the stage on Tuesday. On Wednesday it’s ethnic folk music mixed with jazz from Orbit Folks, a trio whose instrumentation consists of a bassist, violinist and tablas. Shana Yang Jazz Quintet (楊曉恩) performs on Thursday night.
■ 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
■ Music shows begin at 10:30pm on weekends, 10pm on weekdays. Sappho is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is free
Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill there’s an open mic hosted by keyboardist Andrew Page, with the music mainly covering blues and jazz. All are welcome to participate, and participants receive 20 percent off drinks.
■ 1F, 218 Changchun Rd, Taipei City (台北市長春路218號1樓). Tel: (02) 2508- 0304.
On the Net: www.cosmo.com.tw
■ 8:30pm to 11pm on Wednesday
■ No entrance fee
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights this week include pub legend and songstress Tiger Huang (黃小琥),
who performs every Monday. Julia Peng (彭佳慧) is another major draw who appears every Tuesday.
■ 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
■ Music shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on
the performer
Franz and Friends (城市舞台藝文沙龍), an upscale restaurant and performance space in Taipei’s East District (東區),
hosts music shows every night. The music tends to play it safe, ranging from wistful love songs and opera to lounge jazz. Weekly highlights include Denise Juan (阮丹青), a former pop singer turned piano teacher and television presenter, and her band Sunshine Costa. They play tonight. Tomorrow it’s Buona Sera, featuring soprano Chang Hsiao-ni (張曉倪).
■ 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號B1). Tel: (02) 2579- 0558. On the Net: www.franzandfriends.com.tw
■ Minimum charge of NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, on other nights there’s a one-drink minimum
The Other Side is a new nightclub opened by Ling Wei (凌威), the owner of Taipei’s long-standing Roxy venues. The club is a “party-until-the-sun-comes-up” spot like one of Ling’s past ventures, the recently closed Roxy Vibe. But The Other Side promises a classier atmosphere, with sofa seating and a modern lounge interior befitting of its locale in Taipei’s East District. House DJs spin classic dance and rock from bands like Nirvana, The Ting Tings, Oasis, the Cure and Michael Jackson.
■ B1, 20, Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路20號B1). Tel: (02) 2723-3257.
On the Net: www.roxy.com.tw
■ Open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 10pm until 4am, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm
until 7am
■ Cover charge for women is NT$300, except Wednesdays, when women get in free. Cover charge for men is NT$400 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and on Fridays and Saturdays before 1am. After 1am on weekends cover charge for men is NT$500
Big changes are afoot in global politics, which that are having a big impact on the global order, look set to continue and have the potential to completely reshape it. In my previous column we examined the three macro megatrends impacting the entire planet: Technology, demographics and climate. Below are international trends that are social, political, geopolitical and economic. While there will be some impact on Taiwan from all four, it is likely the first two will be minor, but the second two will likely change the course of Taiwan’s history. The re-election of Donald Trump as president of the US
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