Exhibitions
Dazzling lights, thumping techno and audience participation: Fuerzabruta promises an exuberant display of theatrics. The show features a large shallow pool in which female performers splash and slide about.
■ Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store (新光三越), A10 parking lot (A10停車場), 12 Songgao Rd, Taipei City (台北市松高路12號)
■ Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm and 10:30pm, Sunday at 4:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$1,900 and NT$2,300, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
VM Theatre (耀眼) presents A Musical Revue: Eight People, One Play (8人，一場戲), a musical about the adventure of a young music student who stumbles across a mysterious score. Performances are in Mandarin with English surtitles
■ 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 at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Every Wednesday, the Comedy Club holds an evening with Torch Pratt as MC. Two comedians take the stage each week, followed by an open-mic session when audience members can try out their stand-up routines. The shows are in Mandarin and English
■ Comedy Club, B1, 24 Taishun St, Taipei City (台北市泰順街24號B1)
■ Every Wednesday, starting at 8pm
■ Free admission
Yui Men Dance Company (玉門舞集) is known for blending Chinese folk dance with contemporary choreographic elements. The troupe’s newest production, Memories Under Heaven (天空下的記憶), is a modern folk piece that examines women’s experiences, expressions and emotions.
■ Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (國父紀念館), 505, Renai Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市仁愛路四段505號)
■ Tomorrow and Sunday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Godot Theatre Company’s (果陀劇場) The 39 Steps (步步驚笑) is a comedic espionage thriller adapted in Chinese from the novel of the same title by John Buchan. The star-studded cast includes veteran thespians Chin Shih-chieh (金士傑) and Tien Hsin (天心) and television and theater actors Pu Hsueh-liang (卜學亮) and Renzo Liu (劉亮佐). The four play a total of 48 characters. This is the first major Broadway production licensed in Chinese while the original runs concurrently in New York and London.
■ Hsinchu Municipal Performance Hall (新竹市立演藝廳), 17, Tungta Rd Sec 2, Hsinchu City (新竹市東大路二段17號)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday
at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Music Forum’s Weekend Concert Series — Poems Across Space and Time (十方樂集週末音樂會系列－跨越時空的詩歌) presents a program that includes Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major “Emperor,” Op. 76 No. 3, the first movement of Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8 and Bartok’s String Quartet No. 3.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ Forum Auditorium (十方樂集音樂劇場演奏廳), 4, Ln 187, Minzu W Rd, Taipei City (台北市民族西路187巷4號)
■ Tickets are NT$250, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Orchestre National de France With Kurt Masur (麥卡倫極致享宴 — 庫特.馬殊與法國國家交響樂團) brings the celebrated conductor to Taiwan for two concerts. The program focuses on Beethoven’s oeuvre, including the overture from “Fidelio,” Symphony No. 6 in F Major “Pastoral,” and Symphony No. 5 in C Minor “Destiny,” for the Tainan concert, and his Egmont Overture, Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major “Eroica,” and the Symphony No. 6 in F Major for the Taipei concert.
■ Tomorrow (Tainan) and Sunday (Taipei) at 7:30pm
■ Tainan Municipal Cultural Center Performance Hall (台南市立文化中心演藝廳), 332, Jhonghua E Rd Sec 3, Tainan City (台南市中華東路三段332號) and National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$1,800 to NT$6,000, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Beautiful New World — Welcoming the Lunar New Year (美麗新世界.雙囍迎新春) is a concert by the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (長榮交響樂團) featuring pianists Rolf-Peter Wille and Linda Yeh (葉綠娜) under the baton of Gernot Schmalfuss. The program includes Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 in D Major, Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos in D Minor and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E Minor “From the New World.”
■ Wednesday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$1,500, available at ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Contemporary
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese bands and international acts. No shows are scheduled for tonight. Tomorrow beloved comedic indie rockers Won Fu (旺福樂團) share the bill with disco-funk rockers Cosmos People (宇宙人). On Wednesday it’s Amis folk rock group Passiwali (巴西瓦里) and Swing Black.
■ 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
■ Entrance is NT$600 (NT$500 in advance) tomorrow and NT$400 on Wednesday. Entry includes one drink. Tickets are available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw
Come on! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!), whose indie-pop sound recalls Belle and Sebastian, plays tonight at the The Wall (這牆) with indie-folk rocker Ban Ban (斑斑). Tomorrow indie-rock trio Orangegrass (澄草), a post-rock band with an emo-punk singer, opens up for Kara (殼), an indie-rock group from Tokyo. On Sunday it’s Sen (仙樂隊), whose music calls to mind a cross between early Wall of Vodoo and Gang of Four. The program includes Boyz and Girl, Ban Ban’s (斑斑) band, and The Peppermints (薄荷葉), a veteran indie band that has just released a new CD [see story above].
■ 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
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight, NT$1,000 tomorrow (NT$800 in advance) and NT$300 on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online
by visiting www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Peppy and cutesy pop rockers Jellyship (果凍飛船樂團) play at Witch House (女巫店) tonight, along with Otaku3 (浪行雷鬼團). Appearing tomorrow is acoustic rock band Transition, a trio of British expats. On Thursday, Taiwan’s most authentic reggae musician, Red-I, makes a rare visit to Taipei.
■ 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
■ Entry fee for music shows is NT$300
Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) tonight hosts rock and jazz fusionists Yellow Funky Stuff. Male-female pop duo JS appears tomorrow night, and on Sunday funk rockers The Jester Without the Broken Clown (南瓜妮歌迷俱樂部) and What Century (花世紀), an outfit of 20-year-old musicians, take the stage. Monday is the venue’s weekly open jam session.
■ 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 and Sunday. Monday’s open jam starts at 9pm. For a list of standard songs and ground rules, visit the venue’s Web site
■ Entry is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 on Monday
Tonight Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館) hosts io, a group of Chinese-Canadian musicians, Rock ’n’ Rap (凍頂樂團) and folk rocker Elisa Lin (林依霖). Tomorrow it’s pop-rap group Cool Silly (傻酷樂團), along with Plover, Misi Ke (柯泯薰) and D-Power. Sunday’s pop showcase, which includes One Million Star (超級星光大道) finalist Pets Tseng (曾沛慈), is sold out. On Wednesday it’s rock and punk with The Little and all girl-group The Fen-Fens (紛紛樂團).
■ 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 tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday
■ Admission is NT$400 tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday. Sunday’s show is sold out. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse/ or tickets.books.com.tw
Black Summer Days (黑色夏日), whose music is based on hard rhythm rock ’n’ roll mixed with blues and punk, play tonight at Underworld (地下社會). They open for Sissey Chao (趙一豪), who sounds like Jim Morrison singing in Mandarin, and his band Double X. Tomorrow indie rock favorites 88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽) share the bill with Punkhoo (胖虎) [see Highlight]. On Wednesday, it’s an evening of heavy metal with Hekate and The Eye of Violent.
■ 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. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy Hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance is NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesdays
The Grace Jazz Quartet performs tonight at Sappho de Base. Black Mirror appears tomorrow night, Yohei Jazz Trio plays on Tuesday, and on Wednesday it’s South African expat pop-rock singer-songwriter David Vorster. DD Quartet plays fusion jazz on Thursday.
■ 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 today and tomorrow, 9:30pm on Tuesday and Thursday, and 10pm on Wednesday. Closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is NT$100 tonight and tomorrow. Admission is free on
other nights
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include beloved female singer Tiger Huang (黃小琥), who performs two sets every Monday, Julia Peng (彭佳慧), a major draw who appears every Tuesday, and male crooner Shin Lung (辛隆), who performs every Saturday.
■ 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 run from 9:45pm
to 12:30am
■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Tonight Roxy Roots hosts Flaneur Daguerre, a jazz quartet that plays everything from Bach to Bjork and Ornette Coleman to the Ramones. Tomorrow Taichung expat blues-rock band Three Day Bender performs [see Highlight]. Wednesday night is the venue’s musical showcase, featuring a roster of bands organized by a different musician every week. This week’s is hosted by jazz drummer Ed Schaefer. Come ready to dance on Thursday for salsa and mambo night with DJs Francisco and Daniel.
■ 90 Songren Rd, Taipei City (台北市松仁路90號). Tel: (02) 2725-3932. On the Net: www.roxy.com.tw
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Free admission
The Mercury (水星酒館) in Kaohsiung features indie bands every week. Rockabilly band Full House (風籟坊) plays tomorrow.
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市左營區立文路46號). Tel:
(07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Shows start at 9:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$200
Tomorrow night Taichung’s 89k hosts punk band Blood Orange.
■ 21 Daguan Rd, Nantun Dist, Taichung City (台中市南屯區大觀路21號)
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$300
Tomorrow night, VU Live House hosts Hungry Ear, an evening of experimental music featuring post-rock group Collider, “electronic melodic metal” from Crystal Dancer, Australian electronic rock group Godswounds and DJ Anti Hero
■ B1, 77, Wuchang St Sec 2, Taipei
City (台北市武昌街二段77號B1). Tel:
(02) 2314-1868
■ Show starts at 7pm
■ Entrance fee is NT$350, which includes one drink
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