HIGHLIGHTS
The Taipei International Jazz Festival, which started last weekend, continues with free outdoor performances this weekend at Taipei Water Park (台北自來水園區). Tonight’s program includes Element of the Moment, from Okinawa, a quintet that performs smooth-sounding, modern jazz.
Tomorrow the Claude Diallo Situation takes the stage. This trio is led by Swiss-born, New York-trained pianist and composer Claude Dillo, who is making his second appearance in Taiwan.
These shows are the warm-up for the festival’s finale on July 23 and July 24, with a lineup of more than a dozen musicians/teachers from Europe, the US and Japan. For more information, check out
www.taipeijazz.com/2010TIJS-en
■Tonight and tomorrow from 7pm at Taipei Water Park (台北自來水園區), 1 Siyuan St, Taipei City (台北市思源街1號)
■On the Net: www.claudediallo.com,
www.myspace.com/elementofthemoment
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director William A. Stanton will draw on his considerable experience as a diplomat for The Paradox of America, a lecture that examines the oppositional themes and factors that have shaped the development of the US body politic. The talk is part of the Lung Yingtai Cultural Foundation’s (龍應台文化基金會) MediaTek lecture series titled Taipei Salon (台北沙龍). Stanton’s international experience — he previously served in Pakistan, Lebanon, South Korea, Australia and China — places him in a unique position to reflect on the apparent contradictions of America at home and how the country is viewed overseas. Lung Yingtai (龍應台), a leading cultural critic and professor at the University of Hong Kong, will moderate the lecture.
■Taipei Salon (台北沙龍), The Paradox of America. The lecture takes place at Yue-han Hall (月涵堂), 110 Jinhua St, Taipei City (台北市金華街110號) and will be conducted in English only. Admission is free, but those attending must pre-register online at
www.civictaipei.org or by calling (02) 3322-4907
■Tomorrow from 2pm to 4pm
Indie-rock sensation 1976, recent winner of Taiwan’s Golden Melody Award for Best Band, takes the stage tonight at The Wall (這牆) in Taipei. The group, which seamlessly blends Mandarin lyrics with a British sound, has been growing in fame in recent years, especially after opening for Oasis last April on its Live Forever Tour.
Expect to hear tracks primarily from last November’s Manic Pixie Dream Girl, an album that muses on the work of acts such as The Smiths and Pearl Jam. Listen to the first track of the album, The Night Is Young, where the band’s musical muscle becomes evident as it uses an 1980s synth-pop sound to produce
Brit-rock melancholia.
■Tomorrow at 8pm at The Wall (這牆), 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.the-wall.com.tw
■Admission is NT$500 at the door
THEATER
The month-long 2010 Taipei Children Arts Festival (第十一屆台北兒童藝術節) kicked off yesterday and features a film festival, music, dance, puppet shows and theatrical performances by groups from Italy, Spain and Taiwan. For more information, go to http://www.taipeicaf.org.
■ Venues include Grass Mountain Artist Village (草山國際藝術村), Dahu Park (大湖公園), Puppetry Art Center of Taipei (台北偶戲館), Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), Family Theater at Taipei City Hall (台北市政府親子劇場) and Wenshan Theatre (文山劇場)
■ The festival runs through Aug. 7
■ Tickets are NT$150 and NT$200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw. Outdoor and community performances are free
Hai An Meng Hua Lu (海安夢華錄) is the second part of the Tainan trilogy by Chi Shih Teng New Folk Dance Theater (雞屎藤新民族舞團), a folk dance group from Tainan that aims to revive the traditional art form with a modern twist. Its latest production mixes electronic music and kun opera (崑曲) to tell the tale of a courtesan who becomes a beloved deity after her death.
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400, available through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
In Ark Theatre’s (方舟劇場) dark comedy The Funeral of Old Man (老頭兒的葬禮), a terminally ill grandfather decides to spend his last days with his son’s family. But little does the old man know that the imploding family — a husband and a wife on the verge of divorce and their drug-addicted son and politically radical daughter — are colluding to hasten his death.
■ Huashan Culture Park (華山創意文化園區), Fruit Wine Building (果酒禮堂), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30m and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$450, available through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
Taiyuan Puppet Theater Company’s (台原偶戲團) latest production Black Child (黑色小孩) revives the tradition of paper puppet theater that was popular in 19th-century Europe to tell the story of a child who embarks on a journey to find meaning in life. The show is suitable for children aged 4 and up.
■ Nadou Theater (納豆劇場), 79 Xining N Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧北路79號)
■ Tomorrow at 2pm
■ Tickets are NT$200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
The Treasure Village (又一村), Comedians Workshop’s (相聲瓦舍) newest Mandarin stand-up production, is composed of two stories. In the first, the residents of a veterans’ village, or juan cun (眷村), dream of getting rich by digging up ancient Chinese treasures, while the second story takes its inspiration from Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s 1921 novel In a Grove.
■ Hsinchu Municipal Auditorium (新竹市立演藝廳), 17 Dongda Rd Sec 2, Hsinchu City (新竹市東大路二段17號)
■ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,200, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
CLASSICAL MUSIC
La Peintre, Yu-Lin (畫魂), an opera about legendary female painter Pan Yu-liang (潘玉良), who broke away from the constraints of traditional Chinese society to establish herself as an artist in Paris, was written and scored by National Award for Arts winners Wang An-chi (王安祈) and Chian Nan-chang (錢南章). The opera is directed by Juliette Deschamps and conducted by Yip Wing-sie (葉詠詩). It will be performed by the National Symphony Orchestra (國家交響樂團) and Taipei Philharmonic Chorus (台北愛樂合唱團) and features some of Taiwan’s top operatic talent.
■ Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Evening of Chopin Waltzes and Scherzos (圓舞曲與詼諧曲之夜) is part of the musical programs organized for the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth. Sunday’s concert will feature 14 waltzes performed by Teng Tian-tze (藤田梓) and four scherzos performed by Eric Chen (陳冠宇).
■ Sunday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
I Maestri (韓國男紳合唱團) is a group of vocalists from South Korea, many of whom have studied in Europe and the US. They organize artistic activities as a contribution to world peace and tolerance. The choir will be conducted by Yang Jae Moo with Min Kyoung Shik and Eri Kobayashi on piano and Sunny Lee on violin. The program will include arrangements from Tosca and Turandot and a selection of Korean folk songs.
■ Thursday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
CONTEMPORARY
Tonight Roxy Roots hosts popular expat reggae/dub band High Tide, which will likely test out some new material from its upcoming album during two sets. Tomorrow is Fiesta Latino ladies night, featuring live music from the Taipei Latin Band.
■ 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
■ Entrance is NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays (NT$200 credited toward food and drinks). Women get in free for tomorrow’s Fiesta Latino Ladies night
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. Tonight, catch Taiwan’s king of rock Wu Bai (伍佰) and his band China Blue for concert to promote their new live DVD. [Last Friday’s edition of the Taipei Times incorrectly listed this concert as scheduled for Wednesday, July 7. The Taipei Times regrets the error.] No shows are scheduled tomorrow. On Sunday, popular geek-chic rocker Crowd Lu (盧廣仲) takes the stage.
■ 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 tonight and on Sunday
■ Entrance fee is NT$1,200 tonight (NT$900 in advance) and NT$800 on Sunday. Tickets are available through ERA ticketing, online at www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw and at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Veteran indie-pop group 1976 performs tonight at The Wall (這牆). Tomorrow night post-rock groups Selfkill and Bugs of Phonon take the stage. On Thursday, indie-electronica band Telephone Booth (電話亭) and Come On! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!), which has an indie-pop sound along the lines of Belle and Sebastian, share the bill with female-led electronica group Frande.
■ 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
■ Shows start at 8pm
■ Entrance fee is NT$500 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow and NT$300 on Thursday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tonight features actress and singer Wan Fang (萬芳), who is touring in support of her new album Let’s Not Grieve Anymore (我們不要傷心了). [See story on Page 16 of last Saturday’s Taipei Times.] Tomorrow it’s dreamy indie-rock sounds from Miss Stocking (絲襪小姐).
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yanjheng Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw, www.thewall.com.tw
■ Shows start at 7:30pm
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight and NT$400 tomorrow
Tonight Witch House (女巫店) hosts Iris Lin (林綾), a young pop singer whose music has a bossa nova flavor. Orbit Folks, who mix Balkan, Central Asian and Mediterranean folk with jazz, among other styles, perform tomorrow. Pink Haze plays on Thursday.
■ 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
Timeless Fusion Party (無限融合黨), a jazz fusion band led by pianist Fred Lu (呂聖斐) and Tony Tung (董舜文), performs tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow is an evening of guitar rock from popular Taiwanese shredder Marty Young (楊沛霖). On Sunday it’s pop-rock bands P!SCO and Drum ’n’ Keyboard (鼓打鍵盤). 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 all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ Entrance fee 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 a performance from the Riverside Summer Rock Camp. Pop pianist and vocalist Csha (思涵) appears tomorrow in a special program titled The Riceball Family (飯糰之家). On Sunday it’s Urban Union, an evening of R ’n’ B and soul featuring Electric MessAge, Pezen and Trying Times.
■ 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 6:30pm tonight, 8:30pm tomorrow and 8pm on Sunday
■ Entrance fee is NT$200 tonight and NT$400 tomorrow and on Sunday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Underworld (地下社會) hosts a “wannabe hippie party, with Woodstock-era tunes spun by DJs Kid Killer and Randy. Tomorrow, heavy metal bands Hekate and Dying Chelsea take the stage. Up-and-coming bands Foreseer and 300,000 Old Pliers (三十萬年老虎鉗) perform on Wednesday.
■ 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 Earl Hines II Jazztet appears tonight at Sappho de Base. Tomorrow the venue presents Grace’s Jazz Quartet. Piano, drums and bass ensemble Yohei Jazz Trio performs Tuesday, on Wednesday it’s Ash and Friends, and on Thursday it’s DD Quartet.
■ 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 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$100 tonight and tomorrow, free on other nights
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include Aboriginal chanteuse Samingad (紀曉君) on Tuesday and male crooner Shin Lung (辛隆), who performs every Saturday.
■ 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
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