Theater
The annual Spring Riot series by Cloud Gate 2 (雲門2) features works by four choreographers this year, including Berlin-based Sun Shang-chi’s (孫尚綺) Genus (屬輩), which explores the separation between the mind and body, and Huang Yi’s (黃翊) Violin — Symphony Project I (機械提琴 — 交響樂計畫之一), the artist’s latest attempt to blend technology and dance.
Photo courtesy of Kuang Hong Arts Management
■ Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Photo courtesy of The Management of New Arts Management
Created by Ballet Teatro Espanol de Rafael Aguilar’s late founder Rafael Aguilar, Carmen by is a fascinating fusion of flamenco and classical ballet. The dance company has performed in some of the world’s most renowned theaters, including the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia, Teatro Olimpico in Rome and Vienna’s Ronacher Theatre.
■ 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 at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
Photo: Taipei TImes
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available through 7-Eleven ibon, FamilyMart (全家) FamiPort and Hi-Life (萊爾富) Life-ET kiosks or at www.kham.com.tw
A collaboration between Blue Fantasy Band (藍色狂想樂團) and Je Jue Yin Se Dance Company (爵劇影色) from Kaohsiung, The Encounter Between Dance and Piano (琴遇舞孃) is a dazzling blend of disco, jazz, electronic music, pole dancing and Broadway musical. The show is part of the ongoing Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival (高雄春天藝術節, w4.khcc.gov.tw/ksaf2011).
■ Kaohsiung Chihteh Hall (高雄至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市五福一路67號)
Photo: Taipei TImes
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$1,600, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Being staged as part of the Taiwan International Festival of Arts (2011台灣國際藝術節, tifa.ntch.edu.tw), Crosstalk Travelers (那一夜，在旅途中說相聲) is the newest installment of Performance Workshop Theatre’s (表演工作坊) popular crosstalk series, which began in 1985 with the smash hit play That Night We Performed Crosstalk (那一夜我們說相聲). The product of a collaboration between renowned playwright and theater director Stan Lai (賴聲川) and television guru Wang Wei-chung (王偉忠), Crosstalk Travelers tells the tale of two wanderers who recount past adventures and reflect on life.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw.
The Shen Yun Performing Arts 2011 Taiwan Tour (神韻晚會) continues this weekend in Taichung with a newly revised lineup of dances, songs and music.
■ Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中中山堂), 98 Syueshih Rd, Greater Taichung (台中市學士路98號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$1,200 to NT$5,000, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw.
Classical music
2011 Lexus Classical Music Concert — Zubin Mehta and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra (2011LEXUS古典音樂會—祖賓梅塔與佛羅斯五月音樂節管弦樂團) brings Zubin Mehta, one of the undisputed maestros of the classical music world, together with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, which is famous for its interpretations of operatic work. They are scheduled to perform in Tainan and then in Taipei. The program will include orchestral music from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Les Vepres Siciliennes, Luisa Miller, and La Forza del Destino. To celebrate the centenary of Gustav Mahler’s death, there will also be a performance of his Titan symphony in its entirety.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm (Tainan) and Sunday at 7:30pm (Taipei)
■ Tainan Municipal Cultural Center Performance Hall (台南市立文化中心演藝廳), 332, Jhonghua E Rd Sec 3, Greater Tainan (台南市中華東路三段332號) and National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$1,500 to NT$3,600 for Tainan and NT$1,800 to NT$4,800 for Taipei, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Mansound Tour (烏克蘭男聲樂團Mansound巡迴音樂會) presents the Ukrainian a cappella group Mansound. The sextet from Kiev was formed in 1994, and the program includes Ukrainian and Russian folk songs, as well as jazz and pop classics arranged by Vladimir Mikhnovetsky.
■ Tuesday at 7:30pm
■ Chungcheng Hall of National Chiao Tung University (交通大學中正堂) at 1001 Dasyue Rd, Hsinchu City (新竹市大學路1001號)
■ Tickets are NT$150 to NT$400, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Affection in Singing Vocal Recital (歌聲情深—巫白玉璽德法歌曲之夜) presents baritone Wu-Bai Yu-Hsi (巫白玉璽) in a recital that includes Schumann’s Dichterliebe Op. 48, Clara’s Sechs Lieder, Op.13, Berlioz’s Spectre de la Rose, Duparc’s La Vie Anterieure and Ravel’s Don Quichotte a Dulcinee. He will be accompanied on piano by Chou Cheng-chung (周政忠).
■ Today 7:30pm
■ National Recital Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$800, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The Gloomy but Revelry Fin de Siecle — Mahler No.7 (迷漓世紀末—馬勒第七) is part of the National Symphony Orchestra’s Mahler Concert Series. This concert will feature Stefan Solyom as guest conductor and Gary Hoffman as cello soloist. In addition to the title piece, the program will also include Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85.
■ Tomorrow 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
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. Tonight Aboriginal group Matzka performs Taiwanese reggae. Tomorrow, it’s Queen Sea Big Shark (后海大鯊魚) from Beijing, which plays a mix of surf rock and 1980s dance music. Unfamiliar Friends Party (不熟的朋友派對), a four-piece electro-rock band armed with laptop computers and an electric guitar, opens the show.
■ 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
■ NT$800 tonight and NT$1,000 tomorrow (NT$800 in advance). Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, tonight hosts LM.C, a Japanese electro-rock duo renowned for their wild costumes and high-energy shows. Tomorrow, another Japanese “visual kei” group, Vidoll, takes to the stage. On Wednesday, it’s a trio of local indie bands: electro-rock band OCD Girl (強迫女孩), Sunset Rollercoaster (落日飛車) and Yoz Tiger (包子虎). On Thursday, Taiwanese ska band Skaraoke teams up for a show with All Japan Goith of Okinawa.
■ 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
■ NT$1,500 tonight, NT$1,600 tomorrow (NT$1,500 in advance), NT$400 on Wednesday (NT$300 in advance) and NT$400 (NT$350 in advance) on Thursday. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Singer/songwriter A-len Yue (余佳倫) appears tonight at Witch House (女巫店), which regularly hosts shows from both indie rock bands and folk artists in a coffeehouse setting. Tomorrow, it’s acoustic pop group Anniedora (安妮朵拉) and on Thursday singer-songwriter Iris Lin (林綾) takes to the stage.
■ 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
■ Shows 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 for music shows is NT$300
Jazz saxophonist Tony Tung (董舜文) and friends perform tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow the venue hosts indie-pop band We Save Strawberries (草莓救星), which has a new album out. On Sunday Mystery (謎團) opens for grunge rockers Monkey Pilot (猴子飛行員). 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
■ Show starts tonight at 9:30pm, 9pm on all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ NT$400 tonight, sold out tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 Monday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Riverside Live House hosts Hakka singer-songwriter Lin Sheng-xiang (林生祥), who’s gearing up for a tour of China next month to promote his latest album The Land Is My Study (大地書房). Indie-pop darlings 1976 perform tomorrow night, and Tuesday’s show with geek-chic rocker Crowd Lu (盧廣仲) is sold out.
■ 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 is NT$500 tonight and tomorrow. Tuesday’s show is sold out. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Indie-electronica outfit Heartones (心電樂) performs tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. They share the bill with Vampire Watching Television (吸血鬼看電視). Tomorrow electro-rockers Sunset Rollercoaster (落日飛車) open for noise band She Bang-a (死蚊子). On Wednesday, it’s Paper Girl (紙片女孩) and indie rock band Silverbus.
■ 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
■ Shows run from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance for music shows on Fridays and Saturdays is NT$300, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesdays
The Super Organ Quartet performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late night lounge bar that hosts mostly live jazz and blues performances. Tomorrow, it’s the Earl Hines II Jazztet, which performs cool jazz. On Tuesday it’s a band called Becos, and Roger’s Jazz Trio on Wednesday.
■ 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
■ Shows start at 10pm. The venue is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is NT$200 tonight and NT$150 tomorrow, free on other nights
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead Mando-pop songstress Julia Peng (彭佳慧) on Tuesday, and male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), who performs every Saturday. Acclaimed Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君) performs on Thursdays.
■ 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
■ Shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at Italian restaurant Capone’s, with live music from electric blues band Taipei blues band Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). Dancers of all levels welcome. Tomorrow, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號)
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ On Fridays, minimum charge of one drink. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
High energy garage rockers 88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽) and 300,000 Old Pliers (三十萬年老虎鉗) perform tomorrow at The Village Cafe (村落餐廳), a bar and cafe located at the Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村), which hosts shows every Saturday night.
■ 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號), tel: (02) 3393-7377 X207
■ Tomorrow at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$300, includes one drink
Tonight 89k, Taichung’s long-established spot for local indie bands, hosts a trio of expat groups tonight: hip-hop outfit Dr Reniculous Lipz and the Skallyunz (白悟空), funk rock group Point 22 (.22) and indie rockers Aurora. [See story on Page 14.] Tomorrow is a roots reggae party with live band Wailin’ Soul.
■ 21 Daguan Rd, Nantun Dist, Greater Taichung (台中市南屯區大觀路21號)
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$300 for all shows
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 it’s electro-pop group The Girl and the Robots (女孩與機器人). Mando-pop singer-songwriter Ric Huang (荒山亮) takes to the stage tomorrow.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (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 is NT$400 tonight, tomorrow’s show only open to those who have purchased Huang’s latest CD
The Mercury (水星酒館) , an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts expat musicians Campbell Burns and MudBros, both solo acoustic acts, tomorrow.
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市左營區立文路46號), tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Show starts at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$250, which includes one drink
Events
TEDxMonga, a local version of the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conferences held annually in California, was originally scheduled to hold its second conference on Saturday last week in Taipei at the Nangang Software Incubator (南港軟體育成中心). The event was postponed due to last-minute scheduling conflicts and has been rescheduled for April 9. For more information visit tedxmonga.com.
■ Nangang Software Incubator (南港軟體育成中心), Nangang Software Park (南港軟體園區), 4F, Block E, 19-11 Sanchong Rd, Taipei City (台北市三重路19-11號E4樓)
■ April 9, from 10am to 6pm
■ Tickets are NT$2,990, available for purchase at tedxmonga.com
Taipei Discussion and Learning meets every Sunday at Cafe Bastille to hear lectures and discuss topics including philosophy, science, anthropology, globalization and alternative medicine. All discussions and lectures are conducted in English. This Sunday’s topic is “Introduction to Western Creation Myths.”
■ Cafe Bastille, 7 Wenzhou St, Taipei City (台北市溫州街7號), tel: (02) 2362-9981
■ Every Sunday at 7:45pm
■ Entrance is free. For more information visit www.taipeidiscussionandlearning.blogspot.com
Restaurant and bar Carnegie’s will be showing via live TV the Formula One races in Melbourne on Sunday.
■ 100, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段100號), tel: (02) 2325-4433
■ Race starts at 2pm, local time
■ Entrance is free
The Tavern, a sports bar, has a weekend brunch special available on Saturday and Sunday. Menu includes tangy eggs benedict, quiche Lorraine and hash browns.
■ 415, Xinyi Rd, Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段415號), tel: (02) 8789-0892. On the Net: www.tavern.com.tw
■ Brunch served from noon to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday
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