A R O U N D T O W N 發光的城市 15 TAIPEI TIMES • FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2010 BY MAHsa ALimardani MUSIC One for the road ome bands are reluctant to foreigners — they were jamming bands the Looking Glass while watching Okay pigeonhole their music into the more or less,” says Berry. Cars during a show at The Wall (這牆) constraints of specific genres, but PERFORMANCE noTES The Okay Cars aim to be different. last month that also featured her band Sthe Okay Cars won’t try to evade the The band’s sound is characterized by and Yellowback. question. Talk to these laid-back Canadian WHAT: Back in the Saddle With the Quinn’s haunting vocals structured along “Other bands that play here [The expats and you’ll hear phrases like Deadly Vibes and the Okay Cars traditional pop, verse-chorus structures, Wall] are more like American high school “experimental,” “synth-pop,” “shoegaze,” WHERE: Underworld (地下社會), B1, paired with Berry’s slippery electronics. bands. But the Okay Cars are different,” “chill-wave,” and “too lazy to get a 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大 Quinn and Berry say they closely follow said Charlotte van Innis, a regular at drummer,” dropped into the conversation. 路45號B1). Tel: (02) 2369-0103 the “New York scene” and site James concerts at The Wall who was at the The two-man band consists of WHEN: Tomorrow from 9:30pm Murphy of LCD Soundsystem fame as a same show. “They’re more experimental, vocalist and guitarist Brad Quinn and ADMISSION: NT$300 at the door major influence. more noise. That makes them different keyboardist-percussionist Lars Berry. ON THE NET: Listen to the track Pheasants? on and quintessentially indie.” Both moved to Taiwan to teach English www.myspace.com/theokaycars their MySpace page and you’ll find a Expect the Okay Car’s performance five years ago. Both are also from layer of nostalgia for 80s pop along tomorrow at Underworld to be Vancouver, but they didn’t meet until a the lines of New Order and Soft Cell accompanied — if the club’s power chance encounter in a Taipei club seven reflected in Qinn’s melodic guitar and system behaves itself — by a full months ago. out the “party-type foreign band” when Berry’s mad-scientist electronic antics. orchestra of sorts — chaoscillator, drum “We were both looking to start up a they arrived in Taiwan. Quinn, 37, and “We have a little bit of that [80s] machine, Midi and foot-activated sampler project. It seemed like there was hardly Berry, 36, say they connected because element. The instrument I’m using is a — all manned by Berry. anyone out there into the same music I their roots go back to the mid-90s indie copy of an early 80s synthesizer in terms “I’m more or less obsessed [with am,” says Quinn. scene, with bands like Tortoise and of the way it functions,” says Berry. electronics],” he says. “Basically, Both Quinn and Berry were Sonic Youth. “It’s very chilled music,” observed what we lack in members we make up The Okay Cars join the Deadly Vibes tomorrow at Underworld. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAD QUINN disappointed by Taipei’s ability to churn “Foreign bands were playing for Annie Chii (杞亞軒) of synth-pop band in gadgetry.” EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE VINYL WORD BY QUEEN BEE 67號) its national tour today at Taipei’s Novel ■ 7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop ■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm Hall (新舞臺) before moving on to other City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號). singers backed by a live band every night. Theater ■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$2,000, venues around the country. The tour Tel: (02) 2362-5494. On the Net: Highlights for the week ahead include available through NTCH ticketing or will continue through to Oct. 2. Because www.witchhouse.org Mando-pop songstress Julia Peng (彭佳 Seventeen years after he directed the online at www.artsticket.com.tw tonight’s show will be recorded, tickets ■ Performances start at 9:30pm. 慧) on Tuesday, renowned Aboriginal theatrical play Thunder Storm (雷雨), 81- will be sold at a 40 percent discount. Restaurant/bar with queer/feminist female singer Samingad (紀曉君) on year-old film maestro Lee Hsing 李行( ) Fantasy Party Invitation (男人幫之 ■ Today and tomorrow 7:30pm, bookstore and large collection of board Thursday, and male crooner Shin Lung returns to the stage with Summer 一夜夜笙歌) by Open Theater (大開劇 tomorrow and Sunday 10:30am games open 11am to midnight Sundays (辛隆), who performs every Saturday. [See Snow (夏雪). Adapted from the popular 團), part of the ongoing 2010 Kaohsiung and 2:30pm through Wednesdays, 11am to 1am story on Page 13.] story The Mistrial of Do’er (竇娥冤) by Yuan Theater Festival (2010正港小劇展), ■ Novel Hall (新舞臺), 3-1 Songshou Rd, Thursdays through Saturdays ■ 211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北 Dynasty playwright Guan Hanqing (關漢 opens with three men excitedly waiting Taipei City (台北市松壽路3-1號) ■ Admission for music shows is NT$300 市安和路二段211號). Tel: (02) 2738-3995. 卿), this top-notch production includes for a party to begin at a karaoke den. ■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,000, On the Net: visit www.ez5.com.tw big-name artists such as film director But the hot, young female escorts available through NTCH ticketing or Tonight Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) ■ Music shows run from 9:45pm Wang Tung (王童), composers Gerald they’ve been expecting to see don’t online at www.artsticket.com.tw hosts The Sound of Jazz Quartet, to 12:30am Shih (史擷詠) and Chuang Nu (莊奴) and show up, and instead they find that which includes as a member the young ■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) playwright Sun Yang (孫陽) on its lineup. they’re trapped in the room. For more Evolution — Liu Chih-yuan and talented drummer Doris Lin (林文 ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, ■ National Theater, Taipei City information about the festival, go to Huqin Concert (進化狂想 — 劉致遠 昱). Tomorrow it’s pop singer Olivia depending on the performer ■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at php.trying.com.tw/dramatic. 胡琴獨奏會) features a program of Yan (閻韋伶) and her band Invisible 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm ■ Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁 contemporary and classic pieces for the Garden (閻韋伶與桃花源樂團), and Tonight Roxy Roots hosts Adoga (阿逗 ■ Tickets are NT$350 to NT$3,000, 二藝術特區), 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng huqin (胡琴), which will be performed indie rockers Chemical Monkeys (化 仔), an expat band that prides itself on available through NTCH ticketing or Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇 by Liu Chih-yuan (劉致遠) with 學猴子). Performing on Sunday are two performing covers of Western hard rock online at www.artsticket.com.tw 路1號) accompaniment from pianist Chang aspiring Mando-pop artists, singer songs as well as Chinese and Taiwanese ■ Tonight at 8pm, tomorrow at 2:30 Chiao-hui (張喬慧) and the Chai Found Frida Li (利得彙) and keyboardist rock classics. Tomorrow it’s disco funk and Christian Schwanz, putting his best bare foot forward. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF LIM Shenzo’s Electric Stunt Orchestra is and 8pm Music Workshop (采風樂坊). Hsiao Lu (小路). Monday is the venue’s acid jazz with Electric Message and staging A Stunt Opera, an “aerial ■ Tickets are NT$300, available through ■ Today at 7:30pm weekly open jam. pop-ska group Pops Candy (跳跳糖). performance” of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket. ■ National Recital Hall, Taipei City ■ B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, ■ 90 Songren Rd, Taipei City (台北市松 that combines music, theater, stunts com.tw ■ Tickets are NT$200 to NT$500, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷 仁路90號). Tel: (02) 2725-3932. On the couple of hipster DJs are hitting these shores this and acrobatics, as part of the Xinbei City available through NTCH ticketing or 2號B1), next to Taipower Building (台電 Net: www.roxy.com.tw weekend: Steve Aoki in Taipei (tonight at Luxy) International Arts Festival (2010新北市藝 online at www.artsticket.com.tw 大樓). Tel: (02) 2368-7310. On the Net: ■ Shows start at 10pm and Christian Schwanz (aka Cee) in Kaohsiung 術節). For more information, go to www.riverside.com.tw ■ Entrance for music shows is NT$300 A(tomorrow). The former is a darling of the US indie dance www.xinbei-arts.com. Classical music ■ Shows start at 9:30pm tonight and (NT$200 credited toward food and music scene and the latter a pioneer in Berlin and Vienna’s ■ East Riverside Plaza (東岸廣場), Bitan, 9pm all other nights. For a list of drinks) underground club circuits who promotes “barefoot music,” Sindian, Taipei County (台北縣新店碧潭) Evening of Chopin Songs & Contemporary standard songs and ground rules for the now lives in Malaysia and doesn’t stand reporters up. ■ Tomorrow and Sunday at 7:30pm Chamber Music (藝術歌曲與室內樂之 open jam, visit the venue’s Web site The Wall (這牆) programs regular live ■ Free admission 夜) continues the celebrations to Tonight Legacy Taipei hosts indie ■ Admission is NT$400 tomorrow, rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Vinyl Word: You grew up in East Germany. What was the commemorate the 200th anniversary of groups recognized at this year’s battle of NT$350 on Sunday, NT$150 on Monday Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tonight music scene like then? Choreographed by Yu Neng-sheng (余能 Chopin’s birth. This concert features the bands competition at the Ho-Hai-Yan features Japanese indie rock band 盛), The Door (門) is Chamber Ballet soprano Huang Rui-fen (黃瑞芬) Gung-Liau Rock Festival (台北縣貢寮國際 Pop-rock band Mojo takes the stage Tonic, with local bands Silverbus (銀巴 Christian Schwanz: When the Berlin Wall came down Taipei’s (台北市內芭蕾) newest accompanied by pianist Yeh Lu-na (葉 海洋音樂祭).