Tako Niu welcomes
live-music lovers to his bar: Niu's Bar
By Renee Chiu
Translated by Angela Cheng
177, XiTun Rd, Sec 1, West Dist.; (04) 2326-5879
Hours: 8 pm-4 am
NT$200 Minimum bill/person.
Credit cards accepted.
10% service charge.
Tako Niu is a gifted musician, composer and record producer who also happens to run Niu's Bar, a Taichung refuge for classic rock. Unlike many musical artists who invest in side businesses, Niu performs live music in person every single day at this establishment, showcasing musical skills and a versatility that enables him to sing a song in three or more different ways. Just as good are periodic events that feature musicians from other cities who come to play with Niu. For all of these reasons, many fans of Niu and his bar continue to visit, even after 10 years.
Niu's Bar is located in a renovated old Japanese building that maintains the feeling of the original structure. Its walls are decorated with posters as well as records from up to four decades ago, each representing the story of a performer. Even a glance at these gives you a sense of the scope of different music that rocked the world long ago, but are still vivid today.
Here you are spoiled with a bunch of food options, ranging from Taiwanese items like the soup-less "Zha Jiang" Noodles (NT$120), a Stewed Food Combo (small NT$200), and Hong Kong-Style "Gulu Mi" Chicken (NT$220) to Western-style Spicy Chicken Wings (NT$180). If you feel like sampling some good drinks, you might try stopping by on Wednesdays when there is a year-round NT$500 all-you-can-drink deal.
Niu's Bar is also open 365 days a year for live-music lovers to enjoy. Even if you go there by yourself, the boss will warm you up with his enthusiastic personality. As he always notes, "There are no holes in the musical field", alluding to the idea that music is something that brings everybody together. He even encouraged me to play guitar on his stage, whenever I'm ready, demonstrating once again that Niu's great reputation comes not just from his music but also his welcoming personality.
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July 2014
