A decade after our Taiwan Tour, we're revisiting one of the most meaningful chapters in The Slants' story — and sharing the film for free.
Ten years ago, our band touched down in Taiwan for what would become the most unforgettable tour of our careers. We played one of Asia's biggest music festivals, Spring Scream, at the southernmost tip of the island country in Kenting, alongside more than 200 bands. We wound our way through Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Taipei. We haunted night markets at every opportunity. We made friends we still think about today.
The Tour That Topped Them All
Out of 50+ national and international tours across our band's career, Taiwan still holds the top spot for many of us. Guitarist Joe X. Jiang has a characteristically honest explanation: "Our Taiwan tour will always be a top 5 highlight of my life — and it was really just an epic food tour across the entire island, with a little bit of music peppered in."
He's not wrong. The night markets alone could fill a memoir. We devoured classics like Hot-Star Large Fried Chicken (豪大大雞排) and spent hours on wild goose chases through the streets hunting down food challenges posed to us by producers including, yes, “bull whip soup.” Some of us were more enthusiastic about that one than others. In all honesty, none of us wanted to eat that, not even the most adventurous among us,
But the moments that stick with us most aren't the ones on stage. They're the ones in between: meeting fans who had traveled from across Asia to see us, sharing stages with musicians who became instant friends, wandering streets we'd never walked before with no plan and nowhere to be. Simon and Tyler both celebrated birthdays on that trip, thousands of miles from home, surrounded by people they'd just met and already loved. We hiked through a rainforest to stand at the southernmost point of Taiwan and looked out at the vast ocean.
For Tyler, the experience ran deeper than the adventure. "My journey with The Slants helped me reshape how I understand my multiracial identity and develop a deeper sense of pride in representing my Asian heritage. I never took any of it for granted."
The tour was joyful, chaotic, delicious and loud.
The Film
We knew this trip was special while it was happening, so we made sure to capture it. With the help of our incredible tour manager Eric Hsu (of Johnny Hi-Fi) without whom none of this would have been possible, our longtime band photographer Jamie, who flew all the way from Japan to join us, and a small camera crew (i.e., the band itself and a local videographer), we got a lot of great moments.
That film was made possible by fans like you, who believed in the story before it was even finished. We're so glad we got to share it together.
Watch the Taiwan Tour Documentary here →
We hope it takes you somewhere.
A Year of Looking Back (and Forward)
This anniversary feels especially meaningful because 2026 marks twenty years since The Slants first came together. All year long, we'll be sharing unreleased content, memories, and reflections for you to enjoy.
Stay tuned. There's more to come.
With gratitude,
The Slants