I went to a free concert in my town over the weekend. It was great.It was actually an Art Festival, the second of it’s kind in Ansbach. There was (is) an exhibit up in the mall; but most importantly there was almost 12 hours of free music. The music was at The Kammerspiele. Up until Saturday I thought the Kammerspiele was just a concert venue, but it is so much more. It is more like four venues, or hang outs. One spot is a club, one is a lounge, one is a theater, and one is a gallery. There is a spot to chill for people of any kind.
In one night I saw a Brazilian drum band, a string quartet, some acoustic pop, and accordian ensemble, a blues band, and a DJ.
I was most excited about the drum band. Batukeros; they were awesome. I can’t explain why, but every time I see a German hippie (like with dreads and tye-dye) it cracks me up. I guess, in my head, this is a behavior I deem reserved for Americans. (I probably need to get over that) At any rate, Batukeros had a great sound; and they were fun to watch. They were a stage full of people banging on all sorts of drums, joined by a clapping audience, led by a man with a whistle. As a spectator you couldn’t stand still.
What I found most interesting about the evening was that the entertainment didn’t discriminate. The line-up didn’t follow, or over emphasize, one particular musical genre. The diversiry of the sounds also brought out quite a diverse crowd…and that’s always good company. Typically German, there was plenty of beer, and a large grill outside full of delicious bratwurst and fresh rolls. Untypically German, I witnessed an entire night of musical performance and not once did I hear Country Roads…
thank goodness.
(No offense to John Denver.)
