Andrew Vladeck

Europe, Days 1-4, Kind of…

a dream-like journey.  this blog post will be as disjointed and confusing as a dream, since it’s hard to keep up and to keep track of all the magic and write about it in a coherant manner.  will start off with a video shot in Vienna by Fairsoul Communications, two Vienna-based filmakers who I met with in a silver-lit platz near the venue, Verein.  Thanks Stuart Jolley and Gregory Kennedy-Salemi.  We had to scrap the first take because the church bells were shock-and-awe-wake-the-deadloud.  (btw, you can see more photos and up-to-date mini updates at Facebook Page and Profile).

Andrew Vladeck - Living The Dream from FairSoul-LIVE…ACT..BE on Vimeo.

4 shows down, 17 to go.  I can’t for the life of me believe it’s only been four days.  Four gloriously long, interesting, fun, soulful days.  I’ve already met and played for so many wonderful people, enjoyed meals and drinks and pretzels and funny sandwiches and pizza, driven through the gorgeous german and austrian countrysides…. the alps, the dolomites…

I can’t believe I have 5 times as many shows waiting for me. Awesome.  I’ve been trying to type this as we drive, the mountains covered in evergreens, the valleys filled with smokey clouds.  It’s intoxicating.  All of it.  There’s no way to do it justice in a blog - the amazing audiences, the kind people who have opened their venues and often their homes to us and have fed us coffee and eggs and pretzels in the morning and sent us on our way.

I’ve been thinking of my friend Abigail Chapin‘s status updates from her world touring.  Often she simply says one word - the name of the city.  Last week it was “Berlin.“  Or something like that.  They leave me hungry for details, but I can understand why now… it’s hard to describe, too much to say, not sure where to begin, and perhaps best left a mystery.

These days I never see the sunrise unless i fly a Red-Eye.  We started with a red eye to Frankfurt, and I played that night in Heidelberg.  At a fantastic venue run by anti-fascist activists, Our gracious host, Martin, fed us well and showed us around as we walked through the old part of town near the University and, of course, the castle.  They’re everywhere.  There was an interesting opening act, a german folk/punker, who sang every whiskey-laden song in english. But what a cool first night.  Students, activists, musicians, all sitting in a salon-style show.  People signed my mailing list in the best handwriting i’ve ever seen.

The landscape is lush and gorgeous, and reminds me of New York State, with the first signs of fall.  We’re zipping by in a TOTALLY SWEET black, diesel BMW stick shift car.  We had reseved a 2-cylander sardine can called a “Twingo,“ but then the rental place only had this stealth bomber of a vehicle left.  Wiebke, the svengali and partner-in-crime of this tour, is at the wheel..  we cruise at 140kph, on the autobahn, cars are FLYING past us.  each time it happens it takes my breath away.  WOW.

Did a fun interview with the biggest radio station in Bavaria, on3radio with Christina Wolf.  I got to DJ songs by a bunch of my heroes and influences, including songs by The Honey Brothers and Balthop, Alabama.

The night after our second show we drove from nurnberg to munich, as a delightful new friend graciously put us up, and in the morning fed us eggs and bavarian pretzels.  She takes the prize.  There will be payback in Bklyn bagels and genuine Nova lox.  Played an incredibly special venue in Vienna that was run by a delightful Austrian named Dominik along with at least 4 of his five siblings, and their cute dog, Vespa.  I love Vienna, stately, yet somehow quaint.  I shared the bill with this fantastic expat American named Andy Fite, who lives in Stockholm with his wife and children.

Next stop Italy.  Never really know what to expect next - it’s hard to imagine the changes that await on the other side of the alps… [next morning] Well a wonderful show awaited at Sartrea in Vincenza, brought by Albe and Enri of Occasional Disaster Booking.  Local favorites Roulette Hi Fi joined the bill - and we kicked it off with a backstage family-style pizza party.  A DREAM COME TRUE!!!

Posted on 09/18/10 at 06:15AM | Filed under: blognews | 2 Comments