Tag: Kekoas Korner

Allgemein, Concerts

00s Throwback with Alien Ant Farm and P.O.D

kekoaskorner
On Sunday night Goodnews Productions made it possible for Kekoas Korner to watch Alien Ant Farm and P.O.D. in Zurich at Dynamo. It was a major throwback to when MTV still played videos like Dryden Mitchell said.

I really didn’t know what to expect from this night because – obviously – it isn’t the kind of music I usually listen to. However, I was super excited to cross some more “teen years” bands of my bucket list. The 68’s were up first, so early that we didn’t manage to catch them because our belly needed fuel for the night 🙂

Alien Ant Farm – back when MTV still played videos

Three huge Alien Ant Farm logos were put on stage. The third one was printed on a backdrop with a beautiful earth – Obviously the view of an alien. Colour, neon lights made the stage perfect! Who needs more? 🙂
The four lads from California took the stage with “Bad Morning”, “What I feel” and “Movies”. I loved the atmosphere already. People were really enjoying themselves and when Dryden announced the following it was time to freak out:

Back when MTV still played videos and not Jersey Shore etc. we had the pleasure of shooting this amazing video on top of the Masonic Temple. Who remembers it?

And with that “These days” started. I felt like 12 again and I knew exactly what they were talking about. What an iconic video and that song was one of my favs back then.

Dedication to our Mom’s and Chester Bennington

“Rubber Mallet”, “Wish”, “Neverment” followed this early highlight. Dryden Mitchell surprised me with his next dedication. He said that the next song is his Mom’s favourite and he literally just got off the phone with her. So let’s dedicate the next song to all the Moms because who doesn’t love their Mom’s. “Attitude” was another person’s favourite: Chester Bennington from Linkin Park. Alien Ant Farm dedicated “Attitude” to all the Moms and Chester Bennington. What a lovely unexpected touch.

“Courage”, “Lord Knows” and a cover by Bad Brains were next. Someone shouted “Smooth Criminal” and Dryden replied not yet first we do this cover is that OK? 🙂 I’m really glad that this person shouted it because it meant that I wasn’t the only one waiting for that song either. “Sticks and “Stones” came on before Alien Ant Farm had to say “Goodbye” already. The hour-long set was over sooo quickly. But then finally the lights went red and the telltale chords started. Everyone whooped and started singing:

Annie are you OK? Are you OK, Annie?

I loved it! 😀 And with that I knew I had to get an Alien Ant Farm shirt. I thought that a black shirt with a white logo would be amazing but unfortunately, they didn’t have it. However, they had a preeeetty sick shirt instead which was just as nice – reasonably priced as well. Happy camper over here!

P. O. D – Rockin’ with the Best

At around 9.30 the four guys from P.O.D took the stage and the atmosphere was amazing from the start. The energy was rad and the moshpits started to form already with “BOOM”, “Rock the Party” and “Will you”. When Sonny asked us to put our hands up and bounce everyone – seriously everyone – did it. What an atmosphere. I love those Nu Metal, Punk, Rock gigs. Honestly, their gigs usually have one of the best atmospheres. And with that Sonny already jumped into the crowd and said hi.

“Panic Attack”, “Rocking with the Best” and “Soundboy Killa” was next. After thanking both the 68’s and Alien Ant Farm for opening the show and warming up the crowd, P.O.D as well dedicated a song to Chester Bennington – their buddy who will be missed. Sometimes you forget that Linkin Park was actually a Metal band because their songs became so mainstream. I thought the dedication was a nice touch. One band that will forever be on my bucket list to watch – May he rest in peace.

So-Cali in my Head

I really loved the variety in P.O.D’s set as well. From the really hard metal to rap to reggae – they had everything! The new spring weather we experience already made my day and if you are looking for your next summer hit, don’t go too far: “Always Southern California” is the perfect song! Another new song “Circles” followed but the crowd was in full voice again! Big thumbs up for the Swiss crowd and even P.O.D saw that! They said:

You guys go crazy on a Sunday Night!

“Satellite”, “Southtown” and “Murdered Love” were up next. I felt like the crowd got even louder! The sold-out Dynamo definitely peaked when the next song started. The phones went up, the moshpits opened up and we were ready to sing “Youth of the Nation”. Check out my story highlights on IG to get a feel of what I mean. Another song I never expected to hear at a punk gig: A very beautiful ballad called “Beautiful”. I was swaying from side to side and enjoyed it very much.

“On the Radio” got us back on the expected track. With “Aliiiiiiiiiive” the audience was in full voice again and after 90mins we were “Listening for the Silence”. The lights came on and the music started but I think P.O.D had such a great time that they just decided to come back and play 3 more songs! They said we will play until they kick us out! 😀 They really did play until 11 o’clock when they had to stop because of the curfew. Everyone walked out with a smile on their face.

Alien Ant Farm and P.O.D rocked the sold-out Dynamo crowd and more than once we had a throwback feeling back to the good old days when MTV still played music videos. What a fantastic Metal, Punk, Rock evening and another very early highlight of 2019!

Allgemein, Interviews

Closer to you with Hunter Hayes

kekoaskorner
I got know Hunter Hayes in 2011 when he released “Storm Warning”. Little did I know that 8 years later I would be able to interview Hunter Hayes for my own blog and that I will be seeing twice this year!

Slowly Europe is getting its country on and finally we get to enjoy some real country music 🙂 So for all my readers who love good music from a talented musician you gotta check out Hunter Hayes at Plaza on March 3rd. Get your tix here: Ticketcorner.com
And remember March 3rd is only 2 weeks away so get your hands on those tix or you might miss out on a really cool night! But before that I spoke with Hunter Hayes on the phone and here it is:

Interview with Hunter Hayes

Kekoas Korner: So are you ready?

Hunter: Yeah, absolutely.

On the Insta live last week you talked about your tour being named „Closer to you“. So you’re sharing lots of personal stuff in your new songs. Now my question: What’s your biggest fear?

I think the biggest fear is sharing too much! 🙂 Oversharing and feeling like okay we could have probably done it without that. But I’ve learned that this is the beautiful part about writing this album. Bringing one song to the show and introducing it slowly to the world taught me that the more you share the closer you are to the people around you. That’s friends, family or fans – that’s just music. My favourite music is so direct and so unfiltered. So I think the journey to get there in the process of writing music has been one of my favourite parts. The biggest area for growth for me is being more honest and putting more of myself in music.

Speaking of your new songs Heartbreak and One Shot. Will there be a new record coming soon?

There will be an album. I can’t say when. I’m glad you asked. They are all part of an album that we can talk about probably later this year!

Well that sounds good at least we got a little teaser. Who would you say is your musical influence for this album or the past ones?

It’s all over the map. It’s been everything from U2 to Punch Brothers. I like studying other artists and albums for long periods of time and really getting to know the albums. Not just the words but getting the heart and soul behind it. It’s a fun study for me. The more you start to pick the things that you love out of the music and internalize them versus I want to make a record that sounds like a twenty-one pilots record. Number one that’s not okay and number two and the most important part is that you have to be you. The process of music and finding out what I love about it and what that means to me and my writing process and how I can interpret that. If I hear more of their stories I will tell more of mine. Basically it’s trying and failing until finding out what’s right for me.
The list of influences is long. There’s a lot of music that was coming my way the last 18 months that have totally changed the way I approach making music.

So can you tell me a few names off that list. You said Punch Brothers?

Yeah! That was a big one early on. I also went through a BIIIG U2 phase last year. Not phases in like “I’m over it” but a phase like I studied sections of their career for several months and really got to know the albums. Of course some albums more than others. The study of a four piece band with a very limited production making such a big impact that was something I wanted to get better at and know a bit more about. It’s all a lesson in restraint. It’s very intentional and very emotional. It’s hard to get those two things in the same place.

Sounds really interesting. You’ve got a busy year: Playing the Opry, going overseas with the C2C festival which I will be going to as well….

Oh that’s awesome. Have you been before?

No I haven’t. It’s the first time!

Ahh you are gonna love it!!

Yes and I am really much looking forward to it but before that I’ll be seeing you in Zurich on your European tour plus the tour through America. What can we expect from the „Closer to you“ tour? Can you tell me a little secret? 🙂

*laughs* Sure. The thing about the “Closer to you” tour is, it’s not like any other tour we’ve done even tough it shares a lot with tours that we’ve done before. It’s nothing like anything we’ve done before because of the fact that it comes from this new music. For a while we’ve been touring with kinda the same collection of songs adding one or two. With the release of new songs it injects new energy. This is like a fresh reboot almost like a renovation of a house. It’s not unrecognizable but for me it feels brand new. Some of the places are places we’ve played before and some aren’t. It all feels like I’ve just woken up from a dream and it’s a whole new chapter.

So we can expect a lot?

The fun thing about this tour is the new take on some of the older music. Everybody is new on this tour except for me. 🙂 The songs I’ve been playing for a long time will be now re-imagined as if they would have been recored for this album. That’s gonna be really fun to do.

That sounds exciting. In like 2 or 3 weeks I’ll be seeing what this show’s about.

God that’s three weeks away? Good Lord. I’m excited!

Me too! Now Europe is slowly starting to listen to country music too. What do you want to tell your European fans who are coming to the shows?

Country covers a lot of ground. There is so much in country. I don’t think you could sum up the genre. If you pick three names doing completely different things I think you still leave a lot out. I’m exited for people to get know country as I know country. It’s a very vast genre full of brilliant storytellers with musically brilliant ideas. There’s a lot of people bringing new ideas from other genres into country music in such a way that goes along what we were talking about: The studying and internalization of things they grew up listening to. There is so much to discover in country music. I think you couldn’t properly dive into country music and don’t find anything that feels like home.

At age 27 you’ve played so many amazing venues already. Do you still have a bucket list venues to go? 

I’ve got a few for sure. Pick the arena in every city around the world and the theatres too. I love theatres. I’ve learned that it’s such a special place to experience music and play it. That’s history. That’s historically where people would go to listen to music.
On that list would also be Red Rocks. I’ve never played Red Rocks in Colorado. I’d love to do that. I wanna play as many places as I possibly can put my name on the wall! 🙂

Red Rocks is also on my bucket list but to watch!

You know what I’ll let you know when we play it so we can both cross it off at the same time!

Sounds like we have a deal! 🙂 And what was your favourite venue you’ve already played in?

Can I pick 3? The Fox Theatre in Detroit was one of my all time favourite venues to play in. That leads into the Ryman will always have my heart. That will alway be my favourite venue – probably. Even though Nashville is not necessarily my home town it feels like home town the more that I live here. It embraces the people that come here to make music. The Ryman is just a spectacular place. I think I’m just gonna stick with that. The Ryman has my heart.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Ryman. And finally you are playing like a million instruments what would be the instrument you’d like to try to learn next? Maybe the Alphorn here in Switzerland?

Honestly I would just like to play the violin half decent. I’m not good at playing any instruments if I’m totally honest but I’d like to be decent enough in some sort of string instruments like the violin. I’d love to arrange string parts. I’ve never gotten along with that instrument for some reason but I’d like to.

Now I have some fan questions for you. I asked my followers to send in some questions.

Rachel who’s a huge fan from New Zealand was wondering if you do some more international gigs down under since the tour is called closer to you? 🙂

I would love that!

But nothing’s been planned yet?

Not officially. The good news for me – at least – once you start touring like we do this year hopefully the right people hear about it or you come in contact with right people and things happen. It’s momentum. Once you get back on the road… I’m hoping at least that that’s the result of it.

She also did a lyrics video to your song Heart break and it looks amazing. Do you check out fan-made videos and art?

Absolutely! Yes! 100%! In fact we had a really fun idea that I can’t say much about. Not too long ago I actually made a playlist of my favourite cover videos. That’s one of the biggest compliments you can get as an artist – just watch someone else cover your song. It makes me feel really cool. It’s a really good feeling! It’s awesome because they come up with these new versions of your songs. They give it a totally different live and that’s also the beauty of collaborations. Somebody else puts their creativity to work and really makes a song to their own. I love it and I love watching it. It’s awesome!! It’s so inspiring too. It gives you so many ideas and so much energy!

Taylor would like to know what’s your favourite part about meeting fans?

My favourite part is when they share their story. When I get to hear how they found a song or why a song means something to them – just getting to know them. I feel like music is such a great way to connect with people and that’s why we do what we do and we love what we do. It’s the best part the connection. That’s the destination for all music.

Nathan enjoyed your USO show in Wiesbaden. How much do shows like this mean to you?

That’s one of the most important parts about touring. I’ve always made it known to our team that that’s a big priority and that I feel very passionate about. We all have an appreciation for our men and women but to be there with them on base is a completely different experience. Being there in person and show them gratitude through music. The spirit in those rooms is incredible. They are incredible people. Hopefully our appreciation and gratitude comes across. It’s a privilege and a massive opportunity to bring home to them.

That’s sounds so lovely! Now we already have our last fan question from Sandra: What’s your favourite food?

I waver on this. It changes daily but I’m an Italian food fan.

So you’ll gonna be really close to Italy when you are over here.

Well you know I eat way better on the road than when I’m at home.

Funny! Well that was it. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me!

Thank you for your time as well 🙂

Hunter Hayes loves music and that’s what makes him such a talented musician. In addition to that he’s also super friendly. So make sure to check him out and go see him on his “Closer to you” tour.

Allgemein, Concerts

Is it okay to stand up during a concert?

kekoaskorner

I’ve been going to concerts for years now and at each gig I fear that we will miss out on good dancing songs because the people behind me are not standing up to dance as well. It’s the same old story every time so here’s my advice to you guys.

Stand up if you feel like it!

You paid to have a good time so you better make sure that you have the best time ever! These days concert ticket prizes are super high so if don’t have a good time because you worry about people around you it’s on you!

I’m usually super considerate but during gigs I don’t understand people who are ruining the fun of other people. When I was little during my 2nd P!nk concert a “Lady” probably more like tramp tipped my shoulders and said would you please sit down. I thought to myself seriously?! P!nk just asked everyone to stand up and dance and she asked me to sit down. Who do you think you are lady… that’s what I should have said but of course my shy me didn’t. And no I didn’t sit down either. That’s the story that stuck with me for years and I swore to myself I’d be never like that.

So each time I go to a gig and even if I don’t really feel the music at the exact moment but someone in front of me does I tell them to stand up. If you feel it, stand up and dance! Lots of times I see people half dancing on their chairs because they are too afraid to stand up from their seats and that’s when I know that I have to tell them to get up. Each time I get a super grateful smile and then they are having the best time.

So whenever I stand up I try to see if I can get out of people’s stage sight but if not possible it’s their choice to stand up as well or stay seated and look around me. It’s not like I’m 10 feet tall and you won’t be able to see anything at all. If I want to see the stage again properly I stand up if someone’s dancing in front of me. That’s the beauty of a seating ticket. You can actually see the stage and no-one is right in front of you. You have options to do something about it unless the peeps down in the standing area.

So is it okay to stand up during a concert? Heck yes!! Have the best time of your life! Enjoy the music, the show, the dancing and the moment because there is nothing better than a good gig and those moment you cannot buy with any money in the world 🙂

Allgemein, Concerts

Concert Highlights 2018

kekoaskorner

2018 was a year with lots of good concerts but also a few bad ones which usually doesn’t happen a lot! So unlike 2017 this year is pretty easy picking my highlights. Of course I can’t name just one but let me highlight a few for you.

The Script gigs:


Like I already warned you in 2017 this year would be a very scripty year. But it ended up to be quite different than expected. First up was 3rd Night in Dublin which obviously was a highlight. Seeing a band in their hometown is always special. Read more here.
A month later the lads should have played the Hallenstadion in Zurich…. the important word here is SHOULD. Unfortunately Danny got a chest infection and wasn’t able to sing at all plus Glen felt slightly under the weather as well. So in 10 years of The Script this was only the 2nd time they had to cancel a show. We were all gutted but read some more of my thoughts here.
With that I was travelling to Milano where I learned that the gig was cancelled too. But hey, we still had a great night out.
Luckily 10 days later Danny and Glen were back and Amsterdam gig could go ahead as well as the Paddy’s day gig in Brussels. Unfortunately I couldn’t get around to write down those memories yet but let me tell you not only The Script had a magical night but also Ella Eyre. She spent the whole gig with technical problems only to have a complete shutdown during her song “Answerphone”. We all got our phones out and lit up the stage. It was magical. I still get goosebumps thinking about it 🙂
Lastly I thought the Caribana gig was the last one on this tour. It really would have been a great end. Read more here.
But thanks to a lucky draw from my friends at Loads of Music we got to see the lads on their final gig of the Freedom Child tour at the Moon and Stars Festival.

The hottest gig: 2 nights of Ed Sheeran

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The two nights with Ed Sheeran, Anne Marie and Jamie Lawson at Stadion Letzigrund were unforgettable. Not only because it was one of the hottest outside gigs I’ve ever witnessed but also because all of them are incredible musicians! But you can read some more right here.
If you want to reminisce in 2019 you can since Jamie Lawson and Anne Marie are back in Zurich! Get your tix via Starticket.ch.
Jamie Lawson 13.4.19 at Plaza
Anne Marie 2.5.19 at Halle 622

The woodiest gig: Justin Timberlake


Justin Timberlake transported us into the Woods and it was incredible – Just like I imagined. I had this vision of how he started and finished plus I had a few deja vu’s from the last time. It was perfect. Plus having my two friends from Loads of Music front row across the room was even more special! You were actually rooting for them to see the Man of the Woods very much up close and they did. Read more here.

The wow gig: Katy Perry


Katy Perry’s show was incredible! I remember her playing Volkshaus and even then the shows were great. Flying planets, huge mosquitos, a basketball court, a huge mouth, a flying clock…. I could go on and on. Try to top that! I had an amazing time. I was dancing and singing and being blown away by her show. But look at some more pics here.

The two biggest surprises:
Jason Derulo


I’ve seen a few of his gigs on TV and I always thought he was dancing more than singing or talking. I guess it must have been the TV’s cut. Jason Derulo is a great singer and entertainer but most importantly he appreciates his fans and the money they spend on him. He tries to give us more than 100% of his energy and that laid back super cool energy infected the Hallenstadion. People were dancing and singing and having a ball. Read more here.

Charlie Winston


Charlie Winston has been around for ages. 10 years ago he sang one of my fav songs of the year “Like a hobo”. For some reason I thought he’d be a singer songwriter who puts up a very thoughtful slow song show to enjoy to listen to but not dance to. I couldn’t have been any more wrong. His energy that came on stage with him infected the whole room. Within seconds people were dancing and clapping and having an amazing time. Shirley from Loads of Music described the gig exactly like I would have done so have a read here. I think this really has been on of my top highlights this year. I walked out with a huge smile and that’s always a success.

Crazy is good: Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats


I saw Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats before so I knew I had to go there and I wanted to be front row however I didn’t know how crazy it got being front row at Nathaniel Rateliff gig! If you want to know have a look at my review: click here.

The king/queen of ballades: Sam Smith


Sam Smith was actually another surprise. He’s hands down one of the best ballade singers but his gig wasn’t all sad gloomy at all. We were actually dancing a lot which I loved – even though I was a bit handicapped at the time. He might not be top of mind if I think of gigs 2018 but he sure deserved a mention in my highlights blog post! Read more about this surprising gig here.

The punkiest gig: Billy Talent


Like Charlie Winston Billy Talent have been around for a long time so when I finally got to see them at the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen my 15 year old self was very very happy. 😀 I was so surprised that I actually knew almost every song… I guess I really like them so please read more here.

Getting my rock on: Foo Fighters


Since I saw Dave Grohl hosting the EMA’s and after I watched the documentaries I knew I needed to see the Foo Fighters live. And they didn’t disappoint – over two hours of guitar riffs, drum solos and loud screams. It was amazing and well worth the money. I do hope I get to see them again sometime. But read more of this amazing legendary rock gig here.

Behind the Scenes with Saint City Orchestra


Seeing them at the Caribana as a warm up for The Script was perfect. As it happens sometimes I was able to shadow them for their gig at Rock the Ring in Hinwil. It was pretty cool being backstage with a band the first time. A new view of the tour life that I haven’t actually seen like that before. The lads of Saint City Orchestra were super welcoming and we had such a good time there. If you don’t know please check them out. They’re a great band from Switzerland and if you wan’t know more have a look at my review.

The tric-iest gig: Kate Voegele and Tyler Hilton


While I was about to fly back to Zurich from my trip to Wilmington I learned that Mia Catalano and Chris Keller aka Kate Voegele and Tyler Hilton are coming back to Zurich. I was over the moon and I couldn’t believe the coincidence! So of course I got home and bought myself a ticket. Nothing can beat the feeling of being in your favourite series whilst you’ve actually visited the set – or what’s left of it – a few months back. When they started “When the stars go blue” I could actually see myself in Tric rocking out to it 😀 #fangirling I know…. if you are ok with that read more here.

The Swiss love Aussies: Sons of the East


I haven’t heard of them before but thanks to Loads of Music I got to meet the three lads from Sons of the East before the interview. They were pretty laid back, nice and funny just how you imagine Aussie guys no? 😀 It was also a super hot summer day so it all fit together. Dynamo was like an oven and we got enjoy a summery show but read some more here.

Getting my Country on: Country Night Gstaad


I got very lucky this year I found someone actually two people who are as obsessed with country music as I am. So finally we were able to go to our first Country Night Gstaad. Midland, Maddie & Tae and Brett Young were the artists playing this year. Little did I know that we’d be screaming like crazy because apparently Brett Young is a huge Gavin DeGraw 😉 Yes, country and pop music go together! Read some more of our Country adventure here. Oh and stay tuned for our C2C weekend in London in March! 🙂

The cool Germans:
Max Giesinger


Max Giesinger is cool dude. He’s super down to earth and sooo funny! His music is great and I love to listen to it live. His gigs are always a mix between enjoying good music and trying not to pee yourself because you have to laugh so much 😀 I don’t know why but each time I walk out of his gigs I’m a little bit in love with this guy. But I guess this is a very good thing and I bet I’m not the only one who feels like that. He’s back in March but unfortunately I just realized that I’ll be getting my country fix in London. So really bad timing Max! 😉
Read more of his last gig here.

Nico Santos


I had the pleasure to interview Nico Santos who sang one of my fav songs of 2018 “Rooftop”. He’s such a cool down to earth guy. Read more of our interview here. I can’t wait to see him live on May 3rd at X-tra. Get your tix now: ticketcorner.ch 

The funniest gig: Lewis Capaldi


Let’s face it Lewis Capaldi should be a Comedian but then again the music industry would love an amazing voice so why not combine those two features into one show. That’s what Lewis Capaldi did. Seeing him supporting Sam Smith was a joy especially since we discovered that we never ever do any exercise because it will kill us haha. I immediately knew this guy needs backing so when he announced his headlining show I was in – little did I know that he apparently reached some more couch potatoes. Lewis Capaldi’s show was sold out! But this guy doesn’t seem to tire because he’s supporting Bastille next year and tix are still available: starticket.ch

The gig from the future: Black Eyed Peas


The Black Eyed Peas are back and celebrating their 20 year existence. They’ve evolved quite a bit from their first record. Taboo, Apl.de.ap and Will.i.am are three childhood friends making music. Even if they don’t fill the big stadiums anymore you can see and feel that they enjoy what they do. The guys are musicians through and through and that’s what I like to see. In addition to this they’ve not been bitter about people having phones at their gigs but actually thought about it and come up with an idea how to involve the phone in the gig. It was one hell of an experience actually sending big hearts to the stage! So much fun! Read some more here.

The good and now the bad ones…

Unfortunately this year we had a few very bad ones like I mentioned at the beginning. I’d like to name them quickly here. Nena, Billy Idol, Kim Wilde, Lily Allen and Hozier were all very disappointing. They didn’t spread good energy and I didn’t leave with a smile on my face. However in all of those gigs some people enjoyed it. It just wasn’t for me.

But I want to end my last blog post of 2018 on a good note. I am so grateful to have spend so many hours with lovely new and old concert buddies sharing what we love – Music. Being able to see my favourite artists is a blessing. Moments like we’ve had this year at gigs are unforgettable and will stay with you forever. So if you see an artist you like is coming to town go and support him – it’s worth it 🙂

Allgemein, New Music

Arcade Fire's Everything Now !

kekoaskorner

Arcade Fire are coming back to Switzerland. This fact might come as a surprise to us. For years they’ve been avoiding our country because we have the worst fans at gigs. And you know I must admit that the Swiss audience is very hard to crack. However if you work hard and show your appreciation and you if you are really that talented you will find that the Swiss audience can be one of the most loyal audience – Just ask Naturally 7 or Anastacia!
Continue reading “Arcade Fire's Everything Now !” →

Allgemein, Concerts

Nena's Family Affair

kekoaskorner

Nena has been around for ages and is still well known to everyone – especially since she did Sing meinen Song last year. That’s why the Volkshaus’ audience was very divers – Young children with their parents, girls night out or couples enjoying a date night. The sold out Volkshaus was boiling when I walked in to see the support Crimer.
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Very Swiss – on time – Crimer started with his mixture of Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys. His dance moves are just incredible and because he was such a fitting support the audience was actually enjoying him and it was already a good atmosphere! I was very happy for him.
2018-05-11 21.46.21
Just a little after 9 Nena and her 9 musicians took the stage to an already loud cheer of the audience. She started with “Indianer” and “Ganz oben”. I already realized that this crowd knows the lyrics very well and with “Nur geträumt” I even joined in. Lots of people were already standing and dancing to “Tanz auf dem Vulkan” and “Lass mich dein Pirat sein”. Nena continued her set with songs all the way throughout her career. “Einmal ist keinmal”, “Rette mich” and “Kleine Taschenlampe brenn” was next. This was one of my favourite moments when the people took out their phone and swayed to the song. Continue reading “Nena's Family Affair” →

Allgemein, Concerts

Howl at Turin Brakes

kekoaskorner

Thanks to Mainland Music I got to actually see Turin Brakes this year. A few years back they performed at the Zermatt Unplugged in Zurich and I only got to hear them from outside since I didn’t have tickets for that show. They smashed it and I really wanted to see them too so last Wednesday I finally had the chance.
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An Italian band called Dog Byron opened up. They performed quite a few songs of their record Eleven Craters. I loved the voice of Max – the lead singer. He has a very deep characteristic voice you can listen to all night. Make sure to check them out on Spotify.
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A little after 9 the four lads took the stage in a very casual manner. Turin Brakes presented songs from their new album Invisible Storm as well as old songs from their 9 year career as a band. Turin Brakes started with “Would you be mine”, “Wait” and “Life Farms”. Around 100 people came to the London lads at Papiersaal. I loved the atmosphere. We had space to dance and just enough space to fully enjoy the brilliant music.
“Future boy”, “State of Things” and “Rain City” were next. Turin Brakes are able to play slow songs as well as rock songs but what I enjoy the most is that all of them have a certain rhythm. I was stamping, clapping or nodding the whole time. Eddie the base player looked a bit wild to me and he confirmed it when he said that he loves wolfs and feels like he is almost one. So he asked us:

Zurich, are you ready to howl with me?

The whole Papiersaal howled a few times while the first chords of “Lost in the woods” started. One of the highlights of the evening to me. “Last chance” and “72” followed which I really liked too. Such a good rhythm. Gale – the guitar player – tried to joke with us but no-one laughed so Eddie started howling again. Apparently Swiss people like to howl 🙂
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The set continued with “Painkiller”, “Fishing 4 a Dream” and the title track to the new record “Invisible Storm”. Olly said that they had some time off today and watched some Swiss people doing loops with their bicycle and now in their mind every Swiss person can do this. For my international readers: No, not every Swiss person is able to do this ;D
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Like they said they know that we know that they know that we know that they will head off stage soon only to come back if we are loud enough 🙂 So “Black Rabbit” was the last song before the break. The audience got louder and louder. We enjoyed a great evening with amazing live music from Turin Brakes.
Rob on the drums was the first one to come back on stage to play “Keep me around”. Of course we wanted to keep them around! 🙂 My favourite song and the loudest so far was “Everything All At Once”. We got another one called “Under Dog”. The four lads from London left the stage again and we started howling again. Eddie was so happy about this and promised to come back soon after they came back for a 2nd encore.
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“Don’t Know Much” and the final song “Slack” finished this evening. I was really glad to have seen them however I think last time was more special when I couldn’t see and just hear them. 🙂
Have you seen Turin Brakes? Share your experience below and leave a reply.

Check out my latest gigs: Seven, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Sunrise Avenue
Allgemein, Concerts

Finland's finest Sunrise Avenue rocked Zurich

kekoaskorner

A sold out Hallenstadion. Not many artists manage this but the 5 lads from Finland did. I gotta say I’m very happy for them. Years back I got to see them in a much smaller venue and I still remember it today that it was an amazing gig and one that I fondly think of. So let’s see how last night’s gig went down.
Tim Kamrad
The support Tim Kamrad is a German singer songwriter. The songs are very mainstream and sound like I’ve heard them before. Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes will be happy to see that they inspired this young lad. I missed his personal signature but I am sure that it will work well on the radios. I do clapped a long and it made me want to dance.
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Nearly at 9 on the dot the lights went off and an amazing stage with an incredible light show supported Sunrise Avenue. Normally I would go right into the review but this time I want to make something clear. Sunrise Avenue are a band. It’s not just Samu Haber. Yes, he is the lead singer and more famous then the others but I cannot stand it if radio hosts introduce the next song and say Hollywood Hills by Samu Haber. It is wrong that’s why I want to introduce to you the band members first Raul, Sami, Riku, Osmo and yes Samu too.


 

They started with “Prisoner in Paradise” and a wonderful ballade called “Beautiful”. The atmosphere was amazing right away. Even the people seating were clapping and having a good time! The title track of their 2013 album “Unholy Ground” was next. Samu said that the band always feels a lot of love from the Swiss crowds and obviously everyone needs a “Little bit of Love”. The first chords of the newest single “I help you hate me” were played and everyone started to clap and sing a long again. It is one of the best songs to sing with large crowds and it made for a great moment.
Samu’s voice is so special and so incredible and in “Hurtsville” we could enjoy it in a slow ballade. “Heartbreak Century” the title track of their current record can’t be left out in this 20 songs strong setlist. “Never Let Go” and “Room” were next. Another great rock ballade is “Lifesaver”. The Hallenstadion was lit up with phone lights and everyone waved it in the right rhythm. Just beautiful. Each song had a brilliant rhythm where people could clap along too and that automatically creates a good atmosphere. In “Question Mark” I wasn’t sure if they spoke finish for a sec but it turned out that they just quickly speak English in their cute accent.
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The band thanked his long-time friend Anna who had the great idea to put the flag onto the album cover. The huge flag of the Swiss Sunrise Avenue Crew hung at the back of the venue. A lot of Swiss and Finish flags were in the audience so the next song “Flag” fitted perfectly. I enjoyed another very old song “I don’t dance” before the Hallenstadion was turned into a sea of lights again for “Afterglow”. Last time they played this song in this venue they were at the Energy Star Night and Samu tripped over the moving camera on the floor. Again he mentioned how much he hurt himself but like a pro he finished the set.
This next song was my highlight of the evening! Sunrise Avenue changed up “Forever Yours” to a complete new song. So intense, so dark and so good. Imagine this song is 9 years old! Sunrise Avenue already played two hours and they weren’t looking tired so we got see and listen to even more songs such as “Let Me Go” and “Point of No Return”. Riku and Raul always made sure to include the people on their side even out on the stands. I honestly love to see so much interaction with the audience. Sunrise Avenue seemed to be the same rock band from way back when just on a bigger stage with a huge production.
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The production is amazing. The lights and the 3 screens are part of this great rock show. But what makes them so likable is their charm. Samu addressed the audience quite a few times and joked with us. When he didn’t manage to open his water bottle he just ripped it only to realise that it was already open. Boys will be boys so he squeezed the bottle and water came out. 😀 Obviously Sunrise Avenue couldn’t leave the stage without playing one of their biggest hits “Fairytale Gone Bad”.
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Unfortunately the two hours fly by and the lads had to leave the stage only to come back for 2 more songs. A slow song called “Home” and their uber hit “Hollywood Hills”. Finally everyone was standing and partied and sang along to. It was the perfect ending to a great gig.
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Are you party of the Sunrise Avenue Crew? How did you like the gig? Leave a reply below.

Check out my latest gigs: Franz Ferdinand, Liam Gallagher, The Script
Allgemein, Concerts

Can you feel Dermot Kennedy's struggle?

kekoaskorner

Thanks to Loads of Music I got a last minute invite to the sold out Dermot Kennedy show at Papiersaal last night. I was pretty excited since this Irish lad got hyped the last few months. I wanted to see for myself if this hype and my Artist2watch is justified or not.
Dermot Kennedy chose Sam Fender as his supporting act. I am sure you’ll be hearing more of this British talent from Newcastle. He was named onto the BBC Sound of 18 list and yesterday we got to see more of this young artist. His 7 song set started with “All is on my side” and “Living without”. My favourite song was “Millennial”. It was very powerful. He mentioned that normally he’s playing with a band but today he was alone on stage with 2 guitars and a keyboard.
Sam Fender
After some more jokes he continued with “Greasy Spoon”, “Start again” and “Hold out”. He finished the set on the keyboard and sang a powerful ballade called “Use”. I like the set and I am sure that we’ll be hearing more of him soon.
Dermot Kennedy
Dermot Kennedy came on stage shortly after 9. He seemed like he was either sick or drunk. He wore trainers, a hoodie and a hat it seemed like he was ready for bed. Dermot Kennedy started his set with “Evening” and his incredible voice resonated through the venue. You could hear a pin drop and no-one was chatting. It really was a special atmosphere. He continued with “A Closeness” and “All my friends”. All of his songs are slow ones and his voice is full of struggle and pain. The stories he tells with his songs are powerful and full of emotions.
After each song he said a quiet thank you and if we were lucky he murmured a short explanation into the mic how the song came about. I was actually asking myself how people understand him who don’t know English that well. He didn’t make us feel welcomed even though he is still a new artist. Tom Grennan has got some pretty deep sh*t as well but he has been a joy to watch. He looked at the audience spoke with us and owned the stage. I am honestly not sure if Dermot Kennedy is arrogant, shy or just doesn’t give a damn anymore.
Dermot Kennedy
My highlight of the set was “Young & Free”. This will be his next single. I loved it and enjoyed this song a lot. I was fascinated by the drummer Micheal who was super passionate and did an amazing job! Dermot Kennedy said that everyone has a place or a person to go to where you feel safe. So for him it’s a little island off the west coast of Ireland and this is what the next song “For Island Fires and Family” is about. I spent the whole song listening to his every word. A very beautiful ballade and my depressing mood skyrocketed. Like I already mentioned in my Artist2watch post Taylor Swift put “Boston” on her Spotify playlist and we got to listen to it live now.
Apparently it was the best time in Dermot Kennedy’s life busking on the streets of Boston. On the Setlist it says “Malay” but it doesn’t have a name yet. It’s a new song and a work in progress. The song everyone knew came on “Moments Passed” and a little more than just the super fans started singing a long. “Glory” and “After Rain” finished the set without an encore. After 50 mins Dermot Kennedy has done his job for the day. He left a sold out venue wanting more and clapping and wooping for minutes hanging. People couldn’t believe that it was finished already and hung back. Only after a few minutes of disbelief people started queuing up to reclaim their jacket.
Dermot Kennedy
I felt his struggle. But was it also a struggle to be on stage for him? I was left wondering and a bit disappointed to be honest. I get the hype around his voice but I don’t think he deserves a hype around his person. If he really was sick he could have told us. I think everyone would have understood. But his performance yesterday doesn’t make me want to see him again which is a shame really.
Did you feel the struggle? Leave me a reply below and share your opinion on Dermot Kennedy.

Kekoas last gigs: Alt-J, Tom Grennan, Stone Sour
Allgemein, New Music

New Music: MANIA by Fall Out Boy

kekoaskorner

I love Fall Out Boy but I have never managed to see them live! It is quite a shame but I am hoping that they will come to a festival in Switzerland or add a Swiss date to their MANIA tour. But first things first let me introduce you to their newest record MANIA.

Fall Out Boy - Mania
wikipedia.com

MANIA is their 7th record and was released on January 19th. The album is 10 songs strong including the signature voice of Patrick Stump. I honestly love his voice. It has that certain something that you cannot train you just have it or you don’t. Patrick Stump definitely has it. For me Pete Wentz also plays a main part in Fall Out Boy. He not only promoted the band on One Tree Hill and had a liaison with Peyton played by Hillary Burton but his looks and his talent make him unique. Fall Out Boy to me represent the new generation of Rockstars 🙂 But of course without Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley there wouldn’t be a band and no Fall Out Boy.
Of course I had a first listen to the new record MANIA and I have already three favourites. The first one that got me dancing was “Hold Me Tight or Don’t”. It kinda reminds me of The Script’s “Rain” which is a good thing. While writing this I am still dancing 🙂 “Young and Menace” is super intense and has great vibes. The stops in the rhythm are brilliant and are quite popular these days. Fall Out Boy end MANIA with an anthem! “Bishops Knife Trick” has that certain feeling that it needs a stadium or a big venue to fully unfold its potential. But I immediately fell in love with it.
Listening to MANIA makes me realize how much I liked Fall Out Boy and with this review I’d like to make you want to listen to this band too. They have been around for years and deserve all the credit. So first YouTube video I share is my current favourite of the record “Hold Me Tight or Don’t”:

Isn’t this video amazing???!! The purple Skeleton is just the best costume. This song and the video are full of energy and good vibes. I hope you like it as much as I do. But of course I want to show you some more tunes! Fall Out Boy released a video for “Young and Menace” as well and here it is:

I love the Britney Spears reference. But WOW the video is super weird but again also very purple which matches the theme of the record. I would have loved to show you a video for “Bishop Knife Trick” but unfortunately I couldn’t find a good one. But as I said it’s better to listen to the song in a big venue anyway to really get that anthem feeling. To get the full picture here’s the full song list of Fall Out Boy’s 7th record MANIA:

  1. Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea
  2. The Last of the Real Ones
  3. Hold Me Tight or Don’t
  4. Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)
  5. Church
  6. Heaven’s Gate
  7. Champion
  8. Sunshine Riptide
  9. Young and Menace
  10. Bishops Knife Trick

All of my three favourites are on Kekoas Korner’s Spotify Playlist which you can find by clicking here. I will also notify you if Fall Out Boy decides to come to Switzerland on my social media channels Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. At the moment they are touring through Europe, the US and Asia. However there is a big break between the European and the American tour so I am hoping for a few festival announcements 🙂
But most importantly now is your opinion! How did you like MANIA? Leave a reply below.

Other new music: Alt-J and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats