Sunshine & Showers at Folk Club BONN

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A musician with long white hair and glasses wearing a black hat, holding an acoustic guitar while speaking to an audience in a cozy venue.

The theme was ‘Dreams’ but Folk Club Bonn #169 looked in danger of of being a Nightmare for the organizers. Announcements that Bonn’s main artery the Nordbrücke was now completely closed off left many wondering about chaos on the roads, and gathering grey thunderhead clouds too suggested it might be a night to stay at home in the dry. Indeed, by the time things got underway a look at the rear balcony at Dotty’s revealed the slightly bizarre sight of people on the tennis courts with sunglasses on being pelted by a fierce rain shower.

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Looking forward to Kunst!Rasen – Jack Savoretti

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Greetings from Jack Savoretti to say he is looking forward to supporting Jovanotti at Bonn Kunst!Rasen on 7 July. Fear not non-Italian speakers. Jack’s songs are largely in english.

Jack’s career has been meteoric since I first saw him supporting Madison Violet at the Harmonie in 2015. He has since gone on to have a number of chart hits in the UK and this very April saw him headline two sold-out concerts at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall.

In Germany Jack Savoretti is something of an insider tip still so take my advice and don’t just grab tickets for the Jovanotti concert on 7 July but make sure to get there in time for the support act!

Das Programm 2026 auf dem Kunst!Rasen Bonn

TerminKonzert
03. Juli, 19 UhrBrings
04. Juli, 19 UhrMontez
05. Juli, 19:45 UhrMarillion
07. Juli, 19 UhrJovanotti
08. Juli, 17:30 UhrNile Rodgers & Chic
09. Juli, 19:00 UhrMadness
12. Juli, 19 UhrKlassik-Picknick (Eintritt frei)
15. Juli, 19 UhrZaz
17. Juli, 19 UhrWincent Weiss
02. August, 16 UhrDonots – Grand Kiddie Slam (Punkrock für Kids)
03. August, 19 UhrRoxette
06. August, 19 UhrRoy Bianco & Die Abbrunzati Boys
13. August, 18:30 UhrSavatage
14. August, 19 UhrOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
15. August, 19 UhrRoland Kaiser
16. August, 18 UhrZah1de
18. August, 19 UhrMoby
19. August, 19 UhrAmy Macdonald
22. August, 19 UhrAgnes Obel
23. August, 19 UhrThe BossHoss
25. August, 18:30 UhrNick Cave & The Bad Seeds
26. August, 19 UhrFury in the Slaughterhouse
27. August, 19 UhrBlue
28. August, 17:15 UhrRheinkilometer 652 (mit Ikkimel, Domiziana, 6euroneunzig, Felicia Bianco, Mariybu)
29. August, 14 Uhr„Oh-wie-schön“-Festival mit Fäaschtbänkler, Druckluft, Cat Ballou, Köbesse u.a.

Road Back Home – Baum’s Bluesbenders

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A solitary figure walking down an empty highway with a blue guitar slung over his shoulder, set against a sunset sky with mountains in the distance. Text overlay: 'Baums Bluesbenders Road Back Home'.

Baum’s Bluesbenders have been around on the Bonn music scene since 1993 so you could say that this debut studio release is more than a little overdue.  Not that the band needs to advertise itself of course.  Their live shows have long been enjoyed by fans at pretty much every venue Bonn has, or indeed ever, had – from The Kastaniengarten at Hotel Dreesen, the KKH roof, Trinkpavillion, Harmonie and even Kunst!Rasen (supporting ZZ Top).   So yes, it certainly is about time they had something to sell at the merchandise table as a reminder of a great evening’s Blues after their concerts.

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Torsten Goods Soul Deep in Dottendorf

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A band performing live on stage, featuring a guitarist playing a blue electric guitar, a bassist in a blue shirt, and a drummer in a black shirt, with stage lights illuminating the scene.

We have the legendary guitar player and designer Les Paul to thank for a musician named Torsten Goods appearance in Dottendorf tonight. When the young Torsten Gutknecht was studying music under a scholarship in New York, Paul (whose own real name was actually Lester Polfus), had trouble pronouncing Gutknecht. So ‘Goods’ he became. That Torsten Goods has also become an excellent singer is down to the encouragement of another major music figure – George Benson. That such luminaries took trouble helping the aspiring German musician learn his trade speaks volumes about the potential they saw in the youngster. Here, in front of a packed house at the Dottendorfer Jazznacht, he proved their belief well founded with a seemingly effortless evening of modern Jazz.

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Rick Fines at RÜngsdorfer KulturBad

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A musician playing a resonator guitar while singing into a microphone on stage, with a black backdrop and soft lighting.

It’s always been great that the Folk Club in Bonn attracts international musicians to visit. When one of them actually comes here to live – well, we’ll take that happily, thank you very much! Rick Fines is a veteran Canadian roots musician with a long and storied career in Canada and possibly one of the country’s hardest working artists, having toured across the Country countless times — solo, as a duo, and with a full band — recording over 14 albums along the way. After several short appearances at Dotty’s it was great to finally see Rick do a full set at the Kulturbad in Rüngsdorf.

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Robert Jon & The Wreck at Bonn Harmonie

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Two male musicians performing on stage. One has curly hair and is playing an electric guitar, while the other with a long beard is holding a guitar and looking at the audience.

Southern rock band from Orange County, California Robert Jon & The Wreck have been around since 2011. The five-piece consisting of Robert Jon Burrison (lead vocals, guitar), Henry James Schneekluth (lead guitar), Warren Murrel (bass), Andrew Espantman (drums), and Jake Abernathie (keyboards) have since gradually been building up a solid reputation with their warm, rocking sound. They brought that sound, along with trademark soaring guitar leads, rich vocal harmonies, and songs that stick with you long after the show, to the Harmonie once again on Wednesday. My impression? Despite being a great live band even when I first saw them back in 2023, they just keep getting better.

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Jazz coming to Dottendorf

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A musician playing a green guitar on stage, smiling while performing, with a band member on the left and a drummer in the background, under colorful stage lights.

Bonn Jazzfans should check out the new website from Dottendorfer Jazznacht. There you will find all the good music coming your way from this very popular venue.

A triple threat as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, Goods has spent over two decades earning his place among Germany’s finest jazz voices. In 2005 he was the only European selected for the final round of the Thelonious Monk Jazz Guitar Competition in Washington D.C., and critics have long reached for superlatives to describe him — the Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote that he “plays the guitar like George Benson, sings like Frank Sinatra, and composes like Joe Sample.”

Having seen Torsten already in Dottendorf (see above image) I can vouch for of the above!

The concert is on 15 May. Details, you guessed it, on the DOTTENDORFER JAZZNACHT WEBSITE.

Embracing the Unexpected at Folk Club Bonn #168

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An elderly man playing a mandolin while standing, alongside a woman sitting and playing an acoustic guitar. They are performing in a cozy, casual setting with wooden decor.

If John Harrison had only known what the evening had in store he would surely have kicked the 168th Folk Club Bonn off with ‘To a mouse’. The poem by Robert Burns that famously notes you can never safely organize anything with its observation: “The best laid plans of mice and men…” . We were well into part one of the evening and no guest stars. Serena Finnati and Andreas Varnier were nowhere to be seen or even reached for comment, which in todays hi-tech world is hard to believe. Easier to believe though, is that they were victims of today’s low-tech transport system and probably somewhere in a tailback on the infamous ‘Endenicher Ei’ or on any one of the many imaginative detours created by Bonn Council. So what happens when life gives you a lemon? Of course – you make lemonade! Consequently a Guest-starless evening of great music was had by all.

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