With the first notes due to ring out from it’s stage on 22 June there are already 25,000 tickets sold for Kunst!Rasen, Bonn’s top Open Air Festival by the Rhine.
During the last five years artists like Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, ZAZ, Santana, Deep Purple, Crosby Stills & Nash have looked out over the trees and seen the Rhine river meandering beside their audiences.
The program for this year is an interesting mix of newcomers to the venue like Jean-Michel Jarre and Zucchero, alongside return visits from Passenger, Sarah Connor and the ever popular Brings. Klassik!Piknick is taking place again too (and, being free, one of the year’s best bargains concert-wise!). Something for everyone? Well certainly something for pretty well everyone.
Hard Rock and Heavy Metal fans Will be a little disappointed I suspect. Past years have seen the likes of Dream Theater, Alice Cooper and Revolverheld. Jazz fans will be better served by ‘Jazz im Biergarten’ on the Rheinau and Blues fans will have to wait until the Harmonie resumes its concert season later this Summer (although Zucchero may well make a lot of ‘Bluesers’ happy). There is some interesting music coming to Kunst!Rasen nonetheless.
Peter Brings
Brighton born Mike Rosenberg will be the first headliner in 2017when he takes the stage on 22 June as Passenger after a successful outing recently in the Pinkpop Festival.
King King’s Alan Nimmo isn’t the only guitarist to wear a kilt in Rock, as Stephan Brings will no doubt be proving on 23 June. A band that made it’s name on the Karneval circuit locally but one who have made some genuinely great Rock/Pop music since those early days. ‘Superjeilezick’ and ‘Poppe, Kaate, Danze’ are titles not easily forgotten. Brings are a fun band guaranteeing a fun evening for certain.
Amy MacDonald at Museumsplatz (2009)
Amy MacDonald was last here for a concert in the Museumsplatz in 2009 when she was still riding high with her album ‘This is the Life’. I remember it being a great concert in the Pop tradition and am keenly looking forward to hearing how her music and presentation have progressed since then.
If you’ve ever attended one of the Classic Picnic evenings then you will know how great they are – and if you haven’t, 2 July will be your chance when BOB (Beethoven Orchestra Bonn) will no doubt have some spellbinding classics and popular melodies up their multi instrumental sleeves.
Orchestral view of the Klassik!Piknik 2016
A highlight in 2017 is set to be Italian superstar Zucchero who’s had some pretty impressive guest artists take the stage with him, including Mr Clapton…
I can’t guarantee Slowhand but I can guarantee a memorable concert on 13 July. With over 30 years music experience aand 60 million albums sold worldwide, Zucchero is probably best known to english speakers for his hit in the 90’s with Paul Young ‘Senza Una Donna’ . Hopefully this number will feature on 13 July in Bonn alongside tracks from his new disc ‘Black Cat’ and hits like ‘Baila’, ‘Diavolo In Me’, and ‘Miserere’.
Lots to look forward to this Summer by the Rhine then – the full concert list is below:
22.06. Passenger(20.30) Kensington(19.00) Stu Larsen(18.15) doors open 17.30
23.06. Brings (19.00) doors open 17.00
24.06. 257ers(20.10) Karate Andi 19.00 doors open 18.00
30.06. Andreas Bourani (20.15) Louka (19.00) doors open 16.30
02.07. Klassik!Picknick (19.00)
06.07. Sarah Connor(20.15) Wincent Weiss(19.00) doors open: 17.00
12.07. Jean-Michel Jarre, doors open 19.00
13.07. Zucchero (19.00) doors open 17.30
25.07. Amy MacDonald(20.00) Lewis Capaldi (19.00) doors open 17.00
