It might have looked like Bad Godesberg Kurpark, but musically at least we were far away from an overcast Bonn in August. Astatine‘s magical, musical carpetride took us from Unter der Zeder through the Rumanian Carpathians and on to Paris and Andalusia. Also on board for the journey were guitar virtuosos Daniel de Alcalá (flamenco) with Christiano Gitano (gypsy swing), and Eva Henneken on Violin.

This week 2/3 August was the first of five weekends of free live music in the Stadtgarten am Alten Zoll in Bonn. Tthe popular Stadtgarten concert season will be inviting visitors to discover and enjoy music from August 1 to 30, 2025. Bonn’s Cultural Office is presenting a varied and diverse music program – ideal for anyone spending Summer in the city.

The stage down by the Rhine will be presenting artists from a wide range of genres but the focus is on one thing above all: authenticity, beyond established listening habits. The audience can look forward to Bonn punk legends as well as lyrical jazz pop, danceable folk fusion and classic hard rock. Local newcomers, such as the Fountain Cave Basement Orchestra will aim to inspire with their energy and enthusiasm, while international guests such as this evening’s US singer McKenna Michels will be providing special accents. Also on hand with varied musical styles on Saturday were Offenbach Disabilities project band Blumenstrauss and International Fusion Folk band The Trouble Notes. Enough talking – let’s get down to Alter Zoll, I hear Festival Organizer Hajo announcing the first band…

The Dead South started out as a grunge band before picking up banjos and mandolins to become instead what they themselves term a “Rocking, stomping bluegrass band”. But is there a market in Bonn for bluegrass? rocking, stomping or otherwise?

2,500 people were present by 8 pm when the band went onstage at Bonn Kunstrasen, so the answer is maybe ‘jein’ (yes/no). Singer Nathaniel Hilts actually took a count of hands which revealed a sizeable collection of the audience actually had no idea what the band sounded like beforehand. Equally interesting was the number of people who had come from beyond Bonn – including a group in front of me proudly waving a banner proclaiming that they, like the band, were from Saskatchewan. It seems that if you like your bluegrass you are prepared to travel to hear it.

Having written the liner notes for their new CD saying how enjoyable the disc is, how could I not go to hear Brazilian Winds live?  I’m pleased to report that the music was as smooth and relaxing on stage Unter der Zeder as it is on disc.  With the added elements not on disc of twin flutes and the mercurial bass guitar of Christian Kussmann, this was an ideal way to wind down after a busy Monday.  Only the chilled glass of caipirinha was missing.

Here we are again in the sunshine at Bundeskunsthalle , this time with Marcus Schinkel and Daria Assmus for musical company. It’s always been hard not to think of the Sommergarten concerts here as the epitome of Summer in Bonn. Music, sunshine, a cool drink all with a wonderful view of blue skies and puffy white clouds. So why is the Season now so short? The General Anzeiger only held three concerts this year. What a shame.

“All music is folk music. I ain’t never heard a horse sing a song” – Louis Armstrong

No it’s not an error. This picture really was taken at this year’s Kunstrasen FolkPicknick. As the man’s tatoo suggests, the band (and in fact the man) is named Rauhbein, and at month’s end they are on the bill at the Wacken Heavy Metal Festival. An interesting choice for a ‘Folk’ bill. In actual fact they did play ‘The Irish Rover’ during their set, and they did have a fiddle player. Needless to say there was many a parent grabbing their sons and daughters before their young hearing was tested. The only other true link to Folk was that earlier act Roxanne de Bastion’s father Richard was a frequent and popular musician at Bonn Folk Club. An interesting afternoon then at Kunstrasen…