It was bound chronologically speaking to be the best Folk Club Bonn Meeting so far in 2025, but that the January meet could also go down in the record books as having the all-time largest attendance was not something I had anticipated when I arrived at Dotty’s in Dottendorf at 6 pm. However, as the minutes to ‘Ladies and Gentlemen,…’ ticked down, things began looking unusually hectic. First of all, people just kept coming in. Then, they started coming in with chairs from the bar. Finally, they started actually raiding the dressing room for chairs…
The Cultural Office of the City of Bonn will once again be presenting an exciting and varied music program on five weekends in August in the Stadtgarten am Alten Zoll. From August 2 to 31, the park will be transformed into a concert location where you can make many a discovery with free admission.
This year, the focus is particularly on female musicians – for example at the musicNRWwomen evening with Annelu and Stina Holmquist on 10 August. Women are also in the spotlight with many other bands during the concert season. The spectrum of this year’s shows ranges from global music and folk to electro-pop, rock, and jazz.
There are only five dates in Germany for ZZ Top who last toured here five years ago, and one of them is in Bonn. Mud puddles are on the ground, but the sun is out down by the Rhine at Kunst!Rasen as the once self-styled ‘Little ole band from Texas’ takes the stage.
For 15 years, Jazzfest Bonn has been celebrating the diversity of contemporary jazz with its diverse programme reflecting all facets of the music. It’s become a place to discover new jazz talent as well as meet like-minded jazz fans since the Festival has become a magnet for jazz newcomers and die-hard fans alike. With over 30 concerts and several thousand enthusiastic visitors each year, the festival has established itself as a key event beyond the borders of Europe and sets high standards of musical quality that are reflected in its consistently sold-out events.
Rebekka Backen – 20 April Telekom Forum
Running from 19 April to 1 May (with an additional Jubilee concert on 15 June featuring Rebecca Trescher Tentett and Ute Lemper) there are far too many great concerts on offer to go iinto detail, so my advice is to head over to the Jazzfest website HERE for all the details.
If it wasn’t enough just to sample the atmosphere of concerts under that world-famous blue neon logo saying ‘Rockpalast’, the regular ‘Crossroads Festival’ at Bonn Harmonie has become dependable for its eclectic roster of bands each year. It really is a welcome break from the relentless coverband scene that is constantly re-hashing old bands and music for new generations. There is of course a matter of perspective in that. Not everyone was able to see legends like Queen, George Michael and Dire Straits in their prime – one of the (few) perks of being old I guess. But the music for future generations has to start somewhere – and Crossroads Rockpalast is as good a starting point as any. So step up to the mark tonight Sari Schorr and The Cinelli Brothers. your live music CV’s are about to be filed in the Rockpalast video vaults alongside Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Deep Purple, Van Morrison, Motörhead… are you ready?!
One of my favourite concerts thus far at the Dottendorfer Jazznacht was Rüdiger Baldauf’s appearance in 2019. I’m pleased to say that Baldauf is back at the Ortszentrum again on Friday (15 March).
The talented trumpeter and creative head of Trumpet Night regularly invites stars of the music scene to play together. Renowned guests include Max Mutzke, Thomas Quasthoff, Laith Al-Deen and Nils Landgren. Baldauf demonstrates his versatility by adapting and rearranging compositions by his guests to suit the respective line-ups on the night. The result is an impressive fusion of artistic skill and musical passion.
For his concert in Dottendorf, Baldauf has invited young singer-songwriter Phil Siemers for the first time. Also guesting will be Trumpeter Lorenzo Ludemann. Alongside will be top band musicians Thomas Heinz (drums), Marius Goldhammer (bass) and Christian Frentzen (keys). It promises to be another memorable night for jazz lovers.
It’s Christmas. That time of year when a Bonn Folk Music fans thoughts turn to – Simon Kempston.
This Friday (1 December) the gifted singer/songwriter and finger-style guitarist extraordinaire will be making his 12th consecutive visit to Folk Club Bonn. When John Harrison jokingly told Simon many years ago that we would love to have him back – but he has to bring a new CD with him every time, little did we know that the joke would be on us!
This year is no exception. Would he manage to pass the strict contractual obligations set out by the Folk Club’s MC John Harrison? The new CD is titled ‘Moonrise over Mostar’. Simon describes the deal thus: “As agreed with Sir John of Harrisonshire back in November 2011 at the Graurheindorf crossroads I shall of course, have copies with me in Bonn on Friday!”.
“This will be my first ever collection of original pieces for the classical guitar. Recorded at home during a time when musicians could not perform, these are compositions from the heart I feel impossibly close to, and in many ways my saviour during the most difficult days I have known as a musician. Hopefully, this is reflected in the final performances and that you enjoy listening to them as much as I have enjoyed creating them”.
We really are blessed to have Simon trek down to Bonn from his native Edinburgh to play for us. Described as ‘One of Scotland’s very best singer/songwriters’ by leading Scottish publication ‘The Herald’, Simon has performed across the world in 35 countries and counting but always holds the first Friday of December free for a date at what he describes as “The best Folk Club outside of Scotland”. It will be an evening to remember so don’t miss out – and bring some cash for that new CD too. There are not so many shopping days left until Christmas!
01 December 2023Folk Club Bonn
7 pm to c.10 pm – Admission Free – but buying CD’s is permitted 😉
Address: Dotty’s Sports Bar (Bonner Tennis- und Hockey-Verein – BTHV), Christian-Miesen-Str. 1, 53129 Bonn-Dottendorf
Posters for her current ‘Power’ Tour proudly proclaim “The Blues Queen is Back!” and there’s no doubt that Ana Popovic has been away from Bonn for quite a while. That pause was down not just to Covid and her move to The States, but also due to a fight with Cancer that she has thankfully won. She looks as bewitching as ever in those posters, but is she truly still the Blues Queen? There was a packed house at Bonn Harmonie to find out.
