Words & Music – I’ve bottled it!

If only I could bottle the whole Words & Music experience of Saturday night – I’d be able to go back for a nip from time to time. I still can –

Klein aber fein. Superwirt Hansi of the Gusto Kueche Egger opened his Gasthaus especially for the event and served fingerfood on the house. It was holiday time and I was expecting a lot of people to be away; the place couldn’t hold more without crowding and we nicely spilled over into the back room to hear Ernst Molden give a special concert as what Ernst called a frame for my readings – I almost melted. We decided on a 3song-2story-3s-2st-3s format and it worked really well. Ernst brought songs from his CDs Wien and Foan – with the latest permitted inclusion of the title song Foan – and I read “Ferris Wheel”, “Grow Up” and “Bogey Man” from Back Burning, as well as my first story in German, “Anna und das Exil der Seele”.

The sound came over really well for both the music and the words. Outside, the lights of the Prater twinkled as the local ladies of the night went about their business. Inside, I could feel the audience hanging on every tone, every word. I had remembered to breathe and to read slowly. Not everyone spoke German and not everyone spoke English, but our linguistic mix seemed to appeal to everyone there and the music with its own stories weaved its magic.

I always enjoy Ernst Molden concerts but there is something special about hearing his songs in a small cosy ambience. I’m grateful for my teacher’s – yep from the SfD workshop in 2006 – generosity, and proud to have been able to share a gig with the “Leonard Cohen of Vienna”.
I suppose you can all see that I’m still floating. I seem to have succeeded in bottling the evening and I’ll post some pix as soon as I have them. Update 6 August – pix are at Flickr; my thanks to Glen Sweeney!