What the folk?
Acoustic Grooves
by Michael Haeflinger
If there could be one weekend of folk music overload in Berlin, this coming weekend might very well be it...
In addition to shows by The SongDogs (18.09 at Oxident) and Jasmina Machina (at Ausland), Halfblind Henry (at art.gerecht), and BudZillus (at RAW Tempel) on 20.09, there are two great folk showcases this weekend with multiple bands.
From 18.-20.09 at cafes all over the northern rim of Berlin, the ninth annual Acoustic Grooves/Unplugged Sounds Festival showcases over 25 bands and solo artists from all over the world, including Berlin mainstays Albertine Sarges, Trailhead, and the New Prohibition Band. There will be folk, folk punk, new folk, street folk, young folk, Irish folk, Latin folk…you get the picture. They will also feature some rock bands doing unplugged gigs, as well as a full set of workshops, which should give you no excuse not to try and get on next year’s bill. Many of the shows are in the afternoon, but check out the festival website for the full schedule and venue info:
http://www.myspace.com/acousticgroovesberlin
After an afternoon of café bumming on Friday 19.09, head over to the Grüner Salon in the Volksbühne for what is sure to be one of the finest shows this autumn: Folktown. Two Dollar Bash heads up this fantastic lineup fresh off a UK and elsewhere-in-Germany tour and Folktown will be the release show for their new album, “Lost River.” They will be joined by Trailhead and The Cowboy Killers for a show that’s slated to begin at 21:00. For information, hop on over to www.myspace.com/berlinfolktown.
And to stay current on the folk music, acoustic roots music, old time music (or whatever you want to call it) scene, check out www.springsandstrings.wordpress.com.
Have fun and see you at the show!
