2023-05-20 15:38:06
From neoclassic to rock – in reverse order. The Stream Festival Linz offered a colorful potpourri of artists on Friday, from AF90 to Hania Rani.
In addition to talks regarding the music industry, it is of course the live concerts that draw the people of Linz to the Stream Festival. This year, the main stage moved to the Pfarrplatz in Linz – you might enjoy music here, picturesquely situated between the recreation area and the thoroughfare.
AF90
AF90 made the start in front of a shaky backdrop due to the time. AF90 – or, to explain the name, Andreas Födinger, born in 1990. This man is no longer unknown in Austrian music circles, he has already made a name for himself as the drummer of Bilderbuch or as a member of Farewell Dear Ghost. Now he’s doing “his own thing” – or, as he puts it musically: “can we talk regarding me?”. It’s always the same: front people get the attention, guitarists are musically awesome, bassists are there anyway, and drummers are forgotten unless their name is Dave Grohl and they played the drums in a semi-known grunge band are. AF90 do what they want. In the most honest sense. Rocky, backing band with well-known names, not themselves, but taking the music all the more seriously! Yes that would be good!
Come
Next in the program in the stage presented by FM4: Aze. They are also no longer unknown in the relevant domestic alternative landscape. “Hotline AZE” is the name of one of the most discussed records of the previous year, with which AZE entered the local music landscape and made a name for itself. Beyza & Ezgi are currently on a permanent tour, doing R’n’B with indie, mixing in a bit of dream pop and creating a mixture that is unique in this country. “More Than This” and “Call Me Back” are tracks that will be, and are, looping on various streaming playlists. Gladly more of them, and gladly more in a more intimate setting!
Kids Return
The secret headliner of the evening, as we think, when it comes – beware of spoilers! – Tess Parks would not have existed. Kids Return from Paris, or a mix of MGMT and the Beach Boys. Yes, we really just wrote that. “A friendship between Adrien Rozé and Clément Savoye” founded the creation of Kids Return, as they say of themselves. How does that sound? Damn good, made for all the indie and everything-in-between clubs in the world. “Orange Mountains” is the name of the best-known single from the album “Forever Melodies”, an album title that, in the case of Kids Return, is more than just a program. A band that, if you don’t love them yet, you will love following the concert at the latest. Mainly because you might still get in touch with the members followingwards in the crowd.
Tess Parks
We mentioned it above: now to the secret headliner, Tess Parks. The Toronto-born Londoner by choice then managed to get under our skin, at least musically. “And Those Who Were Seen Dancing” is the name of the current record, which was released last year and has so far perfected Tess Parks’ musical creativity. One might go back and forth here: Alan McGee (yes, that’s the I-discovered-Oasis-Dude) thinks a lot of Tess Parks, her debut “Blood Hot” is also ten years old, but still great, and a brilliant stage presence is a matter of course for her. But it wouldn’t do justice to Tess Parks’ concert. “WOW” is not only the opener of the current record, but also immediately conveys the feeling that inevitably sets in following Tess Parks’ concert. A sublimity on the stage, as one might only wish for, musically together with a band in good spirits on top. It’s a pity that the volume level, especially in the back rows, reached more like a regulars’ table than a concert. Nevertheless, definitely the highlight of the evening!
Hania Rani
Now for the last Sot of the evening: Hania Rani. The Polish pianist is not only one of the most sought-following artists of her genre on this continent. At this point we admit it: the neoclassical genre has done it to us. Nils Frahm, Martin Kohlstedt, Olafur Arnalds, the Grandbrothers and Co are right at the top of our turntable playlist. We like to lose ourselves in their music and end up in dream worlds that they create with their music. We would have loved to have done the same in the case of Hania Rani at the Stream Festival, because records like “Esja” (2019) or “On Giacometti” (the current work) are beautiful when enjoyed in the right ambience. It was also wonderful on this Friday evening at Pfarrplatz Linz – at least when you were in the first four rows. Unfortunately, the question then arose: is Linz ready for a neoclassical concert for the headliner slot? Unfortunately, serious doubts have to be registered here, because the noise level in the middle and rear segment of the Pfarrplatz then oscillated between “loud”, “very loud” and “unbearably loud”. It’s a shame because Hania Rani is great in her own right. How regarding a performance in the Brucknerhaus? In the case of Hania Rani, large concert halls would be the order of the day.
Those who still had energy were then allowed to check off the OK Deck, the Stadtwerkstatt or the KAPU as part of the Stream Festival Clubnight. Or rest for day three. Which we then did for the most part happily.
Photos: Andreas Woerister, Christoph Leeb
Stream festival
Music / pop culture / digitization
18. – 20. May 2023
www.streamfestival.at
admission free
1684598791
#Stream #Festival #rock #neoclassic
