Buntspecht – A Night Of Radiant Nostalgia
Baggy jeans, colorful scarves, and a ton of jewelry blur into a smiling crowd. Quite the unusual sight in Dresden’s Altstadt district. But as I'm stepping inside the Beatpol on the 29th of March, I feel like I'm being transported across the city straight into the German-Indie-Aesthetic of the Neustadt district. At first, I’m met with gushing groups of teenagers; a little later, some older women take a seat on the benches propped up against the walls. All of them are drenched in an aura of pure kindness, wearing the Buntspecht philosophy on their sleeves: “alles kann, alles muss” (transl. “everything could happen, everything needs to happen”), while chitchatting away, unbothered by the anticipation that so often lingers around when pre-show playlists emanate from the speakers.
As the clock hits half past eight, the lights finally dim, and six figures step onto the smoke-filled stage. The warm, glowing lights grow like a slow, all-promising sunrise as the first notes of Im Fluss take flight. “Heute ist es schön, ja, heute ist ein guter Tag” (transl. “Today is a beautiful day, yes, today is a good day”), a self-fulfilling prophecy, it seems.
Over the course of the next two hours, the air and our lungs are filled with the most flowery of raw languages. The lyrics are gritty, and the sound is somewhere between melancholy and ecstasy. A variety of instruments are played by the band members, contributing to the acoustic image of a coming-of-age movie. The steady, driving parts are provided by Florian Röthel on drums and percussion and Jakob Lang on contrabass and bass guitar. Lukas Klein lends his voice to the lyrics, as well as playing the guitar. And a significant part of the bright sound is created by Florentin Scheicher on piano, melodica, and trumpet; Antonia Luksch on cello; and Roman Geßler on saxophone and flute. The setlist is a thorough mixture of their five records, though with a heavy focus on their newest album Konstrukt 5.
The crowd is buzzing with excitement at the introduction of each new tune. Quite similar to the scenes that take place on stage, people are dancing carelessly, some even invite me to join in. Tears are nowhere in sight, but the eyes are still glistening with joy. Crowd interactions and breaks are rare, but no one even seems to notice or mind. And in the blink of an eye, the musicians lay their instruments to rest and take their last bow.
As the venue clears, people are hugging tightly, some are chatting with the band members, or taking a look at the well-stocked merch table, and I get the feeling that this band might be a lot better established than I thought. Calm, kind, and honest—attributes that will continue to carry them a long way.
On the car ride home, Mojo Risin blasting over the radio, the faint heartbreak of leaving a beautiful moment behind settles into my chest. A sign that Buntspecht concerts are worth the visit, especially for those who value a night of melodic poetry and chaotic dancing.
Be sure to check if you're still able to snatch a ticket or two here!
