This run of shows took us through some of the most beautiful scenery any of us had ever seen. But we’ll get there in a minute.
Van Goat in Odense, Denmark. Photo by Ole Steen Petersen
We left Odense very early in the morning for Leipzig. Our destination was a venue called Substanz - it’s an outdoor beer garden with great food, and many little nooks for people to sit and relax. The building survived both world wars and is all old brick, overgrown and immensely inviting. The backyard area reminded us a bit of the Crepe Place - if it were much much larger, and had an outdoor bar area as well. We celebrated Ben’s birthday with the staff, bartenders, and patrons (Susan, Paul, Shubhangi) as well as Pepito the pooch - all of whom were so welcoming and became new friends.
After Leipzig, we headed to the beautiful Bavarian countryside in southern Germany, to stay with a guy named Olli and perform in a surprising and wonderful venue. On the way in, Kurt told us that we were really gonna like this place, and he was right. Its name is Altes Spital (“Old Hospital” in German), and that’s exactly what it was. But the word “old” means something entirely different in out here, as Olli said “It’s older than your country.” The building was built in 1432, and has fallen in and out of use over the years. Most recently, it has been converted into a bar and a concert venue, hosting many shows throughout the year (we saw that another familiar face, The Family Crest, passed through Altes Spital earlier this year). Here are a few photos of the venue.
Olli is quite a character, and we really enjoyed spending time with him. He is a concert promoter and an avid record collector - here are a few of the amazing turntables he has scattered throughout his house.
Next we headed for Livigno, a resort town in the Italian alps. Livigno is well known for its skiing, and during the summertime it’s also a tourist hotspot - both for its amazing scenery and the fact that it is a duty free tax zone. We got a chance to dip our toes in the chilly river that runs through the town before heading to Marco’s Pub for sound check. We had an amazing dish of pizzoccheri valtellinisi, buckwheat flour pasta with delicious vegetarian seasonings, before playing a fun set in the downstairs portion of the venue.
Taking a stroll in Livigno
It had rained overnight, making the drive out of Livigno particularly beautiful. That’s it for now - Tübingen, Unna, and Leeuwarden are up next.
The drive out of Livigno
