New Year Means New Musical Experiences: Where to Go And What to Hear And See?
Do you know that feeling when you step inside a concert hall, the lights go out, the murmuring stops for a second and then somebody from the crowd starts wooing while the performers get on the stage? If you are a fan of this feeling, this topic is for you! Here you can find all the notable music events in Zagreb in the first two months of 2018.
Let's get this party started
The concert year starts off with Brijačnica, translated as the "Barber Shop" where you will get musically shaved by some of the best rock'n'roll tunes from the region. Over the two days, the 19th and the 20th of January, the festival features artists such as Partibrejkers, M.O.R.T., Vlatko Stefanovski Trio and Kawasaki 3P. On the second day of the festival held in Boćarski dom, there will be a concert over at the Culture Factory as well - a Belgrade shoegaze/dream pop sensation, Bitipatibi.
The following weekend offers two music festivals. For those whose ears are thirsty for music, the best place to be is Močvara where a post-punk band from Middlesbrough, Algiers is going to play. The same day, another festival will start in Culture factory. "Drito iz Tvornice" is hip-hop, rap and trap music festival which is held in the first month of 2018 for the third consecutive year and it lasts two days. The line-up includes hip-hop and trap names like Bolesna Braća, Kandžija i Gole Žene, Sajsi MC, Krankšvester and some others!
Lost in a February song
The month of February is truly a month of love. And you are going to love it if you love music because it really brings a lot of big names from the industry. February starts off with a concert at one of the biggest venues in Zagreb, at Arena Zagreb to be more exact. Its huge hall will be filled with sounds of the hits like "Have You ever seen the Rain" and "Sailing." If you think that's sexy and you want to listen to these songs along with lots of others, you probably know that I'm talking about the pop-rock legend, Rod Stewart. The concert takes place on February 2nd, and you can already buy your tickets.
A week after that brings us another visit from pretty big rock stars. They are a bit younger than Rod the Mod, but their hits also speak for themselves. So if you'd like to dance with somebody named Gloria or Romeo and be in a happy place with no more tears, you should visit Zagrebački Velesajam where the Swedish musicians Mando Diao are going to play for you.
Image Credit:INmusic Team
Approaching the middle of February, you might leave your concert-going decisions up to the condition of your love life and your stance on the whole "Valentines day" thing. Coming up first is a one-day festival at Dom sportova, called Antivalentinovo. That festival is great whether you just simply don't get all the fuss about Valentine's day or you just like the three provocative artists performing. Let 3, one of the most controversial Croatian rock bands from Rijeka, known for their nudity enriched concerts, are performing alongside TBF, a loved hip-hop group from Split whose lyrics talk about everyday social problems in a bit ironic way. The last but not the least is also a hip-hopper originally from Bosnia but with an address in Zagreb. I am talking about Edo Maajka, of course. The festival will be held on the 10th of February.
Image Credit: Silvija Rosandić, Dallas Records
Will you be my Valentine?
On the other hand, if you are all pro-Valentine's day, you and your special person should go to one of the Zagreb's classiest concert halls, Lisinski. There, you can kindle your heart to dance and enjoy romantic melodies of the bands, Detour and Pavel. That concert is, of course, on Valentine's day.
The third choice for the middle of February is ideal for the ones who enjoy good American garage rock. The Vintage Industrial bar will host the concert of The Sonics on the 13th.
In my opinion, the performance you shouldn't miss is definitely a live show by the UK musician from London whose music transcends all musical genres. His cooperation on the single "Come Near Me" with the trip-hop legends, Massive Attack is surely a confirmation of his musical value. You can enter the experience of Ghostpoet's music on 24th of February at Močvara.
If the thing that gets you going is a poppier sound, you can visit Dom Sportova on that same day, where Caro Emerald, a sweetheart from the Netherlands holds a concert. "Liquid lunch," "A night like this" and "Tangled Up" are just some of the hits Emerald performs at her concerts.
In the end
The last two days of February, Culture Factory hosts another concert. If you, by any chance like alternative folk rock and the hit "Stolen Dance" from 2013, Ljudevita Posavskog 1 is the place to be! German group from Kassel will give you a time of your life in "Veliki pogon." If you haven't already guessed, I will tell you. I'm talking about Milky Chance whose concert is on 27th of February.
Just a day after that, Arena Zagreb hosts another event. This time, it is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber himself that was performed on West End and Broadway. It's called Evita, and its plot revolves around the life of an Argentinian political leader, Evita Peron.
Header Image Credit: D. Rostuhar
Author: Tibor Trupec