I had posted about the New Bomb Turks poster that I found on the wall at Beatpol in Dresden — and the booker Harald had seen it on our Instagram. He’s been booking shows for decades, and he remembered putting together a show with them in the past — so he was excited to show off a New Bomb Turks LP that he brought from home. I knew it would be a good night when i saw his smiling face holding that record.

Again, Jens was a hero — this time opening AND running sound. He put in some time before the show to learn the gear, and things went off without a hook. The show wouldn’t have happened without him — both his connections, and his DIY spirit that has carried us through each night.

Harald walked us to Nicole’s house after soundcheck. She is one of three hosts who cooks meals for visiting bands before the show. Most venues provide catering, snacks, or a nearby meal for artists — it’s just part of the deal — but it’s always extra special to eat in someone’s home. Nicole treated us to wine, beer, and a magnificent spread of eggplant and potatoes spiced with cinnamon, sauce that I couldn’t help but mop up with my rice and bread. It was hands-down my favorite home-cooked meal of the entire tour.

After the set, I spoke with Harald for a while about how things have changed since covid — in a nutshell, he said many great venues have closed, and many artists are scrambling for places to play. He gets so many more requests from artists than ever before, and it’s hard to have to say no to so many people. He also sent this message after we left.

“Happiness is a big goal in everybodies life, I guess. I am happy when I meet people like you. You have character and bring a lot of emotions into the bar and into the brains and hearts of the people. I founded this bar and I travel over the world to find and learn from people like you. Go on playing music and spread your love.”

We will. Thanks a million, Harald.