Live from Deutschland
In November and December of 2019, Chicken Wire Empire had the good fortune to be invited by Rainer Zellner to participate in the 9th “Bluegrass Jamboree,” playing 24 dates in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. We boarded the banjo-bus along with new friends the Price Sisters band and Hoot & Holler (now Golden Shoals). Spending a month on the road in Europe, spreading acoustic music to excited fans, was a life changing experience for the band. Glühwein, beer, food, christkindlmarkets, local bluegrass pickers, and other great memories were formed. Greeted warmly, we performed for enthusiastic and engaged bluegrass fans. Even though at times we were exhausted, or in the middle of playing 19 dates in a row, a burst of energy would appear in the band the moment we stepped onstage. Every night was something new, and we are excited to share the experience we had overseas with you.
After returning to America and settling back in, the band pored through 22 recorded sets. From this, we have compiled two volumes encapsulating our shows in Europe. Volume 1 is an amalgamation of eight shows. The venues varied from a rock club in Hamburg's Saint Pauli district, the Columbia Theater in Berlin, or a school in a small mountain town in Switzerland. The first track is our tour manager Rainer Zellner, who would give an introduction to the band each night, giving context to the audience in their native tongue. Volume 2 is mostly selections of a set in the beautiful Parktheater Göggingen of Augsburg. The energy of the show really came out to us listening back, and we are excited to share it with you. Each show was performed acoustic, with three Ear Trumpet Labs Edwina microphones, and a DI for the upright Bass.
Thank you to Rainer Zellner and his wife, Ille Schiller, for watching out for us, and giving us a great tour. Daniel Machnik, thank you for mixing us night after night, and making 3 microphones and a DI sound so good. Heister Heribert, and Sven Thelen, you make driving the Banjo Bus through tiny German streets look easy, thank you for keeping us safe on the road. Golden Shoals and the Price Sisters band, thank you for being the chillest group of people ever, especially when stuck in a confined space for hours on end. Dan Kroeger, thank you for jumping the pond and bringing over more
albums. Last but not least, a big thank you to our families and loved ones who let us abandon them for 4 weeks while we traveled to the other side of the planet, to pursue our dreams, and spread acoustic music around the world.
