Live in the Stadthalle
Josh.: The showmaster of the domestic pop sector
Around 10,000 fans gathered in Vienna's Stadthalle on Thursday evening to give chart-topper Josh. the biggest concert of his life. For almost two hours, he drew from the full and varied his songs boldly and skillfully - forgiving even slight weaknesses in the overall corset.
The next chapter of a successful Austrian artist in an already impressive list of success stories was written on Thursday evening in the Wiener Stadthalle. After breakthrough artists such as Wanda, Bilderbuch, Edmund and Seiler und Speer have ventured into the country's largest arena in the last ten years, this time it's Josh's turn. Initial fears that the balancing act might even be a little too daring quickly vanished into thin air. In the end, more than 10,000 people turn up to celebrate their hero's biggest performance of his career to date. A celebration for which Johannes Sumpich, the real name of the hit artist, had big plans.
Puppet shows
The supporting band Betty Blue Jazz, who have to make do on a small stage in the middle of the hall, heat up the evening with style and verve. A reminiscence of Josh's own musical past before his great fame. Only a handful of select insiders know that he actually comes from a classical background and played in bars and small cafés for many years. While waiting for the act of the evening, there are still plenty of opportunities to spend your hard-earned cash. For example, you can take a selfie with the original Cordula Grün doll for five euros, the proceeds of which will be donated to a charitable organization. If you're brave enough, you can try your hand at the "Glückspackerl" for 20 euros - including T-shirt and other additions - you just don't know whether the size will fit.
Freshly equipped, the show starts right on time for the main evening program. The term "show" is more than just a rough framework explanation here. With a pompous show staircase on which three of his five band musicians are located, a huge lighting system, two video walls flanking the stage and the word "Josh." hanging from the upper section, the setting is more reminiscent of an opulent late-night show than a standard large-scale concert. There is no lack of humorous gimmicks during the rest of the set either - soap bubbles accompany the opener "Tanzen bei der Arbeit", while the confetti cannons are fired during the hit single "Expresso & Tschianti" and "Bleib mit mir über".
Both feet firmly planted in the evening
Alongside a well-rehearsed band, Josh. wowed the audience early on with his musical versatility. Funk guitars on "Dann denk ich an dich", the distinctive reggae rhythm that makes the hit "Ring an der Hand" unmistakable or the delicate use of pop elements ensure catchiness and a high recognition value. During the compact live performance, you realize once again what a clever hand Josh has for songs that are suitable for the masses. Even when he unpacks the mandolin ("Martina") or remembers important times away from the limelight in a semi-balladic manner ("Meer im Herbst"), his followers prove themselves to be reliable lyricists. The initial nervousness is quickly gone, and by the haunting "Die Wiener Traube" at the latest, Josh. has both feet firmly planted in the evening.
Because such a lavish performance is not an everyday occurrence, Josh. exhausts all possibilities. After an hour at full throttle, a full brake is applied in the direction of the acoustic section. While the piano and a female string quartet are dragged onto the stage, he talks about his life, including highlights and setbacks. In keeping with the showmaster of the evening, he recalls his musical upbringing, the temporary loss of the correct musical path and the depression that not only drove him into a burn-out and time-out, but also made the current and third studio album "Reparatur" possible, which was the first to go to number one in the charts. Jazz pianist Lukas Schretzmayer and the strings try everything on "Alles klingt nach dir" and the premature Christmas song "Kerzen, Karpfen und du", but unfortunately this stripped-back section of the concert briefly shatters the bubbling atmosphere and seems a little out of place in terms of timing.
What remains are happy faces
Otherwise, Josh. does little differently than he would do at the WUK or the Gürtellokal B72, where he once sold a mere 180 concert tickets at the start of his career. Due to the unspectacular and shirt-sleeved manner of the frontman and his band, the performance on such a large stage sometimes seems a little half-baked. Of course, it's a question of budget, but a little more fuss and frippery would have been possible for this unique day in his career - especially as the joy of movement is endless. But what the trappings don't do, the songs do. "Nur nicht von dir" and "Ich gehör repariert" provide the more contemplative moments, the new single "Tickets für Oasis" celebrates its Vienna premiere and the grand finale, including the breakthrough hit "Cordula Grün", "Geht noch was" and "Wenn ich heut bei dir bleib", breaks all the dams in the hall. What remains are happy faces on and in front of the stage - and a checklist of what can be tweaked for the next big show.
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