Bob Dylan’s Dark Gospel Singer 

Paul Plut

Breitenseer Lichtspiele Wien, Austria 20260502

From all the beautiful cinemas in Vienna like Gartenbaukino, Filmmuseum, Filmcasino, Schikaneder, Top-, Metro-, Burg- or Bellaria Kino, the Breitenseer Lichtspiele is the oldest. Situated in fourteenth district, it is known for local movies like “Andrea lässt sich scheiden”, special screenings with live music like “Nosferatu” or concerts by likes of Ruhmer. 

So it makes sense, that Paul Plut chose the historical place for his Vienna show this year. After WUK and Kultursommer, he returns to a theater like back with Matt Boroff. ‘New organ in the oldest cinema of the world’, he promotes the show in his newsletter. 

The lights go out, and we hear the drumming and Paul’s loud voice from the back. With his long black coat, he marches to the front like a night-watchman. On the screen, dark black-and-white visuals accompany his musical pieces. Between those, he tells that he played with Marta in Kapfenberg yesterday. 

On his way home from his friend, his way led via the “Katzenburg” (Burgruine Statteneck) and he recites Joseph Campbell. When he wrote “Lärche”, he was still primary school teacher in Floridsdorf. For “Teifi”, Julian Pieber joins on stage before “Zur gleichen Zeit”. “Lucken in der Landschaft” was written for a theater in Steyr-Ennsleite. 

With “Vota” on the bladder fiddle, the two reach the peak of the volume. When Paul played it on the altar of the church in Bschlabs, he had a video call with the bishop to ensure he didn’t desecrate the place. “Diamanten” he wrote in Barcelona and with “Wo einmal nichts war” he adds a Hildegard Knef cover before “B320”. 

“Salz” Paul wrote for Hallein, telling that he likes to get inspiration at the library at Urban-Loritz-Platz, trapped in a triangle between the sections religion, esotericism and self-help. For 2027, he announces his fourth album, before he thanks Alexander Lausch for the sound and ends with “Klatsch” and “Kreis”. 

Paul Plut concerts truly are an experience, theater-like. And the program at Breitenseer Lichtspiele goes on with titles like “Paris Murder Mystery”, “Rose”, “The Chronology Of Water”, “Alpha”, “Charleys Tante” or “Das geheime Stockwerk”.