Take A Bike To The Bonfire Side

The Boy I Used To Be

Radsommer am Donaukanal, Vienna, Austria 20190823

Amsterdam counts as one of Europe’s bicycle cities. But also in Austria’s bigger cities Salzburg or Innsbruck the streets are good for cycling. Compared not that much in Vienna, but at least at the Donaukanal it is good. And so the organizers of the yearly Radsommer host a free concert at the Salztorbrücke, right where usually the main stage is of the Donaukanaltreiben, where e.g. Gospel Dating Service played.

The event generally features tips and tricks around the bike, free checks, discussions, the flea market and more. And the team of Fahrrad Wien promises to keep it going. Suitable to their sustainability credo, the spot doesn’t feature the standard Dixi toilette but öKlos, the clever alternative promoted by “2 Minuten 2 Millionen” and partner of for example the Kaltenbach Open Air.

Looking North, you can spot the garbage incineraton plant Spittelau, and in this setting, The Boy I Used To Be got to play this concert. He starts his set with “Heart Of Stone” and “Serenade” from his first EP “careless and young”. Then he shifts to his latest release “I Scream Like A Kid That Screams For Ice Cream” with “Wake Up Call” and “Drunk”.

If the wonderful but calm music of the boy would be fitting this event was not completely sure. But the beautiful light of dawn and the attentive crowd made it surprisingly convenient, like a kind of bonfire concert near the river. The number of people for the boy is “like the Nova Rock”. Therefor he has some problems taking a picture, as even though he is working for television, he hasn’t tried the panorama function of his mobile yet. Also he mentions, that usually he tours with another musician (Yunger), and this might be his longest set with about 40 minutes.

Those little interactions make the concert even more familial and after “Black Silhouette” and “Waiting For The Ocean”, the audience earns a new song as encore. Composed during a holiday, “Bern” got an established intro, but the voice and singing melody is fresh and memorable and even comes to a kind of rap. Another example of the boy’s very own striking song structures and heart-warming concerts.