Pablopolar Colorize-Tourfinal in Bern

You know, tourfinal shows of Pablopolar are the worst. That wasn’t different with the Sleepwalker tourfinal. Don’t get me wrong, it was a really great evening with super concert. That’s not what I’m saying. But when the band doesn’t say to you “see you at the next album release show” but rather “well, we’ll see if at all”…

After the Sleepwalker tour (Sleepwalker is my fave Pablopolar album by the way) it wasn’t clear either, if there will be another album. On 11th Septmeber 2015 they luckily released their 3rd album Colorize then. And with some different band members they went on tour. Now at the end of Colorize tour it sounds again so totally unsettled, only even more final than last time. And “You have so many favourite bands” or “There are so many great bands, you can go and see” is just not working like this. You can like many different bands, but with certain bands leaving it hurts the most. You’ll miss them a lot more than the others…!

But hey, the Colorize-Tour was a great tour. Pablopolar played about 35 small and big concerts. I just didn’t make half of them, but seen many nice concerts and moments. Aarbergfest last summer I treasure (even with everything) a lot: If you hear the new songs for the first time, then this is super special and beautiful. An absolute highlight was the small release showcase over the roofs of Bern. The album release show was terrific, as well was the concert at Gurtenfestival. And of course they played various clubs and festivals, some quite remote. But it was always worth to go. And a year ago they were as a support of U-Fly even on Poland tour. Sadly I wasn’t there though.

The (tour) final took playe at ISC Club in Bern. It felt a bit strange going, with the perspective on a last concert. The small club was pretty crowded on that evening and the audience – with many known ones – in best mood. It promised to be a good concert, and it absolutely was then. On the whole stage the small lights were set up again, everything again wrapped into neon colours. The colorful shirts of course weren’t missing either.

Frost & Fog opened the evening at ISC. Frost & Fog are Karen Frauchiger and Adrian Graf, a folk pop duo from Thun. Since about a year they play as a complete band. First the two of them were playing some songs as a duo, then the other three band members joined. Karen singing, Adrian on the accoustic guitare and vocals, the band on e-guitare, drums and bass. Totally enchanting. Esp. during the first duet songs only the magic forest was missing in the background.

Pablopolar started their concert first with a bit of stress. Hearing shortly before the concert a crack and short bang, that was hitting the eardrum quite a lot, you wouldn’t have think about it any longer. Roger entered stage with trumpete soon after, in dimmed lights he started the intro. Soon was clear though, that something wasn’t right. Possibly it got something to do with the bang before? However, the amp had decided to give up with the concert start. So it took place without.

After probably the longest intro ever, Pablopolar started their show with “Home”. “Colorize” followed as well as my all-time favourite ” A Thousand Years”. Great pop songs, wonderful voices. Catchy uptempo titles followed by touching ballades. “Family History” [Video here] is a happy-sing-along-song, the audience always happily takes part in. It was a glorious concert, but also as emotional. Not all eyes stayed dry. The songs were even more touching than usual: It started with “Everythin in between” and went on with “Guiding Light” [Video here], “Monterey Bay” and “Faulinaux” (by the way, I still don’t know what Faulinaux means! pff…). The atmosphere was spurring. Everyone were in when they were meant to motivate Roger for the trumpete solo and cheer for him. They kept singing along (umm, or been bawling along) and dancing wildy. Esp. from “Ambulance” on it quickly became more colorful and wilder: A quick “strip” of the band and the colorful t-shirts appeared. And “Promise” [Video here], “Playground Comittment Rules” as well as “Peter Pan” kept firing up even more til the end of the show. Frontman Manu even got the audience down into the knees.

As encore they placed the Kwabs cover – “Walk” as well as “Arlene”. Ahead of it the crew got specially mentioned by the band, taken on stage, equipped and honored with personalised Pablopolar t-shirts. The last concert ended with Mani Matter’s “Farbfoto”. And the party continued afterwards. Sometimes worse and sometimes better music was played in the small club. Cos of some aquaintances I did last there even longer than expected. With the 1st Moonliner I was off home then and the tour came definitively to an end.

Well, hope dies last, isn’t it…?

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THANKS Pablopolar for this evening, for the music, for all the concerts and many great moments in the last years! THANKS that I could be a small part of it.

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