Monday January 4, 2016.     Modern bands rock the club scene and pack Munich’s stadiums, but there’s still traditional music to be had if you make the effort to find it.  Look for signs for Blasmusik to steer you to what Americans call an “Oompah Band.”   On most days the Hofbräuhaus (listed) offers traditional such music downstairs in the noisy crowded Schwemme as well as a folk-chamber trio in the more sedate upper floors. Two or three days a week, a traditional brass band plays from the Chinese Tower of the English Garden beer garden—the sound can be heard nearly a mile away. Donisl is back open again; over the years it has featured such compelling “Bavarian” music that we know locals who regularly make sure to leave just before it starts at 6 PM. We still love it—once a year.

Where there is music, there will be a break every 20 minutes or so for a chorus of the “Prosit” song. Everyone still offers a toast to anyone and once you’ve clinked the massive steins, it’s pretty hard not to follow it up with at least a bit of dual-language conversation. Some Germans clearly believe that if you repeat something often enough, increasing the volume a bit each time, eventually even someone who does not speak German will understand it. Darned if they’re not right.

Future Posts

• January 7^th: An American Thomas Hardy?
• January 11^th: Germany Crawls onto the Craft Wagon