Jim Kroft – Privatclub, Berlin; October 20th, 2022
Exactly 2 years and 8 months after I had last seen Jim Kroft play live, we gathered again at Privatclub in Berlin to pick up where we left off and see if it still felt the same. Or at least that was what I wanted to do. After all the shows I have already seen by other artists already this year one could assume that I am no longer worried about reconnecting with those whose music I loved pre-pandemic, but somehow, I need to find out or each of them individually, if their live shows still speak to me. It was a fun night for sure and it didn’t even matter that I seem to have forgotten most of the lyrics. 😉
Jim was one of the last artists I saw live in 2020 just before the pandemic started. I remember his Love in the Face of Fear concerts in February that year and I remember looking forward to a concert in Berlin in May that was going to be a big celebration with musical friends. Well, that show never happened and everything went quiet for well over two years. It’s not like he wasn’t around, he wrote songs and made films and shared them with us through Patreon and Instagram, but the whole live experience was missing.
So finally the long wait was over and as I hurried to the venue, trying to get there before the doors opened, despite may delayed train, I wondered which songs we were going to hear. Once I arrived I was surprised to see hardly any people waiting. It was easy to get a spot at the front and I spent time chatting with K., whom I had not seen in ages. I also tried taking a picture of the setlist without reading it, because I wanted to be surprised.
By 8 the club was nicely filled and local artist Dean was on stage to warm us up for the main gig. He was really enthusiastic, but his music didn’t speak to me much. Many people in the audience seemed to enjoy it though and that’s the main point of a support act.
I thought Jim would make us wait until 9, but he unexpectedly stated at 8:50. People had moved closer as soon as he stepped on stage and ‘Obstacles’ got us off to a good start. It was just great to see the band together again. 🙂 Wit ‘Birthrights’ I realized that I had not listened to the songs in too long and could not remember much of the lyrics. Thus, I was content with moving along to the music and watching.
Being there felt just right and eventually, there were songs that even I remembered. 😉 They played a great mixture of newer songs from the ‘Isolation Diaries’ and older ones from all other albums. Everyone a into it, on stage and in front.
Jim thanked us a few times for coming down, happy to be back on stage. He also didn’t fail to comment on current events and asked us all to come to a protest on Saturday and show our support for the people of Iran. He talked a lot, between songs, about everything that moved him and how it felt like to be isolated during the pandemic. It made a lot of room for introspection and self-discovery. Very true.
The music lifted me up and I got to hear many of my favorites from ‘I hope you know’ and ‘The Jailer’ to ‘Love, Smile and go on’ and ‘I haven’t dreamed my last’. I love how Jim always spreads optimism, even when he plays darker songs and he always manages to put a smile on my face. It was wonderful to have him back on stage and just seeing the pure joy on his face. I think we all had a great time and I felt connected to everyone in the room, happy I had come for the show.
Afterwards we chatted until they kicked us out, only to meet up again with some of the crowd at a bar down the road. I had many interesting talks with people I had never met before. What a great was to pass the time until I needed to go to the train station. I hope we get to repeat this soon. Tow more shows to go. 😀
Setlist
Obstacles
Birthrights
I hope you know
Bahnhof Friedrichstraße
Beautiful Ways
Through my Weakness
Memoirs from the Afterlife
Elegy for the Dead
The Jailer
You’re gonna be someone
The great Doomsday Story
Guess that’s what the Gods say
Redemption
Tell me where to begin
Favourite type of Sinner
Waiting for a Healing
Love, Smile and go on
What will you decide America
I haven’t dreamed my last