It Takes a Community… Local and Global
Nothing like a 6 hour drive that turns into a nearly 8 hour one to make you realize you are definitely NOT on vacation… Traffic in Germany and Switzerland can be a bear. Even countries with beautifully maintained roads and plentiful, efficient public transit options still have too many cars. We abandoned the autobahn for the backroads through small towns pretty early on, which was also a pretty slow route, but at least it was pretty. We were sad to leave Bavaria, with its rolling countryside and big farms, which remind me a lot of home, albeit with less rocky soil. After crossing the border from Germany into Switzerland, we finally rolled into Bern, one of our favorite Swiss cities, and to Lo Snag Bar, a bar/coffeehouse/guitar shop/studio/performance space/community space, where owner Alec also has a successful business making professional hockey masks. As New Yorkers, we like to think we know a thing or two about hustling, multitasking, and getting a lot done, but Alec and his wife Pam make us look positively lazy. I’ve listed Alec’s ventures, but Pam is also a well regarded naturopathic doctor, who works in the local hospital, a second separate clinic, as well as her own practice, runs the Lo Snag Bar along with Alec, all while they raise three kids together, and still finds time to ride her horse an hour each day. Maybe the Swiss, expert clock makers that they are, have figured out a way to actually put more hours into the day? Either way, the vibe is super cool, the people are really enthusiastic, and it feels good to be there. When the shop is not hosting concerts, making hockey masks, or selling guitars, they open their doors to offer coffee (often at low or no cost) to the local community, especially those who are underserved, lower income, or struggling to access community resources. Social workers also come by to help people figure out how to access programs, and generally improve their situation in life. It’s a wonderful reminder of human positivity and support for one another, and something that felt really good to remember still exists, given the current political situation at home and the humanitarian situation worldwide. Needless to say, we enjoyed playing this space a lot. We owe a special shout out to our friend Mark Stenzler, an American ex-pat-turned-Swiss-citizen who runs the Blues Zeppelin radio show on RaBe (Radio Bern) and is a real supporter of original music and a catalyst for connecting musicians with venues, opportunities, and each other. Mark is also a Cornell alum (physics department) who moved to Switzerland to work at CERN. Among his other accomplishments, he has his name on a paper which won a Nobel Prize. (Maybe that’s like the brainiac equivalent of playing on an album that won a Grammy?) Now his Blues Zeppelin radio show has won awards from Canada to Memphis for its support of original music. Go Big Red.