Medeski Martin & Wood was the initial draw, but truthfully, I knew very little about Slovenia before this weekend, and I just wanted to explore. I am so glad I went for it; I learned so much and enjoyed a great couple of days in a very special city.
After school let out, I packed the car and left Kaposvár with my sleeping bag, skateboard, a change of clothes, and a lot of questions... I didn't know: directions, Slovenian road rules, taxes and tolls (vignette), the Slovenia language (or even Hungarian, for that matter), where I was going to park, where I was going to sleep... and I wasn't worried about a thing! Going alone, I didn't have to fret about letting anyone down, so the expedition began without fear and an open mind...
The drive was beautiful! The four-hour drive took me through the Hungarian countryside, into Slovenia, through Maribor and along the rolling green mountains... all the way to Ljubljana. I arrived in Ljubljana as the sun was setting and had a really good feeling about this place from the start.
I rolled into town and found myself in a weird little parking lot in (what I thought was) the city centre. I figured I could just park and find my way to the venue... turns out I wasn't even close and I would still be looking for the club (four days later) if I didn't run into a little good fortune. Luckily, I found the people in Slovenia were very friendly. I asked a cop for help, and though he wasn't able to speak English with me, he was willing to try to communicate with me. In the meantime, a girl pulled up to us and asked the cop something (in Slovenian). While they were talking, I happened to catch a glimpse of the sticker on the back of her car... a Blind Melon sticker... the exact same Blind Melon sticker that is on the back of my bus! I had to ask her if she had any idea about this venue, and before I could even get out the name... she quickly said (in perfect English), "Medeski, yes, I'm going..." What a break! Instead of scrambling around the city to find the joint and hope to catch the show on-time, I followed Barbara directly to the venue and she showed me a free-parking area right next to the venue. I had over an hour to check out the scene before the doors even opened.
When I did get inside the beautiful / intimate Kino Šiška, I walked right to the front of the stage... and discovered that Barbara was right there in the front as well (she is a photographer for a newspaper in Slovenia and got to cover the show). I had a chance to meet a couple of her friends before the show and then got settled dead-center, first-row and never left... resting my camera and sketchbook on the stage, I was standing just as close to Chris Wood as either of his bandmates.
Nearing my fiftieth MMW show, I have seen the kings of improv at their absolute best over the years, and I have to say this was among the greatest of all the MMW shows I've seen. They were locked in and making magic... once again! I respect artists that take chances. Yet, with any risk-taking, there is potential for failure... and the shows aren't always great (re: MMW at Steele Hall in Fredonia), but when they're on, they're on! They even dropped a throwback treat when they closed with Bubblehouse as I remember my first days with Shack-man back at University... it was truly incredible.
After the show, I was talking with my new friends and was offered a place to stay in the city. But, not only was it just a place to crash, I ended up staying in a flat right in the centre of Ljubljana... with a spot in a private lot for my car, a couch to sleep on, and waking up in the heart of the city, I couldn't have asked for better accommodations! Tanja was awfully generous and even took the next day to show me around Ljubljana! (This is Tanja and Beli Blisk)
We spent the day exploring the city... the obvious tourist sights, and the lesser-known arts communities and underground scene as well... I was so fortunate to have a personal tour guide that is local and hip to all the right things! We went to the Ljubljana Castle, discovered the brilliant architecture designed by Jože Plečnik, followed the Ljubljanica River to a few different cafes, found a killer vegetarian restaurant for lunch (Ajdovo Zrno), oh, and stumbled into the raddest skate shop called Obsession (could be my favourite skate shop ever, but regardless, it was awesome to see this culture again... Hungary lacks it)... but, what I dug the most was the trip to Metelkova, the autonomous social centre of the city!
Metelkova immediately felt like home to me... and I already can't wait to visit again. The community is located on the site of former military barracks (the Slovenian headquarters of the Yugoslav National Army). It boasts art galleries, bars, studios, design houses, cultural organizations and concerts... and I didn't even get to see it at night! I must return to Slovenia and I will. It is a beautiful place and I am very grateful for the warm welcome...
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