On the day of my birthday I received an e-mail I didn’t expect to get anymore. I got my okay to attend June Cocó’s concert in Erfurt which was a lovely present. I was especially excited because this year I didn’t really visit a lot of musicians who take it down a notch and explore the softer side of the music spectrum.

Well, this time around June got me during a very stressful week full of work and university. Even the day of the concert was bonkers. I minded my business at university all day just to take the bus home, pick up something from the post office, shoving some food in my face and then taking the train to Erfurt.

Lately, I am an expert at being the first person to arrive at the Museumskeller even though I didn’t come immediately after the doors opened. It seems to be my superpower. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really manage to find a nice conversation this time around like I usually do.

Something I immediately noticed when I entered though were the lovely old chairs that usually are in the smokers’ room and the gorgeous piano standing on stage in the company of a handful of bare light bulbs that radiated a welcoming warm light. I highly appreciate the care that went into making the stage look this inviting and atmospheric. You actually don’t see it that often.

I don’t wanna beat around the bush like I have the last few times I talked about a concert. I would like to get straight to the music simply because there is quite a lot to say. The gig started with June gracefully making her way to the stage in this lovely long white dress with a pair of black boots and her hair loosely upswept. I have to admit that I can’t recall I have ever seen someone radiating such calm and gracefull energy walk on a stage like this. She opened the concert with the singing of birds while she layered her own voice over itself resulting in a hauntingly beautiful harmony that sent chills all over my back. I immediately knew I was in for a treat.

Due to it just being one musician and piano playing being more of a static thing I didn’t have to rush anything. Still despite it looking like it was an easy gig to do it actually wasn’t. Sure it was slow but that doesn’t equal easy. The moody light made it hard to focus, having a chair set-up make it hard to move around and the quiet nature of the music makes me feel way too loud with my shutter. I still enjoyed myself a lot though. It is just a different kind of challenge which was nice for a change.

June Cocó was a different experience than I at first expected. I knew I was in for a lovely piano kind of thing. A relaxed and calming evening in an intimate atmosphere. It became much more than that. I knew a handful of June’s music but she definitely blew me away much more than I initially expected.

The way she played with harmonies felt so fragile but confident and strong at the same time. Her movements and her hands gliding over the piano were as smooth and flowy as a round stone in a quiet river. The whole concert felt so close to nature despite us having been in a dark cellar. The energy coming from stage and June felt inspired by and kind of resembled the emotions you might experience when walking through a quiet forest where you can hear the flow of water somewhere nearby while the crowns of the trees only letting a few rays of sun peak through. I simply couldn’t keep my eyes and ears away.

This evening felt similar to one I had earlier this year where I just knew I was supposed to be there. Everything felt so aligned and nice. I would describe it as a mini vacation because June took as all with her to a place of comfort and vulnerability where one can just rest and leave the everyday stress behind. She holds a certain skill within herself that allows her to soften one’s outer shell and create a space that encourages emotionality in a society that sees it as a weakness. Her music and cheerful spirit are hypnotising and healing in a way words aren’t really capable to describe.