Isn't it possible to like a happy nature like Kelvin Jones? Those present in the "barter concert" camp find it very difficult to find a hair in the tasty Jones soup. The relay "sunshine" is carried on everyone's hands on "its evening".
"Tonight is the night of Kelvin Jones!" says "Exchange Concert" host Johannes Oerding. According to the host, the "ultimate world star" from London can't quite believe his luck: "I'm living my dream," beams the singer and songwriter, who now also lives in Berlin and whose roots lie in the neighboring state of Zimbabwe, with the evening moon around the Bet.
As with the ladies and gentlemen Elif, Vincent Stein, Alexis Kopplin and Clueso, the man with the funny skyline hairstyle is also about the mixture of ennobling music and emotional memories. Kelvin Jones has quite a few of the latter with him. As an eight-year-old, little Kelvin fled with his father and mother from their home country, which was about to undergo a scary political turnaround: "We were fine in Zimbabwe. When we arrived in England, we had to start from scratch. That was above all very embarrassing and distressing for my mother," Kelvin recalled.
Mom had to unintentionally switch from teacher to cleaning lady, and little Kelvin wasn't allowed to receive visits from friends for three years. It wasn't "all that easy" at the beginning, according to the singer. After an intensive football phase (he played very successfully in a London district selection as a youth), Kelvin decided to pursue music at the age of 16. "It was the best decision of your life," says Johannes Oerding, while colleague Clueso is already sneaking towards the stage. Let the music take over from now on.
With almost 100 million streams on Spotify, the backpack of the opening "Love To Go" weighs quite heavily. But Clueso handles pressure well. The songwriter from Erfurt conjures up a trendy Reinhard Mey version of the original, which is not only celebrated by the "star of the evening". After the first intense group hug, Johannes Oerding follows suit with opulently arranged Coldplay sounds ("Only Thing We Know"). The mood is good. People laugh, gossip and drink behind the famous wooden table under the kitschy outdoor fairy lights.
Then Elif grabs the microphone. With the 29-year-old Berliner, the first hint of emotional heartbreak is also pushing into the limelight. After a four-minute minor-key staging with depth, Kelvin and Floor shed their first tears ("Don't Let Me Go"). A party-ready glockenspiel bash with a bit of Seeed flair from SDP ("Seventeen") and an edgy indie rock plank from the far north - including an explosive vocal finish - ("Call You Home") briefly let the sun rise again. But then Lotte, this time wearing a zebra body suit, takes a deep breath.
Kelvin's close friend ("we've known each other for a long time") brought her soul buddy a very special sound gift. With Kelvin's drama anthem "Cry A Little Less", the intensively performing Lotte also bursts the last, just filled tear sac. "Ah, fuck!" wails the distraught Kelvin, while Floor hides behind a snow-white army of Kleenex cloths.
Another evening ends in a vale of tears, and again the "star of the evening" doesn't know which friend or friend to present the "song of the evening" protea to. Knowing it was going to be difficult, Kelvin brought a gift bowl with a picture of a flower stamped into it for everyone in attendance. Now everyone has something lasting in their hands, and dear Kelvin doesn't find it that difficult to choose Lotte. A quick group hug to finish? But hello! That's how much time one needs. And now everyone again: "I cryyyy a little less, I cryyyy a little less...!"
6
