Some great guys

came to town, held a small concert, and through the songs and the post-concert chat made you think that everything just might go OK on your trip (just what the doctor ordered...)

My first time ever

in Laško. The beer (and flowers) festival started off with Natalie's press conference

and carried on with a series of concerts all across town:

Some sort of a local brass band, whose name was better suited for the festival (beer and čevapi), but which was surely better than any meat dish they might have named themselves after (their name seemed to be something they came up with at the last minute when they were told they could have a concert)

A peculiar Russian band (Russkaja), who played an eclectic combination of styles but were especially good at communicating with the public (and really did get them running around in circles).

The swingers Moonlighting Orchestra modeled themselves a bit on the Andrews Sisters and had a following of dancers in the crowd

The French brass band Attentat Fanfare are yet another (in the long line of) French party bands that pass on their great vibe onto the audience...

and they were followed by the unannounced surprise (as it was a surprise, it would be more surprising if it came announced) of Katrina walking on sunshine together with the Moonlighting orchestra (I guess the moon and sun had to be put on the same stage somehow)

  Mi2 seemed to have the  most enthusiastic fans of the evening

Haven't seen them in a while (Šukar)

And the first day ended just like it started - with Natalie, only that she was singing on stage now

 (oh yes, I might have had a little crush on her when I saw and heard Torn for the first time - way back in the 90s)
And yes, if you remember at the very beginning of this extraordinarily long post I mentioned that it was my first time (in Laško and at this festival). Of course I parked in the very centre of the town, at the very spot that turned out to be the where the biggest parties were going on, which meant that there was no way I could get out until we got escorted out by a security van at about 3.30 in the morning (guess who parked outside the town centre the next day?)

Way too short

concert.

Weddings

I don't do them as a rule. But, as I like to do things I don't normally do every now and then, I decided a few years ago that I will do one a year, and this year's  nice summer wedding is now behind me, so you will just have to wait till next year to get married now :)
And, of course, all the best to the newlyweds.

It must be really hard

to be an opening act at a festival (big or small)...

 but at least it gives  you the opportunity to flirt with the photographer a bit.
Things heated up by the time this band got on stage and there were a few who had drunk a bit too much cough syrup by this stage of the evening...

Moveknowledgement were my favourites of the evening

While my least favourite part was when a car parked next to the one I had been (uncomfortably) sleeping in for three or four hours, opened all the doors, blasted the music at full volume and started dancing (I haven't got any photos of this, as I was way to sleepy and grumpy at the time - does this mean I am getting old?)
 

The artist's moment of tranquility

at his exhibition opening.

I thought

the whole idea behind the Anthropocene was that we screw up this planet so badly there is no survival.

A day exactly as it is supposed to be (with abundent photo ops)

It all kicked off with the opening of the Ana Desetnica street theatre festival and its first show of the afternoon. 

(where there was this guy who I think had - in these difficult times - landed himself a well deserved job with the Ministry of Silly Walks - perhaps the only ministry in this downtrodden part of Europe that still actively employs people).
Then I silly walked (inspired as I was) to someplace completely different where I met some people and got handed a beer (At tea time!I mean really! Do people have no shame these days? Unfortunately this can apparently not be avoided as strange things tend to happen to strange people (like myself)). While gently wrapping my lips around the plastic see through container and slowly sipping on the beer, some people around me got trapped in large boxes, while the rest of us were lucky enough to watch on in disbelief as we were entertained by the invading creatures from the underground (who appear to be just like you and me, only with shorter legs).

At some stage I managed to escape these body snatching invaders and bravely made my way to a street on the other side of the river (thinking I will be safe there, as there was no way these short legged people could cross the high waters). And yes, apparently, everybody else believed the same, for there was party and dance on that part of the river.

I can only imagine that these celebrations continued late into the night. But duty called (and I heard that the short legged creatures from the underworld returned to the underworld, so both river banks were safe once again), so I headed for an exhibition opening, where I saw this guy

actually reading the exhibition catalogue at the opening.  Had he not learned anything? Reading is for the beach (if you are an exhibitionist type like this guy clearly is). Hey psssst! There is an actual photo hanging right there, on the wall, right behind you. Turn around. Turn around! TURN AROUND!... Oh, ffs, this is useless. You are not going to turn around are you? Like ever?!!?
I give up. I'll walk away...
and stumble into a lively concert that brought my day to an end.

 (Thanx everyone for making all these photo ops possible - if every day was as good as this, there would be an endless series of good days)