Location: Drežnica / Športno igrišče / Slovenia
Date: Monday, 06/24/2019
Poletje v naročju Krna is a festival that takes place every year in the idyllic setting of the Slovenian Alpine highlands and open spaces, on a picture-perfect little plateau where time stands still and the charming village of Drežnica spreads out, just a few kilometers from Kobarid, right in the very bosom (as the festival’s name says) of our rocky old forefather and giant Krn.
On that Monday in June, the day before a public holiday, the famous Slovenian singer-songwriter ace Adi Smolar stepped onto the stage under the tent canvas covering the sports field in the middle of Drežnica. Over the years Adi has become the voice of the people, the kind of musician who has created (and still creates, though at longer intervals in recent years) incredibly powerful poetry. It’s an uncannily spot-on portrait of the everyday troubles of the “middle-sized little guy”, the “shadow-dwelling” martyr on the sunny side of the Alps. Between the sharp metaphors, the playful quips, the dazzlingly clever rhymes, and a healthy dose of self-irony and piercing, thoughtful wit, bitter truth often comes wrapped in a bright cabaret of tireless optimism. That’s why Adi is always the right ticket to a great gig. And this was one you couldn’t skip, with him coming to entertain the people of Northern Primorska, or more precisely the Kobarid hinterland.
The place was happily buzzing, with no shortage of joy, cheer and playful zest for life. At least three generations of listeners had turned up, and hanging out with Adi had the stamp of a true people’s celebration. In front of the tent entrance stood a little table with three different solo albums by Adi Smolar, the latest two being “Se počasi daleč pride” (2011) and “Prav zdaj” (2018), plus the album for school kids, “Jaz ne grem v šolo” (2000). And on that self-service spread there was also a box labeled “Voluntary contributions”, which was filling up nicely.
The legendary singer-songwriter, all by his lonesome, strapped into his guitar, kicked off a little past eight in the evening. I didn’t catch the very start, but pretty soon Zgodba o rolici papirja showed up on the set list, quickly weaving genuine bonds between the musician and the audience as an opening catalyst. The big draw of Adi’s shows isn’t just the performance of his own songs, but also his storytelling gift, which he seasoned this gig with as well. Genuine, heartfelt and sparkling storytelling of adventures, in the intros to individual songs, is really the essential substance, not only of Adi’s infectious stage humor and cabaret, but also the factor that reinforces this artist’s rock-solid singer-songwriter stance and stature. That has no equal and is one of a kind.
The show was split into two parts with a hefty break in between. Besides the aforementioned paper roll song, the first part also featured Ajajaj Slovenija, Ljudje pa pravijo, Glavno da je glava cela, 20 ljubic, Jaz sem nor, Jean Claude Van Damme, Gospa natakarca. In the second part Adi entertained the crowd with the following numbers: Žejni Franc, Daleč je za naju pomlad, Zgubu, zgubu, Radi se imejte, Je treba delat, Zlo počas, Nič nisi vreden, Bog ne daj, da bi crknil TV, Tagada, Če te ena noče, te pa druga hoče, Ko sem bil mlad, sem bi trapast and, in the obligatory encore, Pasji dnevi. As always, Adi delivers the goods. He touches every single person in the room. Simple as that. With his infectious charisma, an innate gift through which he has developed over the years an extraordinary instinct for piercing yet truthful mischief-making, and above all the great substance of his strong, pithy and message-rich poetry, an Adi Smolar concert is an event that jolts you awake and stirs you up. Direct, simple, honest and natural through and through. So Adi remains part of the rich, vivid and powerful Slovenian singer-songwriter family: a total one-off, a one-of-a-kind gem, and an extraordinary shepherd of souls and awakener of the people!
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
