Friedrichshain, 2011
Udo and I went to one of those Jägermeister-branded tour events in Friedrichshain back in 2011. They ran these things everywhere that year—basically an excuse to get people drunk on cheap liqueur and film whatever stupid things happened next. We Have Band played, then Yuksek. I didn’t know them and didn’t care much. The draw was the free drinks, which arrived in unlimited quantities and were the entire point of being there.
I remember the basic fact of going and almost nothing else. We mugged for someone’s camera at some point. I remember thinking the free liqueur was fine, which is the kind of thing you notice when something costs you nothing. The venue is gone from my memory—warehouse, bar, some space in Friedrichshain, I couldn’t tell you. These sponsored events exist in a weird middle space where you’re not quite present while you’re there. You’re thinking about the video that might surface, or the story you’ll tell, or the next drink. You’re not really living the moment; you’re already half-remembering it.