Dashing, dapper and debonair, German crooner Max Raabe believes the timeless songs of the 1920s and ’30s contain magic.
He and his Palast Orchester (Palace Orchestra) interpret standards by composers such as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Kurt Weill and songs such as “Let’s Do It,” “Stormy Weather” and “Mack the Knife.” The ensemble’s performance March 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Hodgson Concert Hall opens a seven-city U.S. tour that concludes at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
Renowned for their impeccable musicianship and timeless style, Max Raabe and Palast Orchester blend elements of cabaret, jazz and pop. The dozen-member Palast Orchester was founded in 1986 by Raabe and a group of fellow music students to play music from the period of Germany’s Golden Twenties.
In 1992, they found themselves in the German charts with their song “Kein Schwein ruft mich an” (meaning “not a single pig calls me”), written by Raabe. Teaming up with film director Sönke Wortmann two years later for the film “Der bewegte Mann” (The Most Desired Man) made them known to an even wider audience. In 1997, Max Raabe and Palast Orchester celebrated their 10th anniversary in the sold-out open-air Waldbühne arena in Berlin.
Max Raabe and Palast Orchester received an ECHO award in 2000 for their CD “Charming Weill” and also scored well in international charts with two albums on which they interpreted modern pop songs in the style of the ’20s. Their versions of “Kiss” and “Super Trouper” are asked for frequently to this day.
Max Raabe and Palast Orchester tour regularly to the U.S. and Canada where they give concerts in famous venues like Chicago Symphony Hall, Davies Hall in San Francisco and Carnegie Hall. In the past, concert tours have also taken them to China, Japan, Italy, Russia, Hungary, Poland, Holland, France, England and most recently to Scandinavia and the Baltics.
In November 2019, the CD/DVD “Max Raabe & Palast Orchester MTV Unplugged” was released. For this special production, Max Raabe and Palast Orchester invited unusual guest artists like Herbert Grönemeyer, Lars Eidinger, Namika, Lea, heavy metal monster Mr Lordi, Pawel Popolski and rapper Samy Deluxe.
Now, Max Raabe and Palast Orchester are touring with their extraordinarily successful show “Wer hat hier schlechte Laune (Who’s in a bad mood here?),” in which a mixture of well-known and newly discovered ’20s/’30s originals are interspersed with Raabe compositions.
Audiences may also attend a free pre-performance talk by a member of the band in Ramsey Concert Hall from 6:45-7:15 p.m.
This performance is supported by James A. and Leslie C. De Haseth.
Three ways to get tickets
- Purchase tickets online at pac.uga.edu.
- Call the Performing Arts Center box office at 706-542-4400, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Visit the UGA Performing Arts Center box office, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (five-minute parking is available in the drop off circle at the Performing Arts Center for purchasing or picking up tickets.)
Single tickets begin at $25, and UGA student tickets are just $10. Parking is free.
To learn more about all UGA Performing Arts Center events, visit pac.uga.edu.
