One could think that the founders of Stoabeatz are referring to the ancient current of thought for which pure serenity was the top priority with their festival name – the Stoa. Not only the name, but also the vibe on the grounds of the Stoabeatz suggests a connection to the hardcore chillers of Greek philosophy: Nothing to do with hooligans here – on the banks of the small Walchsee near Kufstein you will find an idyllic festival paradise, which every* everyone awakens deep relaxation from the moment they arrive. In fact, the name Stoabeatz comes from the former festival location, a nearby quarry, from which the growing number of visitors once moved to the Walchsee shore. Around 4,000 guests attended this year’s seventh edition.
A big topic at Stoabeatz has always been regionality, which is also reflected in the line-up. Numerous acts from Tyrol and neighboring Bavaria performed on the two Stoabeatz stages during the day before it was the turn of the headliners Mavi Phoenix, Leoniden, FIVA and My Ugly Clementine in the evening. The Leonid performance on Thursday, the first day of the festival, will be remembered for a long time. The band from Kiel put on a powerful, never-ending show. Singer Jakob Amr, the personified caffeine pill, danced up and down the stage, climbed onto a balcony to sing from there and then hopped into the audience, where he was buried under wood chips and thunderous applause. The rain started to fall at FIVA, but the audience didn’t care – they wanted to stay and watch the most sympathetic rapper on earth at her eloquent spectacle. FIVA thanked the people with a reversal of the situation: “I’m your fan!”.
A forest shaman trek as a side evet
In addition to the concerts, the Stoabeatz 2022 also had side events in the program. Barbecue workshops, silent disco or a forest shaman hike through the depths of the Tyrolean forests. Forty more or less rested, more or less hungover festival visitors* were taken by boat to the other side of Lake Walchsee for the shaman tour, where they were welcomed by a sprightly, older Tyrolean with a felt hat and a druid’s staff: “Hello, that’s me Sebastian, the forest shaman”. Sebastian, who was a forest warden in the neighboring community before becoming a shaman, led the participants to mystical-energetic places in the forest over the next three hours. He showed them how the power of a tree influenced its pendulum, explained the tree horoscope and gave an overview of the different energies of trees (the fir tree has a calming effect, depressed people should not lean on it for too long; standing next to a birch, on the other hand, makes you happy ).
The Stoabeatz has a festival baby
But the hike with the forest shaman was not the only encounter with the wonders of nature at the Stoabeatz Festival. A few hours before the hike, a premature birth occurred at the festival site. Weeks before the planned delivery date, a festival visitor spontaneously went into labor at the campsite. Even before the emergency doctor could arrive at the remote Walchsee, the offspring was already born. Festival director Berni Geisler was both excited and happy when he talked about it: “We are so happy, the Stoabeatz baby and his mother are doing well!”. One can only guess what drove the baby out into the world so suddenly. Was it the electrifying sounds of the Leonids? Was it the fragrant Tyrolean Kasnockn from the food stand? Or does forest shaman Sebastian have something to do with it?
It’s hard to believe, but it wasn’t the first birth at the Stoabeatz campsite. The band stoaschlag was born there back in 2019 – just as unexpectedly – four Tyroleans who have been making music together ever since. It was also their concert that closed the Stoabeatz Festival 2022 on the third, last day after the fantastic My Ugly Clementine. At the latest now, after three days at what is probably the most idyllic festival in Austria, the Stoabeatz visitors should have felt a deep serenity, a kind of peace of mind – which brings us back to the old thinkers of the Stoa, because that peace of mind was for them the highest form of happiness. Thanks Stoabeatz, see you soon!