A Friday night at Werk21 in Zurich, 25th of September. With many close friends and family gathered, the venue filled with joyful, excited chatter. The little paper-boat keychains at the merch stand, the signature drink at the bar, the sunflowers all around—hallmarks since The Friend-Ship’s concert on the “Startrampe” at Winterthurer Musikfestwochen—were just a few of the special effects the duo planned for the night.
The duo at the Winterthurer Musikfestwoche and Werk21. Credits: Olivia Kurz and Linus Sailer
What I expected to be a duo setup, with Lukas Frosch mainly on the mic and Jan Schweizer on instruments, turned into a full band moment, all in an exclusive showcase supported by the indie label Watermelon Vibe Records. Initially, I thought the calm, cosy stage design was part of the venue; it turned out Jan’s mom had set it up.
The small cellar room filled up from behind, with the audience a bit shy at first about getting too close to the stage. When the duo walked in from backstage to their song Walls, the mood quickly changed to a memorable entrance, and people started dancing along. Lukas on his signature ukulele, Jan on his acoustic guitar, and—as the surprise—a full band: Jan’s sister Fia on drums and friend Sevi on bass.
When the song 2009, one of the 11 tracks on their debut album Beauty & Peace, brought back childhood memories, they fittingly threw “Fizzers” like confetti into the audience, locking them in for whatever the evening might bring.
To officially christen the album, Lukas came out in a medical gown, a red cowboy hat and swimming goggles. The audience was handed small water guns and, on the count of three, splashed the vinyl record, packed in plastic, that Lukas held high in the air.
Laughter and emotion ran through the audience as they dedicated songs to loved ones. Another memorable moment came when cellist Lucie joined the band on stage, also providing backing vocals.
But despite the special effects and light-hearted energy that night, and The Friend-Ship’s talk about the living-room atmosphere they wanted to create, the project’s seriousness and the songs’ weight didn’t escape us. Talking about the title track Beauty & Peace, it became clear that the setlist resembled situations of happy and hard moments in life. Friends sitting in the same boat, swaying through waves, waiting for the moment when the light comes again. Music was that light shining through in that moment.
Thinking back, I felt the love for instruments throughout the whole evening: Jan switching from acoustic to electric guitar, to cajón, to melodica, to piano; shakers supporting their rhythmic songwriting style; every band member filling their space in the arrangements. By the end of the night, the small cellar room had become what The Friend-Ship promised from the start: a living room. And everyone in it was on board.
