In poking around, I came across notice of the “Roma Fest 2024” which advertised a mid-afternoon parade from the big town hall center to a nearby market and an evening concert.
Getting tix for the concert was hideously convoluted at the digital level, but we did it (barely) without throwing any devices or each other out a window.
We witnessed and then joined in the parade, which was led by a horse-drawn cart of very excited Roma kids, followed by various Roma dancers and musicians.
Everything stopped every so often so the dancers and musicians could perform.
The concert was a SCENE.
The concert hall was at a suburban edge of Vilnius. When we got there tons of people, a bunch of whom had been in the parade, were entering. The lobby filled with happy gabbing beer and wine-drinking folks, many of who were meeting up with friends they hadn’t seen in a while.
And then, the concert.
Think Las Vegas and then double it.
To the side of the main stage was a smaller side stage with the parade cart and room for various dance groups. The first several singers were sequined (male and female) and sang along to pre-recorded music while flame cannons shot big torches of fire vertically along the front of the stage.
The announcer, between acts, had a great patter, whatever he was saying, and reminded me of Mexican radio announcers– big-BIG-BIGGER voice.
The acts evolved into larger groups of musicians and singers. The final act, from Latvia was un-be-lieve-able. Overtone singing with kind of sour-sweet harmonies, accompanied by a violinist who played faster and faster elaborate and super-simple riffs while a squeezebox player and more musicians kept everything going faster and more intensely.
And then it was over. Another amazing lobby scene as everybody headed out with mega-goodbyes into a cool fall evening.
We were grinning in our sleep that night.