David Guetta will be back in Lithuania for the second time this weekend.
This weekend is great for getting out of the capitals in Latvia and Lithuania, where the weather is supposed to be agreeable and a bevy of events are going on. In Estonia, the weather is supposed to be chilly and rainy, but that’s OK because Tallinn will hardly be sleepy with Rod Stewart in town.
For those staying in Vilnius on Friday night Europe’s house sensation David Guetta will be pumping his well-known hits, one which you can hear about every 15 minutes on Lithuanian pop radio, out at the LitExpo convention center. Then there’s even more electronica, albeit a much less commercial quality, at the Supynės festival.
Meanwhile both Lithuania and Latvia will have biker events, so if you love black leather, skulls and a hot rod between your legs you’re in luck. Just try not to get in a fight.
LITHUANIA
David Guetta
June 11
David Guetta
LitExpo, 9 p.m.
France’s latest house superstar, who seems to be collaborating with everyone these days and is a fixture on Lithuanian radio, will be making his second appearance in Vilnius Friday at LitExpo, the convention hall usually used for business conferences in the middle of nowhere on the city’s southwest side. If you want to see the hottest thing in commercial house these days, though, it’s worth the journey. Ticket: 99 litai (€28)
www.piletilevi.ee/eng/tickets/muusika/muu/?concert=66114
Grilling out at Supynės last year.
June 11-13, 2010
Supynės Festival
Countryside location near Švenčionys, 9 p.m.
For electronic music fans into more underground sounds, the Supynės Festival is going on all weekend in the beautiful, forested countryside of Švenčionys in northeast Lithuania. Bring some friends, pitch a tent and go natural with more than 50 DJs from Germany, Great Britain, Sweden as well as locals spin minimal, dub, idm and techno. The weather is supposed to be perfect this weekend. Advance tickets are sold out but you can get them on location for 240 litai (€70).
June 12, 11:30 a.m.
Millenium Bike Show
Kaunas, S. Darius and S. Girėno Aerodome
The black leather and skull chains will be out in force Saturday in Kaunas for the Millenium Bike Show, which will feature 300 stunt performers from all over Europe will be doing jumps, flips and other “suicidal” moves, as the promoters put it. Should be wild. Tickets: 38 litai (€11)
Evgeny Svetlanov
June 11, 6 p.m.
Svetlanov Orchestra
Congress Concert Hall, Vilnius
The concert by the Svetlanov Orchestra is supposedly going to be one of the best you will ever see, if you listen to the company selling tickets. The famous orchestra, which has been going since 1936, will be playing pieces by some of the most renowned Russian composers in one of Lithuania’s best acoustic halls. Surely the best way to start the evening and weekend if you are planning on filling it with some sophistication. Tickets: 23, 33, 43 litai (€6.70, €9.60, €12.50)
June 12-13
Trakai Medieval Festival
Trakai Island Castle, Trakai
Feel like running someone through with a sword? Or perhaps you’d just like to try some traditional Lithuanian meat dish from the Middle Ages. Whatever you want to do in your time travel fantasy back to the dark ages, you can find it at the Trakai castle over the weekend when there will be reenactments of knight battles and demonstrations of traditional handicrafts. Who knows, maybe those blacksmiths making square nails who show up at all festivals will even be there? It is the twelfth time the Trakai Peninsula Castle will host the medieval gathering. Yar! Tickets: 10 litai (€2.90)
www.trakai.lt/index.php?4274967639
LATVIA
June 11-12
Biker Days
Dzintari Concert Hall, Jūrmala
Latvian bikers are having a get-together all weekend in Jūrmala with karaoke, a beer-drinking competition and a loudest exhaust competition among other leather-bound, macho activities. You’d be surprised how much the American biker subculture has been embraced and embodied by this lot. If that’s your scene you’ll love it, just watch out for fistfights. Tickets: 15 lats (€21) for one day, 20 lats (€28) for both
http://bbdays.lv/the-event%E2%80%99s-program/?lang=en
The festival includes salsa lessons.
June 11-13
Riga Salsa Festival 2010
Several locations in Riga
A love of dancing seems embedded in most Latvians’ souls, and the worldwide popularity of Latin dancing hasn’t spared the cloudy, chilly Baltics. This weekend marks the Riga Salsa Festival, which includes performances, lessons, parties for you to saber viver. Men, listen up — Baltic women almost universally seem to think Latin dancing is both fun and sexy. Tickets: 3-95 lats (€5 to €140), depending on which event you’re going to.
Here’s a promo video of the event:
www.rigasalsafestival.com/page
"Stone of Color" exhibition
Until October
“Stone of Color” exhibition
Pedvale Outdoor Art Museum, Pedvale
The opening of the “Stone of Color” exhibition in Pedvale is Friday. Colored stones are being used in creative ways to make a beautiful display of natures oldest sedimentary sands. More than 15 art objects are on display at the outdoor museum over the entire summer for people to see. Artists from Latvia, the Netherlands and the United States are displaying works. Tickets: 2.50 lats (€3.50)
June 12, 10 a.m.
Liepāja Regatta 2010
Off the coast of Liepāja
Prepare for the fourth eco-water tourism race, the Liepāja Regatta 2010, organized by the canoe rental company Sofijas Laivas (Sophie’s boat) in conjunction with RM Heat. Every race participant will have the opportunity to win a petrol lawnmower which looking at most Latvian lawns is something they should use. The competition will be held over three lengths: 19 km, 8 km and 2 km for novelty. Everyone who owns a non-motorized boat is invited to attend. Salmon soup is waiting for those tenacious enough to make it to the finish line. Canoes can be hired. Tickets: 6 lats (€8.40) to participate, 3 lats (€4.20) to watch.
www.sofijaslaivas.lv/pasakumi.php?id=15
King Frederick the Great
June 17, 7 p.m.
Music in the Prussian King Frederick II’s court
Rundāle Palace, Pilsrundāle
Relive life in the court of Prussian King Frederick the Great at this concert in Rundāle, one of Latvia’s most beautiful palaces. Prussia’s enlightened despot was said to be a passionate music lover, himself playing the flute. The Riga Bach Choir will perform for listeners at the castle uniting singers young and old. Backing the choir will be the Stockholm Academy of Music Baroque Orchestra. Tickets: 10 lats (€14)
www.bilesuserviss.lv/eng/concerts/muzika/koru_muzika/?concert=68261
ESTONIA
June 11, midnight
DJ Sandy Rivera Ladies Contest
Club Privé, Tallinn
The American DJ Sandy Rivera will select four lovely ladies in the club to send them on a luxury day valued at 20,000 krooni. Women will be pampered at Babor SPA and have dinner at one of the city’s top restaurants Tchaikovsky, followed by a ride in a limousine and a screening of Sex and the City 2. Ladies just need to show up with a red nose on. Worth checking out? Yes! Tickets: 200 krooni (€13)
Vennaskond
June 11, 10 p.m.
Vennaskond concert
Rock Café, Tallinn
Legendary Estonian punk rock band Vennaskond, the only one to have played at New York’s seminal CBGB, will bang out a set of the fast and loud Friday at the Rock Café. which was formed in 1984 performs its old and new songs at Rock Café on Friday evening. Tickets: 100 krooni (€6)
Rod Stewart
June 12, 6 p.m.
Rod Stewart
Tallinn Song Festival Grounds
After a rainy performance in Lithuania on Thursday, the man with the raspy voice will be up in Tallinn for Estonian fans. Latvian fans that didn’t make it to Vilnius can head to Tallinn on Saturday, as he won’t play Riga. Tickets: 37-91 krooni (€52 to €128)
www.bilesuserviss.lv/eng/concerts/muzika/cits/?concert=63054
Acid house is back in Tallinn this weekend.
June 12, 11 p.m.
Damon Wild
Club Korter, Tallinn
American producer and DJ Damon Wild continues his mission of reviving classic acid house, the least house-sounding of all house, at Club Korter on Saturday. Wild has been around since 2001 and his most well known tracks are “Bang the Acid,” “Ego Acid,” “Afghan Acid,” and more, you guessed it, acid. In addition to LSD references and perhaps the real thing, there will also be dancing we assume. Tickets: 75 krooni (€5) with the flyer you can download at the link under the video, otherwise 100 to 125 krooni (€6 to €8)
Here’s what this master of acid sounds like:
www.flaiku.ee/flyers/462-3nurk-damon-wild-us
An Antonio Claudio Carvalho mural.
Until October 10, 2010
“Painting in Process” exhibition
KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn
Estonian Academy of Arts students show off a new way to look at murals in urban spaces, and will include the work of Brazilian artist Antonio Claudio Carvalho and Latvian artist Gints Gabrāns will also take part, bringing his usually abstract technique. The “Painting in Process” exhibition will be open until October, but given the weather prediction for Tallinn this weekend you might as well check it out now. Tickets: 85 krooni (€5.50)
www.ekm.ee/eng/kalender.php?event_id=687&d_fili=2
— Baltic Reports reporters Kai Joost and Adam Mullett contributed to this article
