The Moods Team Review - Part 1

The 2025/2026 season is drawing to a close. So I thought I'd ask the team about their highlights. But I didn't make it easy for them. They had to choose their three favorites from over 250 shows.

Many different characters and preferences come together in the Moods team. But we have one thing in common: we love live music. As the season draws to a close, let's take another look back. As I received half novels from my office mates last year, they were only allowed to choose three favorites this year - which didn't go down too well. "Our program is too good for just three," some of them told me. Nevertheless, they made it. In the first part, graphic designer Nevin, streamer Jacky, booker Yunus, Antoinette from member support, social media manager Lola and Lisa from production look back on the season.

Nevin

It all starts with our newest team member Nevin. She has been our graphic designer since last summer. Nevin's first highlight is Alabaster DePlume. "Alabaster surprised me with his show: it was powerful and delicate at the same time," she writes. She is also enthusiastic about him as a guy: "He's crazy in the best sense of the word."

She chose Jay-Jay Johannson as the second highlight. "His concert was like a movie. It was a wonderful, melancholy evening that enchanted me."

Last but not least, W.I.T.C.H. also made it into her selection. The concert gave her a "Woodstock feeling". "The band was super likeable and took me straight back to the 70s," she writes.

Jacky

Let's continue with Jacky. Her first highlight of last season was Mira Lu Kovacs. She played with us at Moods at the beginning of October. Her comment: "Although I had listened to her music a few times before, I didn't realize how much her live concert would overwhelm me. I was deeply impressed and moved by her presence, her haunting lyrics and the musical performance of her and her band."

Another highlight for her was Dumana, who performed with us as part of Kay Zhang's Carte Blanche in January. "With her experimental, extraordinarily multi-layered and artistically uncompromising music, she immediately captivated me and triggered intense, sometimes completely new emotions in me. A powerful and impressive experience!"

Unfortunately, she missed her last highlight: "I had been looking forward to Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek since they last played at Moods in 2023. I had therefore marked November 14, 2025 in my diary since their concert was announced. And then, of all things, I fell ill. Fortunately, some of my friends were there - and according to their stories, it was indeed an absolute highlight & they also brought me some records. I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing them live again soon."

Yunus

The first highlight from our booker Yunus is the evening with CV Vision and Embryo. "Kraut, psychedelica and global grooves came together - and above all to my taste. Sometimes it was electronic, sometimes acoustic. Simply wow!" And the selector Hing, who accompanied the evening as DJ, is also highlighted by Yunus.We continue with Meshell Ndegeocello's performance, during which she played her album "No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin". His conclusion: "This masterfully crafted work is more than just an album; it operates at the intersection of music, civil rights, literature and spiritual searching. As one of my favorite records of recent years, I recommend consciously taking time to listen to it with the intention of really listening. What a privilege and honor to have been at Meshell's evening blessing. A great artist who showed us that less is more - a true visionary whose performance was effortless."

And he was also impressed by a record launch that had just taken place: Samson Philipps & Special Guests: "After a break of around 4 weeks from concerts and live music, it was an absolute pleasure to enjoy the record launch of the local nu-jazz duo. With featured guests, new versions of familiar tunes, new tracks from the new album and even newer material that doesn't yet exist, they shared their understanding of jazz with the audience. Music from the nightlife for the nightlife - always innovative, encouraging you to move and move your hips. Berenice Awa on percussion was a brilliant addition. I very much hope to see more Samson Philipps in the future, especially in extended formations."

Antoinette

Our member manager found it difficult to choose three highlights this year, as she accompanied "some truly inspiring and touching bands" to the Moods stage. From this variety, she picked out the following three that she would like to see again on another stage: JMO, Zugluft & Altfrentsche Besetzung and the Lea Gasser 5tet.Antoinette says about JMO: "JMO are not only the initials of the three musicians Jan Galega Brönnimann, Moussa Cissokho and Omri Hason, but also the three main influences in their music: Jazz - Mandinka - Orient. The concert was WOW! The interplay between the three musicians from three different continents warmed my heart and made the concert a reverberating listening adventure." So much so that she has already checked out where else the group will be playing this summer.Zugluft & Altfrentsche Besetzung was a project as part of Andrea Kirchhofer's Carte Blanche. The interplay between the two formations, which fused elements of Appenzell string music with jazz and imaginary folklore, was a premiere. Antoinette's conclusion: "It was mega and so exciting - Appenzell dulcimer, bass and yodel combined with violin, double bass and bass clarinet. Great arcs of suspense, witty intermezzi - a challenge for the mind without digressing into the complicated. I at least thought it was super cool and hope to see this formation again so that I can fully immerse myself."And on her latest highlight, Antoinette says: "As I've discovered this season, I'm a fan of combining jazz, chamber music and new folk music. Lea combines exactly that into an unmistakable sound language. Sometimes the music dances, quivering with joie de vivre, then it slows down dreamily and leaves room for solo narratives to unfold. Lea's quintet touched me deeply. The music oscillates between intimate, spherical sounds and powerful, funny passages and the influences of an Icelandic residency. It was fantastically beautiful."

Lola

Drum roll, here are the highlights from our social media maker. Several drummers blew Lola away this year, but one stood out for her: Mark Guiliana. "I love percussion and rhythm, and he gave me exactly what my ears needed that night. But he's also a bit representative of all the other drummers who didn't come as the main act but absolutely killed it.

Their second highlight was Annie and the Caldwells. Because gospel is also their thing and this power family even got the 90-year-old grandpas in the audience dancing that evening. "I was completely blown away by the vocal power on stage. I wish I'd grown up in a gospel family like that, where you sing all day long. But enjoying the concert was great too."

In addition to the great voices and drummers, there were also inspiring personalities who had an impact on Lola far beyond the music: "Matt Johnson and Dominique Fils-Aimé both left something behind with their messages to the audience that resonated with me for a long time. In the end, that is perhaps the most beautiful thing a concert can achieve."

Lisa

With her highlights, our production manager emphasizes that jazz is alive. Even if the label of her first highlight is "jazz is dead". Adrian Younge thrilled Lisa with his orchestra: "They proved once again that jazz is absolutely not dead. The concert was great cinema. Loren Oden's vocals were simply breathtaking!"

Their second highlight has little to do with jazz, but with concentrated FINTA power. "At BIG ZIS & BIG HUG EXPERIENCE, there were more FINTA people than ever before on the Moods stage (and also in front of it 😉). A big thank you to Franziska for curating this fantastic evening with so much power, energy and joy on and in front of the stage.

Lisa's final highlight is only logical for many in the team, after all she has been looking forward to this evening since the announcement. We are talking about Makaya McCraven. And she was not disappointed: "Such a fantastic concert. Energy, joy of playing, groove - everything was there. An evening that showed me once again why I love this job sooo much!"So that's the first highlights. In the next magazine article, our bookers Adi and Bigi, Managing Director Dani, Head of Marketing Simon, Graziella from HR and myself, Marian from Communications, will take a look back at the season.