In
Zurich West, American music is very popular, and many European
students get their first dose of old-fashioned soul in Zurich's
bars. One of my favorite clubs was Moods, where the motto is "Real
funk for real people." It's set in the cavernous Schiffbau, once
used for assembling ships. It was great to see a whole new
generation exposed to the classic soul hits of
James Brown, Aretha
Franklin, and Ike and
Tina Turner, performed live by Soul Survivor,
a band whose lead singers are backed by powerful horns, gutbucket
guitar, gyrating backup singers, and a solid drummer.
But there is much more than soul music available here. Jazz, blues,
hip-hop, and European house music are all represented, and the
energy usually peaks at about three or four in the morning. The
all-night scene has become a magnet for young people throughout
Europe, and some don't even bother to get a hotel. They arrive in
the evening, hit the clubs, party all night, stumble out at dawn,
have a hot breakfast in a café, and then board a train to go back
home.
At the ornate central train station next to the Limmat River, it's
not unusual to see tired young rockers with burgundy-tinted Mohawks
stumble onto trains at eight a.m. as well-dressed bankers and
insurance executives disembark for another day at the office. In
fact, it's pure Zurich.
If You Go...
For listings of Zurich hotels, restaurants, and tours, and for
information about the ZürichCard travel card used for the
streetcars, boats, and other attractions, visit the excellent
website Zuerich.com. (To read everything in English, just click the
"English" button on the homepage.)