“It's fun to stay at the YMCA”

Let's talk about an organization that has long been an integral part of our city's social life. Its history began in 1899. From the very beginning, it has been a vital provider of social services. It's also become indispensable to Lübeck's cultural scene. We're talking about the YMCA Lübeck e.V. 

My first encounter with the band was at a concert in September 2021. I don't remember the band's name anymore. I stumbled across them quite by chance. They were playing in the pub-café of the YMCA Old Town Hostel . Despite the somewhat random circumstances, I still remember that evening and its music vividly, and with a touch of nostalgia.

I had just moved to Lübeck. It was the pandemic years. In that wonderfully late summer-like early autumn, Corona had just taken a breather. Social life was awakening, people were hungry for experiences. For me, it was the first concert in a long time. With my eyes closed and senses heightened, I followed the events from a dark corner of the venue. The two musicians took their places behind their instruments. Warm piano tones flooded the room. Filled me. It was so wonderful to be among people again and to experience music together. Today I would like to return to this place with you. On the one hand, it's about the music. My second goal is to give YMCA Lübeck

“It's fun to stay at the YMCA”

The Village People

I confess that the YMCA was completely unknown to me before. That may have had something to do with my atheist upbringing in East Germany. The YMCA Village People 's 1978 disco earworm ? This shrill collage of exaggerated masculinity stereotypes is said to have contributed significantly to making homosexuality socially acceptable in pop culture at the time. "Young man, 'cause you're in a new town, there's no need to be unhappy," it says, and continues with "It's fun to stay at the YMCA."

The organization was founded in England in 1844, and its mission, even then, was to help men in distress get back on the right path. Faced with the success of the Village People, the YMCA was initially unhappy and resorted to legal action. However, they later reconsidered and withdrew their lawsuit, grateful for the publicity.

125 years of the YMCA Lübeck

"Young People's Christian Association" in 1985 to reflect its growing number of female members. The YMCA Lübeck e.V. recently celebrated its 125th anniversary. It is a diverse group of initiatives and organizations, with social work remaining its primary focus. The association runs youth centers, a daycare center, and after-school programs; it offers tutoring and organizes youth trips and holiday camps. There is a gospel choir, discussion groups, and a wide range of initiatives to support immigrants, students in need, and lonely individuals. For its integrative work, the YMCA Lübeck e.V. was Opportunity Provider of the Year 2018" by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and the Federal Employment Agency.

and then there's the music

The jazz club is located at Große Petersgrube 11. Here, in the shadow of St. Peter's Church on Lübeck's Old Town island, all the threads come together. Große Petersgrube is possibly one of the city's most beautiful and architecturally interesting streets. Barbara has already dedicated an interesting and informative article . The brick Gothic gabled house on the corner of Kleine Kiesau looks back on a proud history. It was first mentioned in 1287 and served as a bakehouse for many centuries. Since the 19th century, it has housed a variety of businesses, the first of which, from 1872, was the "Rose and Schweighoffer Cigar and Chewing Tobacco Factory." After extensive renovations, the YMCA Lübeck e.V. finally moved into these historic walls in 1982.

Tonight is a glorious sunny spring evening, and on the program is the " Lage Nordling Electric Ensemble " from Sweden. Jazz with hip-hop influences and a touch of progressive rock.

Through a heavy wooden door, we enter a dimly lit foyer from the street. On the second floor, there's a seminar room that you can rent for various occasions. Opposite, a glass door opens into the so-called "pub-café." A cozy space with a high ceiling and a gallery on the upper floor. Massive beams of dark, almost black wood. White-painted walls alternate with exposed brickwork. Candles cast a warm glow. Large windows overlook a courtyard framed by high walls and ivy, shaded by a large rowan tree. To the left, a bar dominates the space. Next to it is the stage. At ground level. Close to the audience. A drum kit and a grand piano sit atop a pile of oriental carpets. The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting.

The five young musicians take their places behind their instruments: guitar, bass, drums, electronics, and saxophone. Jazz certainly isn't for everyone. I, too, have very mixed feelings about it. However, jazz is a vast field and offers something for everyone. Tonight, I'm seeking my bliss in the musical orbit of progressive rock. Metallic, strummed guitar riffs. Sometimes languid beats, then driving percussion. I glide through space on dreamy soundscapes. The saxophone takes me back to Pink Floyd's "Us and Them." Here at the YMCA Lübeck , I feel at home. Musically, the evening is a mixed bag. The audience is correspondingly diverse: a manageable, colorful mix of all age groups. Young couples, older gentlemen, a larger group of different ages, and a few oddballs.

For Joachim Lipfert, head of the YMCA Lübeck and former pastor from Swabia, jazz is a matter close to his heart. This is evident in the YMCA's concert program TraveJazz Festival , which this year will take place from September 5th to 7th for its 10th edition.

“Life is a lot like Jazz: it’s best when you improvise”

George Gershwin, American composer, pianist and conductor

Musical variety is provided by the collaboration with a prominent neighbor: the Lübeck Academy of Music . This is also the case today. After the five Swedes leave the stage, the evening takes a musical turn and culminates in the Brahms Night Lounge – one of many events of the 32nd Brahms Festival .

In addition to regular blues sessions, there's the entertaining Magic Music Monday. Once a month, music students take to the stage at the YMCA. They jam, improvise, and impress with their talent. Their professors often join in. You shouldn't miss this spectacle. Magic Music Monday is very dynamic, rarely ends before midnight, and unleashes a dazzling array of musical styles: from modern classical to rock. And best of all, admission is free.

It's worth keeping an eye on the YMCA's concert program. I've often made surprising musical discoveries there that have since enriched my Spotify playlists and that I often listen to at home. The Village People aren't among them, by the way 😉