Heino and Claudia Obert Deliver the Strangest Bierkönig Premiere of the Year

Premiere at Bierkönig: Between Dancing Along and Head-Shaking

Anyone who was at Bierkönig on Playa de Palma around 11:00 p.m. last night witnessed something you won't forget anytime soon. The familiar schlager voice rang out, a new song played with images from fairy-tale forests, mushrooms, and wild colors — along with a performance you'd expect more on a TV show than in a Ballermann temple.

Colors, costumes and an audience that winks

The show started simple, then it became surreal: a woman in a red cape danced with theatrical gesture, in between a bite into a (fictional) fly agaric mushroom, later the clip even hinted at a political double. The audience reacted in order: first incredulous, then laughing, finally with rhythmic clapping. Two hours later mugs swirled, phones lit up, and you could hear 'I've never seen anything like this' several times.

The protagonists are not strangers: On one side a seasoned schlager star, on the other a businesswoman with a TV history and a penchant for big appearances. Both have routine on big stages — but this piece goes a notch further than earlier schlager material: It plays with intoxication imagery, fairy-tale motifs and a healthy dose of wink.

Reactions: From 'legendary' to 'what the hell?'

On Facebook and Instagram comments it rattled: 'Bold,' wrote one user. Another found the combination 'crazy, but entertaining.' Local regulars at the bar told me that they expected something like this but didn't necessarily need it — and that is precisely what made it so appealing. Two fan groups stood close together: those who sang along to every chorus, and those who wondered how this would fit on Mallorca.

Personal observation: Between fries fumes and sangria the number seemed more like a wink to the island: we can do kitsch and mischief, homeland feeling and show — sometimes all at once.

Whether the piece will stay in radio rotation for long remains to be seen. One thing is certain: for one night the Playa showed again how much it loves surprises. If you weren't there yesterday, you'll certainly have talking points for the next round of beer and tapas.