Dentist by day, Ballermann star by night: Tobee commutes between practice and stage

Dentist by day, Ballermann star by night: Tobee commutes between practice and stage

A life between drill and microphone — why he doesn't want to give up either

At the exit of Palma airport there's often only time for a quick espresso, a few tugs at the rolling suitcase and the sound of taxi clutches squeaking on the asphalt. That's how a typical Mallorca day begins for Tobias Riether: arrival, a brief chat at arrivals, then on towards Playa de Palma and the Bierkönig, an area discussed in Ballermann Between Ecstasy and Reality: More Than Beer and Schlager Music?. In less than twelve hours he has to deliver — show, fans, maybe a short break — and afterwards he flies back home near Stuttgart.

Riether is 40, likes to wear lederhosen and a red shirt on stage and is known in show business as Tobee. Less well known to some of his listeners is that during the week he works as a trained dentist. The practice he runs with his father and a small team requires a classic workload: consultations, treatments and responsibility for many patients — on some days up to forty. For him, drill and microphone are not opposites but two ways to give people a good feeling.

For almost two decades, Tobee has been a regular at the Bierkönig. Over that time his performances on Schinkenstraße have added up to many hundreds — and during the season he regularly commutes to the island. Other performers continue to make headlines too, as shown by Heino returns to the Ballermann: An evening between pathos and karaoke at the Bierkönig, which underlines the venue's continued draw.

Musically things are going well for him: his party hits regularly reach high streaming numbers, songs like "Helikopter 117" or "Aua im Kopf" are listened to millions of times. At the same time he stays down to earth: he enjoys a beer before the show and admits he no longer pulls off wild binge nights. He prefers a small circle of close friends — five confidants with whom he truly enjoys his free time.

For Mallorca this commuting has a simple effect: artists like Tobee ensure the season stays lively musically. They bring audiences into bars and clubs, fill stages and tables and bring jobs in the hospitality industry to life. If you stand on Playa de Palma you hear the mix of music, the sound of the waves and the clinking of bottles — it's a piece of island everyday life that both visitors and residents know.

What looks at first like a two-track career is everyday life for Riether. His patients know about his life as a performer; professionalism is everything in the practice. The separation between everyday work and stage persona works because he sets clear priorities and has a reliable team around him. His example shows: if you are well organized, you can live work and passion side by side — without risking everything.

Moving to Mallorca is out of the question for him. He misses Swabia — the classic Leberkäs roll as much as the short distance to family. Nevertheless the island is a fixed point in the annual calendar: he performs on the island more than sixty times a year, in addition to après-ski gigs in the mountains and festivals on the mainland.

In the end the mix of daily practice and party night sounds like a recipe that can't simply be copied: a dash of discipline, good planning and a portion of passion for two professions. And a bit of luck with flight times. For Mallorca, however, the interplay between artists and audience is a gain — it provides work for many, brings cheerful evenings and ensures the island sings and laughs during the season.

So if you soon find yourself at the Bierkönig and see the red shirt, know this: there's often more behind the stage than just a voice. There's a whole week full of treatments, appointments and responsibility — and a guy who does both with equal passion.