Grand cooperation between Jo Strømgren and Anja Garbarek

"The Road is Just a Surface" is a music-based theatre work which explores the experience of being trapped in an emotionally locked life situation and the longing for moving on from that place. The collaboration between Anja Garbarek and Jo Strømgren started with a desire to put the music into a theatrical setting, where audiovisual images, choreography, and interaction between the performers on stage will be important elements. For both Garbarek and Strømgren the genre of musical drama is new. This allows the possibility of developing material without regard to genre conventions, as well as experimenting with new dramaturgical impulses.

-     This is truly a wonderful performance, and a great treat to present to our festival audience. The performance has received excellent reviews after the premiere at Bergen International Festival, and has also sold out the Opera house in Oslo. The audience can look forward to a deeply fascinating, entertaining, and thought-provoking performance that is both visually stunning and shows Garbarek's genius as a songwriter and composer. In this beautiful piece, artsy pop of the finest calibre meets Strømgren's surreal world, says festival director Maria Utsi.

«The Road Is Just a Surface» was also released as an album in 2018, also to great reviews from the critics. On Friday, february 8, Anja Garbarek was nominated to the "Spellemannprisen" award, a national music award, recognizing her accomplishment in the composer category and the open category. The festival director is convinced that it will be a great evening in the grand hall of the culture house in Harstad;

-      Anja Garbarek has returned after 12 years with music that works wonderfully as a separate album, but that also builds a foundation for an amazing musical drama. The music comes through as both beautiful and scary, and creates a wonderful journey, both visually and musically, into unrest, longing and a intricate mind, continues Utsi.

Norway's indiepop-favorites

Originating from Norway, Highasakite is an indie pop and indie rock band, now back with new music from their last album «Uranium Heart» and with a new, impressive live production.

-       We can't wait to finally enjoy Highasakite in on the main stage of Harstad kulturhus. Highasakite has defined the sound of Norwegian pop in recent years, and it's easy to understand why they also enjoy a great international success, continues Utsi.

In recent years, Highasakite has played Norways biggest stages and festivals. Their «Camp Echo» tour lasted a year and a half, and included a sold out Oslo Spektrum, headlining festivals such as Øya, Bergenfest, UKA in Trondheim and international festivals such as Glastonbury (UK), Latitude (UK), Hurricane (DE), Roskilde (DK) and Field Day (AUS) in addition to sold out venues in the UK, USA and Australia.

Tickets: 

Highasakite (NO)

The Road is Just a Surface (NO)