music time warp

Dear Em,
We're a music loving family. Your daddy's eyes light up as he recalls leaning against the stage as his favorite bands played while he was in his teens & twenties. You love to sing and dance to your favorite tunes as much as any three year old could. I grew up loving music, & with the guidance of my grandma, I developed an eclectic taste for it. She took me to see the Glen Miller Orchestra & the Chordettes in concert. Her CD shelves were filled with Broadway hits, music from Ireland, & anything else that struck her fancy. As we traveled Prague, I couldn't help but think of my grandma & how much she would have appreciated the different types of music we experienced while we were there.

I felt like I was in a music time warp while in Prague, & predominantly it was an 80s music era. I heard songs like "Freeze Frame" & "Dont' Worry, Be Happy" for the first time in a really long time. I wondered if they were enjoying the music now because they missed it during Communism rule or if Czechoslovakians genuinely love the lyrical genius of the 80s. I also wondered what it must be like for Czechoslovakians to listen to most music in a language other than their native tongue. There were a few songs where I didn't recognize the words, but for the most part all the music was in English.

Prague didn't just stick with the 80s. There were street performers everywhere, performing all kinds of music. It was both fascinating & fun as we walked from place to place.

During my favorite late night, we walked into La Republica, a hip restaurant/bar. There was a sign out front marketing "Live Music." I was interested. Would it be the typical 80s music we had been hearing? Would it be music in Czech? Would it be something altogether different?

I can definitely say I didn't expect what we found.

High above us on a second story stage, there was a four piece band- a banjo, trumpet, tuba, & trombone. The four (adorable) older men were playing Big Band classics like "Sweet Georgia Brown." Your daddy & I did a double take. These are not tunes that are typically associated with hip bars & late night live music events in the US. My heart leapt. Your daddy & I sat at the bar, having a few drinks & making friends with a couple of English travelers. I grinned as I hummed along with the Big Band music I had grown to cherish. I knew almost every song & every word they sang that night.

I again felt like I was in a music time warp, only this time I was transported back to my grandma's kitchen table listening to the music playing on her CD player. Her eyes were so lively as she listened. "Come on Julie, let's boogie," she'd say with a smile.

She would have loved sitting right there with us, talking to the English friends we had made & listening to the Big Band music. I loved every moment of it. It's funny how such a random evening became one of my favorite travel memories.

So, if you're ever in Prague, check out the live music of La Republica. You just might experience a musical time warp of your own.

I love you so,
Mommy