Avo Enjoys Landmark Session

Avo Session Basel’s 25th birthday turned into something of a media spectacular, attracting some form of TV coverage in more than 40 countries.

Apart from all the shows being screened on the 3sat public network covering Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, further TV interest came from stations as far away as China, India, Japan, Pakistan and Russia.

Some part of the of the 14 concerts staged Oct. 22 to Nov. 14 was shown in the UK and 27 other European countries, along with the U.S. and a half-dozen South American countries including Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.

Avo co-founder Matthias Müller says seven of the first eight shows in the 1,530-capacity Messe Basel sold out, and the other did a little more than 90 percent.

The acts appearing included Jamiroquai, Robert Plant and the Band Of Joy, Sheryl Crow, Ray Davies, Morcheeba, Mary J. Blige, Joe Jackson, Anastacia and Jamie Cullum.

Müller, Enrico Bonometti, and Stephan Werthmüller started the annual indoor in 1986, when it was known as the Rheinknie Session.
The plan was to one day put on international acts in an intimate club setting, which began to come to fruition when Avo Cigars began sponsoring the event in 1997.

Next year’s Avo Session is Oct. 21 to Nov. 13.