Oh the Spanish music of the 2000’s, that little paradise on earth of Fito y Fitipaldis, Amaral and La Oreja de Van Gogh… oh my God, La Oreja de Van Gogh! Whether with Amaia or Leire, the group has composed hymns that have become timeless, and the announcement that the former is returning to be their vocalist has left us with many unknowns about their tour and new music.
Therefore, and to make the wait more pleasant, we come with a list of plans to do in Madrid today (or the day you least expect) if you are a fan of the band:
Buy “roses” in one of the most famous florist’s shops in Madrid.
Don’t wait with a soggy face waiting for them to give them to you. Madrid is full of flower shops of all kinds, from the mythical stalls of Tirso de Molina to new venues worthy of being the center of your Instagram feed. Brumalis, Lorena Marco Flores or Mon Parnasse are some of the showcases that you’re sure to have stared at on a stroll through the capital.
If in addition to listening to them you are more about seeing roses than buying them, the rose garden of the Royal Botanical Garden or the one in El Retiro is something worth seeing (at least) once in your life.
Go to a concert dedicated to La Oreja de Van Gogh between candles (like that mosquito that follows the light).
In the absence of dates for the new tour, a tribute concert to La Oreja de Van Gogh is a very good way to listen to their songs live. And in a different way, as in the case of Candlelight concerts: the stage of the Círculo de Bellas Artes covered with candles, and a professional pianist playing live songs like Deseo de Cosas Imposibles. We honestly don’t need anything else.
Taking a route through Malasaña in search of a portal where “you can count on me”.
Although we hope you don’t take a coffee with salt, and especially that you don’t feel like crying, we do advise you to take the route that the poor boy that Puedes Contar Conmigo talked about might have taken. The neighborhood of Malasaña, the Plaza del Dos de Mayo or the Calle de la Palma are some of the places that are part of the context of the pop music of the two thousand.
In those years, Malasaña inherited the countercultural spirit of the Movida, and the new generation found in this emblematic neighborhood an epicenter of Spanish pop-rock. A genre of which La Oreja de Van Gogh was an important part. So getting lost in its streets is synonymous with imagining that every doorway can be where the boy was waiting sitting on the floor without thinking.
Going to a karaoke “the early morning of January 20” (or whenever).
Those not from the capital will say they came to Madrid to study, but really the main reason is to go to a karaoke and sing 20 de enero. To shout “Y desde entonces te quiero, te adoro y te vuelvo a querer” with a microphone and a musical base as a guide? Just tell us date and time. And place, because the capital has many and varied karaokes in different parts of the city. BAM Karoke Box in the Salamanca neighborhood or Toni 2 in Salesas are two well-known names, but also others like Cheers Karaoke.
Try on dosmileros looks in vintage stores as a good “queen of pop”.
Low rise pants, wide belts with studs, necklaces on layers and layers of T-shirts and jackets… immortal icons of textiles. And if fashion always comes back, the dosmilera that was worn during the most successful period of La Oreja de Van Gogh is no exception.
So, if you want to relive those times, Madrid has plenty of vintage and second-hand stores like Magpie, Neare or La Mona Checa where you can find real gems in both clothing and accessories.
Visit “Paris” without leaving the community.
There is no need to “remember Paris” if you are in Madrid. And although it’s not the real Eiffel Tower, Parque Europa is the fast track to feeling like you’re in the French capital. Or in London, or in Rome, or in Brussels, or…. because this large park in Torrejón de Ardoz has 18 replicas of European monuments, including the Parisian symbol in which to feel (metaphorically) the Paris drama of La Oreja de Van Gogh.
Go to “the beach” in Madrid
We know it’s already getting cooler. But we also know that the weather in Madrid is unpredictable, and that means it always comes in handy to have plans for the heat just in case (even at the end of the year). And what better way to honor La Oreja de Van Gogh’s “La Playa” than by literally going to the beach? Or, in the case of Madrid, its inland beaches and natural pools, as is the case of Las Presillas, El Muro or the Alberche. They are not like the one in San Sebastián that the song talks about, but perhaps the most beautiful song in the world could also be written there.