Summer… It might seem like it’s not really here, and won’t until your holidays start. But it’s finally here, so shout it out from the roof top: SUMMER! A wide horizon of possibilities has opened and each day will be filled with a little more of what you’ve been missing the rest of the year: free time. To not get up early anymore. To get away for a bit at the Costa Brava to dive with the fishes. To go on a road trip with some friends in that car that looks like a clunker but can always grind out one more trip. To go and explore new far-flung places, new people, and new forms of living on distant continents. To visit the family and have a massive Sunday brunch. To enjoy Barcelona now that it’s a bit less crowded. Or to head off to the airport and take the first plane off to as far as our wallet will go.

And you? What plans have you for the summer? Ask René, María, Vito y Senka. 

Tell us on Facebook and Twitter and the take a look a what we’ve got planned on our website.

We’re also off on vacation, but we’ll be back on the 1st of September with more wild ideas than ever. Meanwhile you can follow us on the web, because we won’t be totally gone…

Swing. Monroe and Presley. Long skirts below the knee. Pop. Tight waists. Bardot and Dean. Forehead curls. Twist. Jeans, tight white shirts and blazers. The Platters, Chuck Berry and a few slick turns. Feet that move by themselves. Hats. Romantic looks, gloves, black and white. A cocktail. A tradition revived by DHUB, which is hosting this vintage event (inspired by the 50s and 60s) to celebrate the success of the expo "El guardarropa de Maria Brillas". The expo is on until late August and includes a meeting with fashion bloggers. A party with dress code as an essential, as it should be. Do you know what you're going to wear? / Descalza Trans. by Kate Bell

Prolific and full of energy. Many would say Maceo Parker has decaffeinated funk and jazz for the masses. But aside from all that is a talent firmly rooted in self assurance, stepping into new music but never abandoning his own, a funky rhythm and a vital pulse of charisma that gets what it wants out of whatever there is. To be or not to be, the question is on the stage, and there the answers shake the floor and carry your feet away. Because jazz renews you inside and shows on the outside; funk wipes away the bad times and widens your horizons; and Maceo Parker is gonna teach us all about funk. The Palauwill fall at his feet./ Juan Carlos Romero Trans. by Suky Taylor

The essence, the naturalness and the experimental gather in Art&Design Barcelona to present to us unique and special painted works. Perhaps you have heard this a million times, but to actually get up close and discover how to look for detail and innovation in some expositions requires as much time as the emotion put into each look. Isabel García-Munté, a painter with influences from Francis Bacon, understands painting through the purest expressionism. But it is her desire to live and to make the painting come to life that guides all of her work, a true sample that accounts for the fact that there are still creators capable of expressing their emotions and their interior world on canvas. It is her authentic declaration of intentions that make her work special and unique./ Beatriz Corral Trans. by Stephanie

Hi holidays! Wass’up? All good here, wishing for you to be here already! But well, for now things are going well> today at Music Hall we have Chuck Project, Californian pro, a performance that forms part of the cycle "We Used To Party", sponsored by Houston Party and that invites a soloist or band to interpret an album from another band. And this time will be “London Calling” by the great The Clash. No joke! Accompanying The Prophet will be The Spanish Bombs, band created for the occasion on a mode of instrumental accompaniment to the artist, and first act a New Yorker by the name of Chris Von Sneidern. U.S.A., U.K. and holidays soon! All good! We've got 5 tickets, do you want one?/ Iu Peña Trans by Susana Sarsfield

Three couples; each one doing the necessary foolishness to plunge into the chaos. Seeing it from a sure setting that will appear evident, but each dancer will go feeding those situations that, one after another, will carry us unconsciously to a disaster. Wanted or unwanted, it’s all the same: The disaster is the goal! The Thomas Noone Dance company, with over 10 years in Barcelona, doesn’t make a drama of the piece “Lugares extrañamente desastrosos”, but on the contrary: the opportunity of making us laugh at these situations, of our situations... Perhaps wise: to find humor in the middle of tragedy and to continue looking for more, dancing more, creating more. The music has been specially composed for this piece by Jim Pinchen of the English nature and is sure to be ranked on of his best./ Francisco Estrada Trans. by Stephanie

There are the regulars at Sidecar and Apolo (pop-rock), the regulars at Jamboree and Harlem (jazz), the regulars at Heliogàbal and Caja Madrid (experimental) and then we’ve got the KGB – Monestario – Mundo Caníbal where they would fit in Freak Fandango, a band that’s just come on our radar and we’ve liking them because of what they’re about: fun & games and getting down on the dance floor. Just so we’re all on the same page here: they’re something like Kung-Fu or La Carrau, with a touch of the Kusturica but in a more circus vibe. Violin, accordion, sax, trumpet, guitar, drums and a bass. Ah, yes and a kazoo, like The Delinqüentes. But comparisons only go so far, Freak Fandango are on a page of their own, and of course, written in English. And now we’ll see them live and finally get to know firsthand their delightfully different funkiness./ Laura Bo Trans. by Don Vito

Every time I pass by a gallery I turn and look, trying to peer inside as if I had X-ray eyes, and if I like what I see, I take note! That’s what happened with The Gallery Tattoo, an unconventional place to say the least that is quite attractive if what you’re looking to do is cover your skin with genuine creations. But these artists don’t just dedicate themselves to the daily grind (or buzz), but rather, let their creativity flow where they feel it must. That’s how we’ve come to know a new star who today opens Stephanie de Gina, a show created casually and spontaneously after a chance encounter between two friends in Hyde Park and Facebook. Thus the pastels, acrylics and various other painting forms and artistic techniques the Stephanie used to escape the world and her routine have become something much more than just a personal album./ Beatriz Corral Trans. by Don Vito

The last time they came to Spain, they spent their first night locked in the Barajas airport police station. Do they harbour a grudge for the misunderstanding? Let´s hope not. In the five concerts they gave last April, Mariana Montenegro and Milton Mahan pleasantly surprised their audience. Melodic pop songs full of eighties electronic touches are these Chileans´ most lethal weapons. Vocalist, composer and instrumentalist Milton Mahan explained the aims of his latest album "Music, Grammar and Gymnastics", declaring that the common thread between the songs is based on sport, "as manifestations of joviality, linked to the Greek concept of perfection, both intellectual and physical”. Beautiful and original intentions for a project completed in eleven tracks full of joyous and childish rhythms./ Joana Choquet Trans. by Kate Bell

One month, one campus, fifteen young artists, five directors, tons of talent and one great result: the exhibition of the ”Campus” Project of the Espai Cultural de Caja Madrid. A sweeping proposal that was born last June and finishes today with the opening that will draw together all the ideas, experiences, and knowledge that this free campus without credits has brought to the Espai. An exceptionally interesting exhibition where we can discover the Super 8 film “Ejercicio de ritmo” by Lola Lasurt, the Project “Poplitics” by Ariadna Parrey, Jordi Ferreiro and Daniel Silvo, which relates pop lyrics with political meetings, or the performance “Hiperconferencia” by Jordi Ferreiro where we are plunged into the idea of the audiences drawn into the fiction. And you still say you can’t learn anything on campus? / Lorena Pedre Trans. by Don Vito

Political satire, a difficult and unattractive genre, requires intelligence, a sense of humour and some expertise on backroom talks. Armando Iannucci masters all of this, as shown in "In the Loop", where he presents with a sharp sarcasm the absurd servility that brought the UK to enter the Iraq war. We see it with the eyes of the poor civil servants, who don’t have a say and who have to mitigate the political thunderstorms created by their superiors. A brilliant screenplay, nominated for an Oscar, creates a universe of statements, advisors, press talks, insults, gags and disastrous consequences –the country still hasn’t forgiven the entry in the war. Its witty dialogues, worthy of "Yes, Minister", will be best enjoyed in the coolest possible setting: the grass at Sala Montjuïc./ Marta Bausells

Desperate due to his bad situation and suddenly illuminated in the darkness, the holy founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard once said: "The way to make a million is to start a religion! ". The rest is history and glamour. So if this visionary mixed science and religion, why not mix 'clown' and science? This second option is the proposal of the new visionaries, the Einstein Sisters, Gemma Inglès and Ana P. Jimenez, who led by Jango Edwards have travelled through a few cabarets, multipurpose halls and theatres. And as a clown is always more noble than a priest (at least on stage), they do not promise the sky but a worldly laughter in the midst of all this summer sorrow (everyone is dying lately, no?) A laugh, cause the world is going to end! / Francisco Estrada Trans. by Kate Howden

A cushion with a title, inspiration and reference. A cushion as a piece of art, a cushion like a canvas pad of a concept, a cushion as a story. 15 cushions. 15 collages of material from here and pieces from there. 15 cushions that fly above the idea of sleeping, dreaming and resting to land on a self-signed personal imagination. Feathers, tassels, embroidery, coffee ... nostalgic customization, a new way of conceiving an item that so far had a much more static function. Play a cushion, smell a cushion, hug a cushion and listen to a cushion. Who said that cushions only served to be hugged whilst watching movies on the couch at home or for a taking a nice little siesta on them? Are we going to test our senses and discover what all these cushions have been transformed into./ Descalza Trans. by Kate Howden

With the death of Amy Winehouse still so recent, and with almost every form of media has covered the obligatory list of troubled singers dead at the age of 27, now would seem like a good time to have a look at " Mitologías contemporáneas", organized by the Filmo, which relates the (mostly tragic) careers of some of today´s musical legends. This week is the turn of Ian Curtis, Joy Division leader, poet, depressive, epileptic, the fragile boy fragile with the incredible blue eyes and deep voice. The biopic " Control" covers his life from 1973 until his suicide in 1980. It´s one of those stories which proves that all too often that fame and pain go hand in hand, when the present is out of control and your own very existence does not matter./ María Arranz Trans. by Kate Bell

It’s said that the best things in life are free, and as citizens of the modern-day playground that is Barcelona, we’d be hard pushed to disagree. Obviously, nothing is perfect, but can you really deny the joys of waking up to a cloud-less sky, aimlessly wandering through shady squares, or strolling along the beach at sundown, gazing at the waves gently breaking in the dusk? Admittedly, the coffee/beer/cigarettes that accompany such moments may cost extra, but we’ve got it pretty good. And things just got better, with Brit Josh Parker launching his fabulous new EP in our one and only city-centre park. Hurrah! It lasts until darkness and he’s also promising some extra special guests, so bring a rug, a picnic, and a chilled bottle of something cheeky. That’s all you’ll need to bathe in the delights that are his acoustic musings./ Derek Robertson

We all have something in common: we dream. Some of our dreams are of the most possible, even mundane, others are far beyond anyone’s reach. Some with the passing of time come true, others almost. Some were better than we’d expected, other’s leave us wanting, having enjoyed the fantasy more than the reality. But all had their moment of fantasy, unreal, madness, fascination, release… And right in the midst of all this is a capturing of this essence in the Japonese shop, IKIRU in the Born with their series of exhibitions “Dreams”. A series that began with the sweeping illustrations of Philipp Zurmöhle and which continues this weekend with Yoko Furusho Live Painting: a session of painting done live where the Japanese artist will use the shop windows to display the power of her own dreams and ours as well. Because what’s better is there in life than to dream? / Lorena Pedre Trans. by Don Vito

So, I’m already sold on this event – why? Well because it’s being held at Discos Paradiso, and we all know they don’t let just any event through the door – it’s got to be interesting, novel and top notch. So, as far as that goes, it’s a winner. On deeper inspection, Sun Color have just finished editing a … cassette…! And yes, I know lots of bands do, but all that do instantly have my approval. It’s the vintage, anti-pragmatism of it all, what can I tell you. The cassettes are colourful too! Delving yet further, I discover that Sun Color is not for every palate: This boy-girl duo make experimental electronic music, closer to ambience and improvisation than anything if the truth be told, but the point is not to look for a elusive melody, but rather let yourself be carried away with the music…. You get me…right?/ Leo Altés Trans. by Aoife

Why is it that in summer we want to buy new looks to model as well as revamping what´s in our wardrobes? Is it the heat, the change of seasons, our endless desire for new clothes ... I don´t know. Of course, the economy is not too buoyant, and it´s hard enough just to save for your holidays, so I'm afraid that this year it´s going to have to be one or the other ... Or not? Naomi is back to organizing "clothes swap" in her place in Borne and here your money´s no good. Just bring the clothes, shoes and handbags that you no longer use but are in good condition and simply swap them for something else you like better. So girls (yes, clothing is only for girls), I think we already have plans for Saturday afternoon. With what we saved on outfits we can keep saving for that trip to New York in 2014…/ Mila Doré Trans. by Kate Bell

Something’s going on here, there’s a weird chill in the air. We could do with a bit more heat, don’t you reckon? The guys from Desparrame & Arkestra are feeling it too, and are ready to spark it up with a party Hrundi V. Backshi would be proud to host. They’re calling it C.A.L.O.R. and it does what it says on the tin. With the crew from Hivern Discs– Stainboy, d.a.r.y.l and Matador Rockers, plus Mwëslee back to back with K**O and David Guetta’s mysterious nemesis David Ghetto. If that’s not enough to heat up the flames of summer your only hope is witchcraft. May the gods have mercy on us./ Santi Gila Saurat Trans. by Suky Taylor

August arrives and with it summer vacation, or at least for a part of the population, and that is why the team of La Good Shit wants to celebrate in the best way possible with an amazing party in KGB, a perfect night to let your hair down and to enjoy something out of this world that will even bring the boys from the Guacamole Kids. It does not it matter if you are on vacation or not, if you’re on the verge of starting one, if you are considering the idea to stay in for the night or going to the Maldivas, tonight you have to go to the KGB and set aside all other plans. Besides, the Crème Skateboards will launch new material from the cabin. So now you know, go and dance as if nobody is watching, shout at the top of your lungs and when the Crème guys start to chuck those goodies, jump and push whoever you want provided you do so while wearing the most obnoxious shirt possible./ Mar Vara Trans. by Stephanie

Reasons to “lock” yourself into a nightclub on a summer’s evening: 1) if it rains you’re covered (and with the July we’re having who’s going to put their hand to their heart and swear the weather won’t change); 2) the neighbours won’t chuck buckets of water over you at 2AM; 3) there are normal toilets that don’t imply a fine and infinite amounts of alcohol (you’re on holiday- live a little!); 4) and lastly, there’s music and you can have your requests played by the DJ, who may or may not oblige, but such is life. The guys from Indiespot have created their very own playlist on Spotify, for you to upload your own summer tunes onto (their’s are already up) and get down and dirty on the night, without rain, neighbours, with loos and endless alcohol and DJs. Bring it on! ./Iu Peña Trans. by Aoife

We're all fed up of the sales, not just because of the quality of their wares, but simply so that we can once again walk from the Raval to the Born in less than three-and-a-half hours. I, in fact, have avoided this fevered bi-annual crap-fest entirely this summer, as I have been inundated with the new wave of vintage pop-ups that are the event du jour in Barnaville: the popularity of these markets is such that it appears that the scene even has its own haters. I overheard one disgruntled commentator remark that he'd had enough of this most sustainable and sociable commerce, and had to bite my tongue, but was secretly proud, as a long-time supporter of peer-to-peer bargain hunting. The game continues this Sunday at Double Trouble, where we will once again be pushing drinks, music, chats and above all, a good haggle./ Kenny José

Àlex Rigola is stepping back from his directing role at Teatre Lliure. But it remains unclear whether he’s giving up the privileged vantage point from which he observes the world of theatrical creativity. His latest work “Tragèdia” is a visual poem about Nietzsche’s first book "The Birth of Tragedy", from which you’ll come out not crying but laughing. Nietzsche’s text might not exactly have you in stitches – it’s more about intellectual wit, twists of the mind and serene ruptures. Because our intellect, unmastered by all and nonexistent for many, apparently grows out of rupture. And although Àlex Rigola has not broken, he’s a bit shaken up, albeit by rock’n’roll, or now, tragically original, maybe by illustrating death in order to be reborn./ Juan Carlos Romero Trans. by Suky Taylor

Painter Xavier Rodés’ sensitivity is not new to the Sala Parés gallery. Landsacapes and still-lives where the forms say it all and create an atmosphere of loneliness and distance. His mastery of the craft is key to his art: he dominates technique with a realism that moves you, and he plays with light in a way that reminds you of Dutch painters of the XVIIth century, something you don’t see often in galleries these days. In his new exhibit he’s experimented and shows paintings that aren’t all about esthetics. This time he’s got metaphors, irony and reflection. The first part includes little toys, which he uses to ask questions about society: shame, moral relativism, even ‘indignation’. The second half is all about small format landscapes, with new elements and the same intimacy as always./ Marta Bausells

August in Barcelona can be really nice. You can enjoy the ghostly atmosphere of the city waking up, go cycling to the sea with half of the traffic than in a normal day, go out and take pictures of the neighborhood during the long hours of daylight or just devote yourself to the CCCB’s veteran initiative "Gandules" This program of outdoor cinema (and free admission!) displays, one more year, some fabulous evening screenings that are difficult to reject. Claire Denis, Jean-Luc Godard, Joseph Losey and Jean-Pierre Melville are among the filmmakers responsible for turning our summer nights into evenings full of magic, freedom and film poetry. An excellent alternative to the most commercial billboards to enjoy and escape from the big city without having to leave it./ Eva A. Prats

It’s officially August! Not because the calendar says so, but because the air is growing thicker. Some blinders stay down, signs saying “we’ll be back in September” and even less statues in Las Ramblas. But you’re still here. And before you drive yourself mad why not try to channel all that rage in a… physical way? Have you ever been to a hardcore gig? Sharp guitars, speeding drums, straight edge attitude and a lot of channelled rage. Swing Kids were one of the most mythic bands from the mid 90’s, in the Drive Like Jehu or Refused wave. They’ve lasted, like their songs, a sigh, but now they’ve reunited without the deceased guitarist Eric Allen (hence the name change) to play the Swing Kids Songs. It will empty you of the pre-holiday rage. / Iu Peña Trans by Susana Sarsfield

Telenoika is one of those collectives that you’re happy to have in the neighborhood. From their little homebase in on Riereta street (although now they’ve taken on a more ample space and also share space with the HQ of Conservas) they’ve been dedicate for now more than a decade to the body and soul of audiovisual experimentation and the new generation of artistic debates. But, what makes them different” Well, in addition to all this, they also design a series of hard hitting activist activities where they try to shed light on the problems in our society, like the video attack against the crisis that they did in the streets of Barcelona during the Christmas sugar-rush euphoria. Now, all of the Wednesdays until the end of August, they will be video-bombing the modernista streets of the Caixa Fòrum, so take note and take a peek on of these summer nights./ María Arranz Trans. by Don Vito

It’s Wednesday and it’s full on August. Plans start to thin out with the massive exodus of the urban inhabitants off to the beaches and the museums, galleries, and concert halls begin to settle in for a bit of a snooze. What to do? Don’t panic, the last thing that you’ll do in Barcelona is be bored, and just to prove the point here’s one of those ideas that save the evening, and which you can discover one of those places that the rush of the rest of the year keeps you running past. We’re talking about La Petita Galería and their "Sketch Wednesdays", one of those gatherings where you can have a drink (or what-have-you) while you draw. They set up the space and the materials (paper, pens, markers…) and plus, until the 10th, you can enjoy the exhibition of Orne Cabrita. Who say’s August is dead?/ Mila Doré Trans. by Don Vito

The concept of ecology has finally reached the ice-cream world. Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s not a thing for poshy restaurants and bio stores, its all expanding to more and more places and products. And the summer’s king sweets couldn’t have less. In this ice-cream store in Gràcia you can enjoy of a delicious helado of any flavour: yogurt with fruits, crema catalana, fresh cheese, meringue milk, dark chocolate, lemon tea and even soy milk ice-creams. You’ll also find milk shakes, iced drinks and horchatas. All 100% ecologic, from the raw materials to the cones and cups, to the lighting and the decoration. Authentic flavours and healthy ice-creams and respectful to enjoy better the hot days and the beach. Nom nom! / Nona Vilar Trans. by Susana Sarsfield

A few months ago, and after quite some time I suppose, Sara and I went to look for Alicia when she got off of work. Middle of Barcelona. Three in the afternoon. Hungry hungry hippos! What to eat? A sandwich perhaps, a burger, a lunch special…? It was then that Alicia turned us on to Miu, a Japanese restaurant of the most chic of styling located on Valencia street with Passeig de Gracia. At first glace it seemed smaller than it is, but once we’d gone down stairs, we saw that Miu had plenty to offer. What we loved the most was the atmosphere, the careful decoration with such eye for detail and the spacing between the tables, far from cramps, you feel at ease, not having to eavesdrop on your fellow diners (your boyfriend is a douchbag, now I know, please more on to another topic!) At Miu you’re senses are soothed and delighted, a salad for started, maki and seasoned vegetables to follow, and an apple tart to finish things with a dash a sweetness. You coming? / Mar Vara Trans. by Don Vito

So you’re a worldly-wise traveller, but there are times whilst globetrotting that you crave the creature comforts of home. You like trendy places to stay but want taps you know how to turn on, and a bathroom that doesn’t look like something out of a Stanley Kubrick movie. When I’m out and about, I want to feel at home – simple as that. Barcelona’s chic, chaotic and full of action, yes, but right smack bang in the middle of it all is Blanc Guesthouse, where you’d expect to bump into the typical indie actor at the Sala Beckett or the vegan yoga teacher in town to detox. Kick off your shoes after a night on the tiles in Barcelona, take a shower and jump into a crisp, clean bed and wake up to fresh coffee on a sunny terrace and the aroma of lavender surrounding you – this is the life, this is even better than home sweet home. And the price? Well, let’s just say you’re likely to go a deadly shade of Blanc when you see all you get on a shoestring… / Aoife

le cool is a free weekly magazine featuring a selection of cultural events and leisure activities, revealing what is worthwhile and the things that you really should not miss. We filter out the best exhibitions, movies, concerts & DJs as well as a careful selection of extraordinary bars, restaurants and other fine places.
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