Maxi Pongratz - "rum&num"

Through words and music, Maxi Pongratz tackles the big questions on his new tour: How do you become the person you want to be? What does folk music have to do with home? And what is “home” anyway? That’s not so easy to answer. Especially not for a border-crosser like Maxi Pongratz, who travels a lot, likes to think outside the box, and looks beyond the horizon. With a curious eye and open ears, he moves between city and countryside, pub music and Dadaism, tradition and rebellion, between wit and melancholy, poetry and sound, shyness and mischief. 

Having made a name for himself with his band “Kofelgschroa,” his subtle lyrics, and his very own accordion style, Maxi Pongratz has become an indispensable part of the German cabaret scene. But this path was by no means predetermined: Maxi Pongratz is actually a trained gardener who once baked apple strudel at the Hofbräuhaus and groomed the legendary “Kandahar” ski run for the World Cup. Thankfully, he also spent his free time traveling with his accordion—first from pub to pub, and later from stage to stage—and eventually became a musician after all. 

With Kofelgschroa, Maxi Pongratz released three albums, all produced by Micha Acher (“The Notwist”). He appeared with his bandmates in the documentary “frei.sein.wollen” (by Barbara Weber) and can be heard in Josef Bierbichler’s feature film “Zwei Herren im Anzug.” In December 2025, Maxi Pongratz won both first place and the audience award at the prestigious Passau Scharfrichterbeil festival. “rum#” is his fourth solo album. 

Press reviews:

 “Life is so beautiful when you hear this.”Abendzeitung 

“David Bowie on the accordion.”DIE ZEIT 

“Hardly anyone else has captured the spirit of life—between the grind of work, beer gardens, and the mountains—in such a rough-and-tumble, authentic, and groovy way.”Musikexpress 

“A solid dose of Karl Valentin enriched with a fresh splash of Georg Kreisler.”MUH 

“Almost philosophical.”Bayerischer Rundfunk