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Severin Groebner

Severin Groebner

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Severin Groebner – Satire with Attitude: An Austrian Cabaret Artist Between Chanson, Punchlines, and Politics

An Artist Portrait That Sparks a Passion for the Stage, Wit, and Brilliant Observations

Severin Groebner, born on October 20, 1969, in Vienna, has been one of the most prominent voices in German-speaking cabaret for decades. His music career as a songwriter at the intersection of chanson, folk, and couplet is complemented by a confident stage presence as a satirist, who elegantly dismantles social and political themes with ease. After spending time in Munich and Mainz, the award-winning artist now lives in Frankfurt am Main, smoothly oscillating with fine humor between Austrian roots and everyday German life. His artistic evolution ranges from a music cabaret duo in the 1990s to current solo performances and a debut album released in 2024 – a body of work that combines attitude, style, and craftsmanship.

Biography: From Viennese Coffee Houses to Cabaret Awards

Groebner took his first steps in 1993 alongside pianist Klaus Gröll in Viennese coffee houses; from these performances emerged the music cabaret duo "Gröll & Groebner," which toured with four programs until 1999. Simultaneously, he gained stage experience as an actor with the ensemble "Sparverein die Unzertrennlichen" and made guest appearances at renowned Viennese venues such as Kabarett Niedermair, Theater Drachengasse, and Sargfabrik. His sensitivity for composition and arrangement in cabaret songs was evident early on – pointed lyrics, clear dramaturgy, and acoustic miniatures that achieve great impact with minimal means.

Since 2002, Groebner has been working for the satirical monthly review "Zugespitzt" (Bavarian Broadcasting). Starting in 2008, he made regular TV appearances in cabaret and satire formats in Austria and Germany. Throughout his career, he has never curated his path as a purely solo endeavor: guest performances, ensembles, radio recordings, and literary publications form a closely interconnected portfolio that continuously drives his artistic development. The list of accolades – from the Graz Kleinkunstvogel (1995) to the German Kleinkunstpreis (promotional award, 2003), the Salzburg Stier (2004), and the Dieter-Hildebrandt-Preis (2022) – documents the consistent quality and relevance of his work.

Early Years and Breakthrough: Finesse, Dark Humor, and Musical Form

The Viennese socialization – precise observation, dry wit, and a love for the absurd – influences Groebner's early works, as does the dark humor of music cabaret. Even in the duo with Gröll, his songs combine melodic clarity, elegant rhymes, and dramatic tension. He further developed this style in solo performances: songs as vessels for punchlines, connecting texts as dramatic joints, arrangements as finely crafted soundscapes. From this repertoire, his recordings later emerged – between live recordings and studio work – documenting his stage pieces and deliberately foregrounding the musical aspect of his art.

Performances in Munich, Nuremberg, and Basel expanded his audience and sharpened Groebner's regional presence. As a boundary crosser between Vienna and Southern Germany, he navigates cultural differences with warm-hearted irony: the "Austrian perspective" on German concerns becomes a recurring source for material, voice, and viewpoint – an attitude that places him within the history of cabaret between political satire, everyday observation, and literary miniature.

Today on Stage: “ÜberHaltung” and “I Am the People!”

In recent years, Groebner has distinguished himself with programs that take the word "attitude" seriously, both thematically and performatively. "ÜberHaltung" dissects with precise timing why attitudes devoid of substance are so comfortable – and how genuine attitude is formed. The solo "I Am the People!" (debuting on stage in 2025) advances this discourse as a satirical manifesto: a pointed play with sovereignty, populism, and the question of who actually owns "the people." His stage presence remains fluid: intelligent moderation, well-constructed arcs of tension, surprising punchlines, and playfulness without cynicism – a cabaret compass that provides orientation in turbulent times.

Regular guest performances on BR and 3sat formats such as "schlachthof" demonstrate the artist's TV stage routine: Groebner delivers short, dense sets where wordplay and social analysis come together in a compact space. The balance of humor, attitude, and humanism makes his performances accessible to a wide audience – without diminishing intellectual sharpness.

Media Work and Columns: Feuilleton, Radio, and the Art of the Succinct Sentence

For many years, Groebner wrote columns, including for the Wiener Zeitung (print until 2023), and published satires as well as essays in feuilletons such as FAZ and taz. His radio contributions for WDR, BR, and ORF showcase his dexterity in handling the formal differences between stage and studio: auditory storytelling, sonic accents, precisely timed pauses – production as part of the punchline. He compiled his satirical miniatures into book form, such as in the "Lexikon der Nichtigkeiten," which demonstrates the poetic possibilities of cabaret in literary space through an alphabetical tour de force of everyday terms.

This cross-media approach – texts, audio, TV – strengthens Groebner's authority as a satirist. He not only utilizes platforms, but translates his material into the appropriate format while refining the tone, pace, and texture of his works. This results in a consistent artistic identity that remains recognizable across various channels.

Discography: CDs, Live Recordings, and an Album as a Statement

Groebner's discography documents his programs and songs. Early releases such as "Ganz im Ernst" (2005), "Lauter Liebe Leute" (2006), "So gibt man dem Leben einen Sinn" (2008), or "Man müsste mal…" (2009) capture the live character of his art. Later titles like "Servus Piefke" (2013) and "Vom kleinen Mann, der wissen wollte, wer ihm auf den Kopf g’schissen hat" (2016) consolidate programmatic motifs: social milieus, power and morality, urban types – narrated with wit and surprising elements.

His album "Nicht mein Problem – Lieder übers Da- und Wegsein" (Monkey Music/Hoanzl), released in 2024, marks a significant highlight: a debut as a singer-songwriter that consciously emancipates the musical side of his work. The production blends chanson finesse, folksy warmth, and jazzy splashes, while the lyrics oscillate between melancholy and mockery. The clear vocal delivery, laconic timbre, and clever chorus work give the pieces recognizability – a songwriting that transforms cabaret songs into pop-affine miniatures.

Style and Technique: Language Music, Timing, and the Springy Contradiction

Groebner's style thrives on language music: alliteration, internal rhymes, syncopation in sentences. He phrases punchlines like measures – with pickups, emphasis, and delay. His compositions utilize clear harmonies and acoustic arrangements as a resonance space for texts that engage with multiple layers. In production, he pays attention to transparency: voice upfront, guitar or small ensemble as contour, pauses as dramatic signals. This combination of technique and temperament creates a signature that operates equally on literary, musical, and performative levels.

Historically, Groebner can be aligned with the politically aware chanson tradition – from couplet tradition to singer-songwriter aesthetics. At the same time, cabaret history anchors his work in a school where formality and cheekiness collaborate cooperatively: the elegant jab becomes the punchline, tenderness becomes the tinder for the next thought.

Cultural Influence and Reception: Awards, Press, and Audience

The list of his honors – from the Graz Kleinkunstvogel to the German Kleinkunstpreis and the Austrian Cabaret Prize to the Dieter-Hildebrandt-Preis – reflects not only recognition but also consistency. Critics emphasize Groebner's ability to succinctly condense complex topics and translate current debates into a narrative stage format. On radio shows and TV formats, he impresses with confident timing; he regularly performs live at venues such as Kabarett Niedermair. The feedback follows a pattern: empathy instead of cynicism, sharpness without harshness, attitude without sanctification.

Even beyond large stages, he shapes discourses: as a columnist, as a voice in radio satire, as an author. His work contributes to popularizing a satirical aesthetic that does not hide reflection behind laughter but positions both in productive friction. This makes his cultural influence resilient against trends – and connects with upcoming generations of cabaret and songwriting.

Current Projects 2024–2026: Album, Tour, and New Solo

Since 2024, Groebner makes a musical statement with "Nicht mein Problem – Lieder übers Da- und Wegsein." In 2025/2026, he will tour with "Ich bin das Volk!" – an evening-length solo as a "government program" of his Severinity, which dissects populism and cult of personality with subversive cheerfulness. Stops in Vienna (Kabarett Niedermair) and in German venues indicate a sustained high demand. Simultaneously, he remains a key figure in TV satire shows like "schlachthof" and contributes to radio series at BR and ORF – a dense program that smartly balances studio, stage, and broadcast.

For the upcoming seasons, announced programs, guest performances, and festival dates indicate that Groebner's satirical narrative voice will remain at the center of a debate culture that views humor as a means of gaining insight. The combination of new songs, fresh texts, and established stage routine suggests that upcoming shows will also be crafted with precision, musically delicate, and intellectually nourishing.

Voices of the Fans

The reactions of fans clearly show: Severin Groebner delights people throughout the German-speaking world. On Facebook, a listener writes: "Groebner's new songs go straight to the heart – and at the same time hit the pulse of the times." Another comment sums it up: "Cabaret with head, heart, and attitude – more of that, please!"

Conclusion

What makes Severin Groebner so exciting? He combines poetic precision with political sensitivity, musical elegance with cabaret punch. His programs deliver insights in real-time, his discography preserves the energy of the stage, and his 2024 album opens a new sonic door. Those who want to experience cabaret as contemporary art will find in Groebner an artist who transforms attitude into humor – and humor back into attitude. A must-see live: for the timing, for the texts, for this rare blend of warmth and impact.

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