Stipsits & Band - Austropop lives!

In June 2025, a warm-up was held first. Thomas Stipsits called his "team" together at the Wiener Orpheum to give a few "warm-up concerts" for the stadium spectacle of Seiler & Speer on July 19 at the Happel Stadium. However, it was already clear at the Orpheum that this was not a cover band at work, but highly motivated musicians who would breathe new life into a music genre - Austropop. This was to be impressively demonstrated at the stadium concert. Numerous bands were engaged to warm up the fans of Seiler & Speer for their "main act." The Schick Sisters were hired along with the Opus band, Wolfgang Ambros and the Nr. 1 from Wienerwald, as well as comedy legend Otto Waalkes and his Friesen boys. This fantastic supporting program took place in the afternoon in front of around 40,000 visitors. At 4:30 PM, Thomas Stipsits' band took the stage: Christina Zauner, keyboardist and "leader" of the band, Thomas Hechenberger (electric guitar/backing vocals), Raphaela Fries (drums), Michael Mozeth (bass/backing vocals), and Chris Harras (acoustic guitar/backing vocals). When the first notes of "Ollas Leiwaund" were played, audience favorite Thomas Stipsits stormed onto the stage to join his band amidst thunderous applause from the fans. What followed was a brief high mass of Austropop, full of joy and energy. To be precise, it was a teaser for the high mass that the band will celebrate in the future, allowing the audience to unanimously declare: Austropop lives!