In 2015, I wrote 16 posts! In 2016, I wrote 9 posts. In 2017, I wrote 4 posts. At the rate I'm going, I'm not going to write at all in 2018! But fear not, thanks to your suggestions, I have inspiration again.
I've decided to touch on each of them in their own post and simply because I've seen a number of concerts recently, today is dedicated to something so near and dear to my heart: music!
The question was: what is your favourite music festival.
I was completely enamoured by the music festival scene in Europe and it was actually one of the pros on our list when we were weighing the pros and cons of moving over here. The biggest and best artists are always playing and it's just a matter of when and this appealed to us immensely.
But, I have disappointing news for you. I've slowly but surely realized that music festivals are just not my thing. My first and favourite festival was when Sander and I went to Pinkpop in 2012 and had the chance to see Bruce Springsteen. I'm going to direct you to my blog archives to read about that one because I actually documented it! But what I didn't write about in that post was the overwhelming number of people, the heat and the fact that I actually fainted during one of the concerts!
Last year we went to two smaller festivals and again, we were stuck in sweltering heat, there was one water station for thousands and thousands of people and by the end of it, I felt like absolute garbage. For as much as I complain about the weather being cold and rainy here, it always seems to be unbearably hot when I'm to stand outside all day.
However, last year, we also went to a jazz festival and this was totally my jam. I've come to realize that I really enjoy the smaller events rather than the huge music festivals. This was just a free festival hosted by a city called s'Hertogenbosch (yes, that's a real name and I did not just randomly bash keys on my keyboard). They had different stages set up throughout the city and smaller artists playing in some little side streets. The surroundings were so inspiring compared to the average festival grounds, we could eat dinner at a proper restaurant rather than having to spend €8 on fries, and best of all, it was free! One of our favourite Dutch artists, Room Eleven happened to be playing and all in all, it was a really fun day full of music. We will definitely be returning this year for a day of free jazz music!
The week before that, we went to see Petit Biscuit. I've recently discovered this little niche of even quirkier music called cinematic techno or melodic techno. It's not your typical doomph doomph doomph techno, but rather something a bit softer and somehow the beats just catch my heart. Here is my favorite song by Petit Biscuit in case you're curious. But what I actually really want to write about is how weird of an experience seeing a DJ live was. So this guy, is just a lone 18 year old who happens to put bizarre sounds together to make music. In my books, he's a pretty talented guy, but as you can imagine, the entertainment value of watching a DJ is pretty low. So I figured we'd go to this concert and just dance the night away because in my head, that's what you do when you go "see" a DJ live. Turns out I was very wrong and the few hundred of us that were there just stood there and watched this kid push buttons on stage. It was hilarious and bizarre and totally not what I expected but it was still really fun and I'm tickled that yet again, I had the chance to see a bizarre little artist over here.
I've decided to touch on each of them in their own post and simply because I've seen a number of concerts recently, today is dedicated to something so near and dear to my heart: music!
The question was: what is your favourite music festival.
I was completely enamoured by the music festival scene in Europe and it was actually one of the pros on our list when we were weighing the pros and cons of moving over here. The biggest and best artists are always playing and it's just a matter of when and this appealed to us immensely.
But, I have disappointing news for you. I've slowly but surely realized that music festivals are just not my thing. My first and favourite festival was when Sander and I went to Pinkpop in 2012 and had the chance to see Bruce Springsteen. I'm going to direct you to my blog archives to read about that one because I actually documented it! But what I didn't write about in that post was the overwhelming number of people, the heat and the fact that I actually fainted during one of the concerts!
Last year we went to two smaller festivals and again, we were stuck in sweltering heat, there was one water station for thousands and thousands of people and by the end of it, I felt like absolute garbage. For as much as I complain about the weather being cold and rainy here, it always seems to be unbearably hot when I'm to stand outside all day.
However, last year, we also went to a jazz festival and this was totally my jam. I've come to realize that I really enjoy the smaller events rather than the huge music festivals. This was just a free festival hosted by a city called s'Hertogenbosch (yes, that's a real name and I did not just randomly bash keys on my keyboard). They had different stages set up throughout the city and smaller artists playing in some little side streets. The surroundings were so inspiring compared to the average festival grounds, we could eat dinner at a proper restaurant rather than having to spend €8 on fries, and best of all, it was free! One of our favourite Dutch artists, Room Eleven happened to be playing and all in all, it was a really fun day full of music. We will definitely be returning this year for a day of free jazz music!
But that was last year.
This year, we have a lot on the agenda and as mentioned, I've gone to a couple concerts already.
This included an Albertan band this past Friday! Yes, a teeny little Albertan band played a show in Amsterdam and it was awesome!! We went to see the Rural Alberta Advantage and they blew me away. They were so good live and it was a lot of fun to hear the stories about how they came up with their songs. For example: the lead singer is originally from Fort McMurray and their song Beacon Hill is inspired by the big fire a few years ago. I think my all-time favourite song by them is Frank AB and, you guessed it, it's about Frank Slide, Alberta. They sang an amazing live version that just captivated me. Here's a sample of a different live version that wasn't nearly as awesome as what I experienced, but it's the best I can do for you. The part at around 2:10 is where I got shivers during the actual concert. I love the line "and under the rubble of the mountain that tumbled, I'll hold you forever".
Overall, it was extra special to hear this quirky band sing about all these fantastic little things that only Albertan's would understand.
The week before that, we went to see Petit Biscuit. I've recently discovered this little niche of even quirkier music called cinematic techno or melodic techno. It's not your typical doomph doomph doomph techno, but rather something a bit softer and somehow the beats just catch my heart. Here is my favorite song by Petit Biscuit in case you're curious. But what I actually really want to write about is how weird of an experience seeing a DJ live was. So this guy, is just a lone 18 year old who happens to put bizarre sounds together to make music. In my books, he's a pretty talented guy, but as you can imagine, the entertainment value of watching a DJ is pretty low. So I figured we'd go to this concert and just dance the night away because in my head, that's what you do when you go "see" a DJ live. Turns out I was very wrong and the few hundred of us that were there just stood there and watched this kid push buttons on stage. It was hilarious and bizarre and totally not what I expected but it was still really fun and I'm tickled that yet again, I had the chance to see a bizarre little artist over here.
Next week, we're going to see a classical concert which is part of a really cool thing called Pieces of Tomorrow. The Thursday before a big performance in the classical concert hall, the symphony or whatever is playing does a pre-show called Pieces of Tomorrow which showcases what they will be playing. There's a host who interviews the orchestra and the conductor and we have the chance to learn about the music. They often talk about different techniques used or what the story of the piece is. It's a really great way to experience classical music without being bogged down by the price or length of actually going to the symphony! Also, you get to sit on beanbag chairs between all the instruments which I happen to think is the coolest thing ever. Sadly we've never been early enough to claim such a seat, but one day, it will happen!
I will end my musical rant here. On the agenda this year is Jose Gonzalez and a singer/songwriter festival at the beginning of September. I'm sure I'll find more random little concerts to attend (actually just found out that The Tallest Man on Earth is playing in Amsterdam) because live music is just so much fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment