some thoughts....

Well it turns out that I was wrong about the AES meeting being at SAE. I could have sworn I saw something on that but no - its in Barcelona, Spain at the end of May. Well no biggie, I wasn't going anyhow....

This week Ive also been going down a checklist of things to do. Got some clothes last night. some liquid soap, a small tube of toothpaste, etc etc. Lined up a hair-cut appointment, etc etc. These things take time.

My schedule is shaping up pretty well. There are a few things lined up for the middle of the week, with the weekends being left open at the present. Visiting a nearby city called Haarlem which is supposed to be laid back, and I've heard, even more progressive than Amsterdam. However that can possibly be accomplished, I dont know.

I hear that the stores are all closed on Mondays, but that day is a great day to visit the museums, because shorter lines.


Beep Beep!

They have an Amsterdam Pass that is put out by the (Board of Tourism) there and it is good for many touristy things like a canal tour, entery to museums, and discounts at restaurants, etc. You also get free access to the Public Transportaion System, the Trams. The trams look cool, but I also hear that they are difficult to hear, and if you are not paying attention when you cross the road, you might find one right behind you.

cool record stores and the such

I belong to an electronic music email list and put out some feelers on where to go to find some cool music in Amsterdam. ian O wrote back and told me the following:

Amsterdam - great place for record shops - they let you listen before you buy - what an astonishing concept!

Boudisque - Haringpakkerssteeg 10-18 (near Central Station) http://www.boudisque.nl/

Concerto Records Ultrechtsestraat 54-60 http://www.concerto.nu/ [HUGE record store -
Classical, pop-rock, blues-jazz, ambient IDM sections]

Get Records Ultrechtsestraat 105 http://www.getrecords.nl/

Staalplaat Records Staalade 6 http://www.staalplaat.com/ (sometimes unpredictable hours - a must visit if you're keen on Muslimgauze)

Sounds like some fun for me. Plus I might even bring a load of my own CDs and see about putting a few in these stores. Actually, wise man say that it would be very wise for me to keep the energy going between now and when I fly out there to set up some moments of business between all the fun. Not only to further my music, but also so I can write off part of the trip as a business trip.

Travel Itinerary - SAE

They say that after the first day in Amsterdam all plans go out the window. Hopefully I will make it to the next destination on my list. SAE. No, not a fraternity. The SAE Institute is a world class audio/video school located in Amsterdam. I plan on taking a tour of the facilities and perhaps pick up on a one-day workshop, depending on my schedule.

www.sae.nl

As you may know, Recording music is just as interesting to me as performing and writing it. Unfortunately I will be in and out of Amsterdam a week before a huge gigantic worldwide AES meeting. AES stands for Audio Engineering Society, a professional organization for audio engineers- of which Chicago has a chapter, as well as every major city I'm sure.

What SAE stands for Im still not certain. School of Audio Engineering? Well I am sure that it will be cool none-the-less.

Now to further cover my musical interests, I have found a bar near Boom Chicago that has an open mic night a few nights during the week. This bar is called The Last Watering Hole, or known as the Waterhole Leidseplein.

http://www.waterhole.nl/

http://www.amsterdamhotspots.nl/cgibin/reviewbrowse.cgi?01352

I already found a few guitar stores so Im looking forward to it. Incidentally The Leidseplein is a square in the southern region of Amsterdam known for its nightlife-- as in bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. I will get some pictures going here in a lil bit. It appears that many of the bars here are set up similar to Melvin B's in Chicago, where the patio seating spills out into the square. Hey for all you Hawkeyes out there, I think that the "square" might be similar to the Ped Mall, but hey who am I to say. Then again Sedgewick's is like Mickey's, right? oopse


a square

What is Gezellig?

Gezellig is a Dutch word that refers to the feeling of "chilling out, relaxing, and unhurriedly enjoying yourself." Perhaps it also speaks to the idea of "being in the moment" That is the overall vibe to Amsterdam, so I am told.

As a chance to get some R&R and a dose of European culture, I chose to explore Amsterdam. For some time I have had an interest in visiting. Seeing some of the city in an old James Bond movie, and more recently in Ocean's Twelve, only added fuel to the fire. Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan city and a major hub of travel, somewhat less expensive to visit than London or Paris. Hundreds of years ago, it was built on top of a watery marshland near where the Amstel River empties into the North Sea. Buildings were built on top of dozens of tree trunks sunk into the mud, and the water was drained, a dam was erected, canals built....


An aerial view of Amsterdam. Looks like a spider web.

For me Amsterdam has some other plusses. The Netherlands is generally a peaceful country, and most everyone speaks fluent English as their second language. There really isnt any Anti-American sentiment there, and everyone is friendly.

Secondly, it is home to Boom Chicago, an Improv theater company that was originated by a number of Northwestern students about 10 years ago. It is now a very well established and well known company, and many hundreds of people audition for roles each year. Naturally, it seems to have a strong connection with Chicago in another way too: quite a few of their performers crossed the pond from Improv Olympic and Second City. http://www.boomchicago.nl/

More on this later...