About the author
Times are changing, evolution is something no one can stop from happening. No need to try and hit the brakes, no need to try and outrun what’s coming. All I do is sit back and enjoy the ride, appreciate that what is and embrace all that is new. Which is exactly the case in the upcoming event Indiestad, as Paradiso, the Amstelkerk and De Duif cover the city in a melodic blanket.
In order to funnel the overdose of hipstamatic sounds I tried to provide you with a small selection of what I believe to be worth seeing, listening and experiencing.
Saturday May 19: London Calling
Saturday will be the second night of London Calling, a semiannual phenomenon at Paradiso where all that is refreshing gets a shot at performing for the bigger crowd. No genre borders will be put up as a broad spectrum of indie pop synth or even singer-songwriters get to take the stage.
Willis Earl Beal, fits right in, old sound, new name, new story. Raw is what best describes him, his voice and his music. A young American with a voice like a 80 year old blues singer. Singing away his depression and tear jerking his audience. No more than a single instrument, no more than a single man, no more than a dead silent audience.
Clock Opera, louder but nonetheless straight to the heart. Music, great in size with an immaculate voice, a voice that pinches right through all the loudness of its instruments. A guitar beat, a pumping drum, a boost of energy, an urge to get out and escape.
Another, not so immaculate, but very touching voice is that of King Krule. Dark, drunk and hollow. No glitter, no glamour, no icing on the cake, but distinct through and through. Jazzy, melodic, dub and very soulful. One man with a guitar, a rebel without a cause.
From a rebel to a happy Joe, indie-pop with cheerful drums and catchy basses. Hooded Fang, bites you in your happiness. No sitting still, bounce around. And the bouncing doesn’t stop. Keep on jumping with a couple of filthy, punk, garage, loud, screaming, dirty All-Stars and torn jeans-wearing Aussies; DZ Deathrays will show you the way to the moshpit.
Ending the night with a soft voice accompanied by all that is electric. New Look, is where music gets a make-over. A new look combining all that is and has been. No clear genre, not one melody, a lot of beats but very touching nonetheless.
Where: Paradiso
Time: 18.00h
Tickets: €20,00
Sunday May 20: Howe Gelb
Not all is new at Indiestad, with Howe Gelb performing his alternative country. Imagine sitting around a campfire with a clear sky filled with stars. The sound of a roasted voice, an acoustic guitar and stories of the past. Stories of love, stories of sorrow, stories of life.
Where: People’s Place
Time: 21.00h
Tickets: €14,00
Monday May 21: The Hundred in the Hands
Electronic with ’80s at the heart, that is The Hundred in the Hands. Reflecting beats filled with a loving voice. A voice echoing a smile off the wall, a beat pumping the heart, a synthesizer jumping back and forth. A Basement in New York filled with joy.
Where: Paradiso
Time: 21.30h
Tickets: €10,00
Tuesday May 22: I Like Trains
A slow evening with the sun setting behind endless blocks of houses. A neighbourhood with empty streets and little traffic. A dark voice accompanying a passing train, a bass in the shadow falling from the trees. I Like Trains is what fills empty streets at moments of silence. Music that makes a man look over his shoulder and realize he is no longer on his own.
Where: Paradiso
Time: 20.00h
Tickets: €10,00
Wednesday May 23: Anna Ternheim
Finishing where I started, the Amstelkerk. Anna Ternheim, a blonde angel from Sweden sweeping one off his faith. A golden voice, a golden atmosphere, a golden opportunity to detract yourself from haste an cleanse yourself from stress. Letting go, sitting down and bathing in sounds of all that should be.
Where: Amstelkerk
Time: 20.30h
Tickets: €15,00
Indiestad
Where: Amstelkerk, De Duif, People’s Place & Paradiso
When: 14 – 23 May
Website: Indiestad
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