M83 when you’re 5’3”

Attending a concert in the Netherlands is not your typical gig. One major factor being the average height of attendees gets close to 6’. But it’s OK, if you ask nicely they’ll let you up front. 

Somebody needs to gets statistics going about how much work has been created by designers whilst listening to ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’. If you want to feel badass, you work to that album. After missing M83 the first time round in Amsterdam, I made sure to grab tickets to Paradiso on Thursday June 21st before they undoubtedly sold out. Apprehensive of a room full of hipsters, myself and my museologist friend Miriam made our way. 

Hats, beards and checkered shirts aside, Paradiso is THE place to see a gig in Amsterdam. I couldn’t believe what an intimate setting it was–and for twenty bucks! Berlin, eat your shorts. As two girls at the lower end of 5’, we struggled to see much as the gig kicked off. See photo below for reference, let it be noted I’m holding my iPhone up in the air too. 

What’s nice about the atmosphere in there is people obliging let us slip to the front. It involved a lot of tapping on shoulders, them looking around and then down at two girls who looked like they escaped from the album cover.

Besides Gonzalez, there was some stellar support: female vocalist Morgan Kibby (who co-wrote Intro, Midnight City and Reunion) owned the keyboard and finished up on the tambourine. Jordan Lawlor, the 20 year old multi-instrumentalist–aka music man–spent the night ricocheting around the stage.

But the show? Epic. Grandiose. Moving. Awe-inspiring. With eleven years in the music business under his belt, Anthony knows what to do. I’ve a feeling even those who aren’t fans would get goosebumps, it’s music that’s impossible to stand still to. Which is exactly why Rolling Stones credits M83’s breakthrough with a ‘universal’ sound.

Their encore felt like a live Tron clip.

Here’s a link to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr’s remix of ‘Reunion’. And another piece for you, see below for a video of the sax solo. Around 10 seconds in I rather pervily (is that a word? Should it be?) albeit accidentally caught Anothony and Maggie having a nice moment.

Consistently Current: TrouwAmsterdam

• Wibautstraat 131 
• Amsterdam, Netherlands 
• trouwamsterdam.nl

Trouw is a daily newspaper in the Netherlands, founded in World War II by members of the Dutch Protestant resistance. The Nazis tried to prevent publication and imprisoned twenty of it’s couriers. Issuing an ultimatum to the editors of Trouw, the paper refused to give in and all of the captured couriers were executed. 

TrouwAmsterdam, is located at Wibautstraat, the former printing warehouse of Trouw. But that’s where their connection to the paper ends. Now the space is used as a restaurant and venue. I mention the history of Trouw because the place is almost metaphorically a newspaper–it is consistently current. It has a Berlin-esque vibe. Admittedly, I don’t know too much about that city, but I imagine this is where Amsterdam differs. The vibrant ‘glam’ club culture can be found here where every building is full of history.

Schedule of events for the night, probably one of the last printed pieces we’ll see from the Stedelijk in their old house style.

On Thursday I went to DUPLICATE IT!, the last night of the Stedelijk and TrouwAmsterdam collaboration. Nights like this seem dime a dozen in Amsterdam, especially at Trouw. To be honest, you almost take it for granted that there’ll be something cool on.

This evening–despite the bright club lights and house DJs–was deceivingly wholesome.

Run by the Blikopeners of the Stedelijk (young people with part-time jobs in the museum, ages 15-19) there were a energetic bunch of teens on stage introducing bands remixing and playing cover songs. Throughout other areas of the venue you could see people filming movies or getting involved with a large artwork, referencing the acknowledgment of Stedelijk of the “I could do that” attitude found often in visitors in museums. 

A large room was eerily filled with six xerox machines, each accompanied by a stack of Parra art for you to manipulate. And so subtly and casually Dutch, the place was filled with contemporary art by well known names such as Marc Bijl, Paul McCarthy and Mike Kelley.