AmsterJamTastic!

We arrived in Amsterdam about 9:30am on Sunday morning. There was a foggy haze over the city which added to the relaxed atmosphere we were already feeling. After a quick check in our Herengracht apartment we found our way around to enjoy the hospitality and local dutch flavors. Everywhere people were wandering the streets to enjoy what turned into a very mild afternoon. It was a beautiful Sunday.

There was a growing convergence amongst heads in town for the festivities. Friends appeared excited to bask in the glory of our music and appreciate the good fortune that came with being overseas for a few days. There was certainly a dream-like quality to the day.

By the time the evening rolled around the vibe was in full gear and we were ready for the show. Inside the Melkweg, a positive family vibe was forming. Keller Williams started things off with his heady blend of loop-laced improvisation. As he invited Jon Gutwillig from the Biscuits to join him, you knew there was a growing magic in the air. The night quickly evolved as Particle took the stage in the larger room across the hall. It didn't take them long to get the freight training running on all cylinders and the dance hall pumping. Alternating between acts was as well a treat unto itself. The venue is set up so you can seamlessly migrate from one performance to the next, which in itself had a nice flow.

The Disco Biscuits took the stage at midnight and captivated the packed crowd through a high-powered overflowing set of classic Bisco. There were definately some large moments of light, bringing me back to many years ago when I first fell in love with the band. The set peaked during Svenghali and the extended Spacebirdmating Call > I-Man > Spacebird. Go Bisco!

Umphrey's McGee went on around 1am and contributed their part to the rocking evening, tearing it up all night long. The set featured a great tribute to Pink Floyd with "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" (synchronistically played around the same the Biscuits were ending their set with "Run Like Hell") and encoring with No More Tears by Ozzy Osborne. Go metal!
Hats off to all the fans and the organizers for making day one an incredibly memorable experience...

The morning awoke to my discovery that you can program you iPod to not only be a clock, but also an alarm clock, and have the alarm play a selected playlist from your library. There is nothing quite like waking up to Jerry Garcia singing "I'll Take a Melody" in Amsterdam. The day was off to a blissful start.

There is something special about the Dutch culture that's tough to put your finger on at first. It isn't blatent or obvious, but it's right there in front of your face and after a day and 1/2 of living in Amsterdam, it hits you solid.

It isn't just about the tolerance to medicinal herbs, but that's certainly could be a cause (or natural side effect). There's the environmental consciousness that they've built into their world, strategically placing factories next to each other where one's output is the other's input. They have bike lanes, a comprehensive tram system, smaller cars and continual space conservation. When you have over a million people living in that small of a city, conservation values become a way of life. They also don't bring you your dinner check until you ask for it, and tipping is optional....

Whatever it was, we were having the time of our lives by the end of the second day, and fully in the synchronistic flow of the city. Good times proceeded the rest of the weekend, culminating in a few epic musical collaborations and overall positive momentum by all the participants. All of the bands appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely, trying their best to raise themseleves up to the next level and go above and beyond they're typical call of duty.

The weekend's highlight may have been 1am on Sunday as I walked back and forth between The Disco Biscuits and Umphrey's McGee, playing simultaneously on two stages only 30 feet across the hall from each other.

Go Amsterdam!