SAIL Amsterdam 2010, August 19 - 23

Every five year SAIL, boat festival, takes over the IJ river showcasing impressive "tall ships", naval ships, and modern yachts for a weekend.

On Thursday check out the traditional parade from IJmuiden to Amsterdam from 10.00 - 15.00 where you will see hundreds of ships making their way to thier mooring places and preparing for the ceremonial salute from 13.00 - 15.00 at Sixhaven. Check out the rest of the program for more details and events.

Final party before renovation @ OCCII, July 11th

Party + Music: last party before renovation with the KUMBIA QUEERS @ OCCII, Sunday July 11th, 22.00 - 02.00, €5.

OCCII will undergo renovation this summer, so say one last goodbye and party with the Kumbia Queers- a "punk tropical" band from Mexico and Argentina.

Amsterdam Roots Festival @ Oosterpark, June 17th - 19th

Festival: Amsterdam Roots Festival @ Oosterpark but also at five other locations/clubs, June 17th - 20th,  various times, FREE.

The annual Amsterdam Roots Festival presents music, dancing and presentations for a weekend of 'Voices' - an emphasis on the urban voices of the hip-hop. All types of music including Portuguese fadoster, Congolese rumba, reggae, rough funk, antillian tunes, flamenco, etc.. The festival is free and everyday from Oosterpark from 12.00 - 22.00 with seven podium in the park, which also includes a world market with more than 100 market stands.

Rocket Cinema @ Tolhuistuin, June 12th

Film + Event: Rocket Cinema - King Kong vs Godzilla @ Tolhuistuin, Saturday June 12th, garden opens at 19.30, film starts at 20.00 - midnight, €10.

Remember Rocket Cinema from last fall? - the live soundtracked films in unique locations like Frankenstein in the Oude Kerk!? Well they are back again for summer wit the first film at the Tolhuistuin in Amsterdam Noord. The Amsterdam surfband `The Anacondas' makes a new soundtrack for the monster movie `Kingu Kongu tai Gojira' (Ishiro Honda, Japan 1963).

Oerol Festival, June 11th - 20th, Terschelling

Festival: Oerol @ Terschelling (West Frisian Island, June 11th - 20th, Het Oerol paspoort €20 (for the entire festival) or €15 for a midweek or weekend ticket.

Oerol started in 1982 a multidisciplinary festival. The Oerol festival is an annually 10-day festival for theater and landscape arts on the island Terschelling. With the island as an inspiration source and podium for broad programming the Oerol  festival presents a wide variety of programs that experiment with culture and nature this includes: 40 medium and large theater shows, 20 passport projects existing from smaller shows, performances and installations, 50 musical acts and daily street theater in the streets of West and Midsland.

Make a trip out of it and squeeze some wadlopen (walking between islands during low tide) in while you are up there.

Artis ZOOmeravond begins June 5th

ZOOmeravond /summer night @ Artis (the zoo), various programs, opening June 5th there after every Saturday until end of August,18.30 - 22.00, price of zoo.

A broad program with a little bit for everyone- 2 music stages, theater of 20 shows, a kinderboederij (petting zoo) and other creative activities for kids! But not just for the kids, previous summers have brought in big name musical acts and special organized events for the odler crew.

Why go? see the animals go to sleep?!

Gumbo Night @ De Nieuwe Anita, June 5th

Music: Gumbo Party @ De Nieuwe Anita, Saturday June 5th, 20.00, €6.

I am sucker for jambalaya and foot tapping music, together; luckily the New Orleans "scene" is popping up throughout Amsterdam this year. Check out another fun evening at De Nieuwe Anita; guaranteed fun with or without the hot sauce. 

Balkan Buro presents a southeast european cultural journey, June 4th - 6th

Event: Southeast Europe: a cultural journey @ various locations, June 4th - 6th, various prices, tickets can be reserved at the location of events, or send a mail to tickets@balkanburo.org. But no answer = no reservation!

Southeast Europe, a Cultural Journey is a festival that travels through several cities in Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands. It's goal is to present the possible new EU countries in the Southeast to the West of Europe through magnificent concerts, great food, literature and film. The festivities are spread over different venues in the city. 

Friday night: Cafe Pakhuis Wilhelmina will feature the best live Gypsy music from the Balkans, with as main act the top of gypsy acts: Kocani Orchestar. 

Saturday is alternative: at Schijnheilig featuring the best cult act that Serbia has to offer: Rambo Amadeus! This is a open/public event with no reservation possible, come early! Kriterion will show great Balkan movies on the same day. 

Sunday: lazy day! with some impressive writers at Brakke Grond, and will continue with a greasy Serbian roast: the Balkan Barbeque! On the square in front of Brakke Grond, a Serbian cook is coming to roast the pork himself! We will collectively digest the weekend to a cinematic experience of underground music in Istanbul.

the Anti- Pinkpop @ Occii, May 28th

Purplepop Amsterdam (vs. Pinkpop) @ OCCII , May 28th, 20.00 - 03.00, €6.

Pinkpop is an annual pop festival held in Landgraaf, Netherlands which features big named musicans and all the festival shennigans. This is the anti-pink pop = purpole pop with some real music!

Occi has a non-stop program full of bands, cocktails, and good Dj-ing from Foxy Roxy (oldskool 60s/garage vynil); Future Pop (newskool hits and unknown delights of today and tomorrow) ''no Techno, no Metal , no Emo" - occii

Check out the Suicidal Birds (garage blues punk, NL),Yes…pinkpink (party beats, NL), The Stutters (Indiepop, NL), Alos (doom performance, NL), Apneu (garage, NL), RedThePlaneeet!!! (electro punk, NL), Pattern Cuttoff (drum& bass punk, NL). Drinks are cheap and the partying good!

Nationale Dag van het Park, May 30th

Event: Day of the Park@ various locations in NL, May 30th, all activities are for FREE, check out the complete national program.

1) Environmental Market @ Westerpark, May 30th, FREE.

In Westerpark several events happening including street theater, live music, nature excursions and an environmental market. The environmental market hosts a range of products working to promote organic and local produce, recycling, electric transportation, green building and corporate social responsibility.

2) In Oost- Flevopark and Park Frankendael.

In Flevopark from 12.00 to 17.00 hours, there will be party at the pond; including live music, market stalls and activities for kids.

And Park Frankendael hosts the third annual Bloei Feest, which begins Friday with Solar Films, plus the Pure Market on Sunday and a cultural podium from 12.00 - 23.00 including a "Furniture Pimp Parade" at 17.00 - with old furniture by artists 'pimped' to be auctioned. Klein Danzig - the volkstuin in Park Frankendael will host a free painting workshop from 14.00 - 17.00. A picnic pack can be purchased at 17.30 with all organic products and BBQs. A huge amount of activities for kids.

Want to make your way to both parks check out the routes between the parks.

Cry Baby! @ Badcuyp, May 27th

Music: Jazz -Cry Baby! @ Badcuyp, Thursday May 27th, €8.

One of my most well-known saxophonist in NL, Dick de Graaf, plays his blues, rock music inspired jazz with a funky crew of uniquely talented musicians throwing their spin on the tunes. Check out what they are calling urgent power jazz.

live tunes on the Museumplein May 21st

Music: Tabor @ Museumplein, May 21st, 14.00, FREE.

Traditional Eastern European Sinti and Roma songs.

Electro Wars @ Rialto, May 22nd

Event: Electro Wars @ Rialto, Saturday May 22nd, 23.00, €9.

The Electro Wars is an event organized by Streetlab- a platform for young Dutch fashion designers, illustrators, photographers, graphic designers and musicians; and Kits Zonder Blog -is an "offline music blog"/organizer of underground music. This event brings together films and music; it starts with the European première of the documentary "The Electro Wars" (2009) from New Yorker Stephen Vasquez about the "electric lifestyle"- electro/house-scene. Following the film Vasquez will take questions about the film. Following the film is a night of DJ's.  

Rollerdis/Ko @ Studio K, May 22nd

Music + Dance + skating!:) Rollerdis/Ko @ Studio K, Saturday May 22nd, 21.00 - 03.00, €5.

Skating, disco balls and tunes. You can rent skates for €1.50 and swing around the dance floor shaking your hips and crossing your fingers that you don't fall on your rolschaatsen.

Festival a/d Werf @ various locations in Utrecht, May 20th - 29th

Event: Festival a/d Werf @ various locations in Utrecht, May 20 – 29, various times and prices.

This is an annual music/theater/art festival in Utrecht, which presents performances, art exhibitions, music, workshops, parties, etc...Festival a/d Werf takes place in fifteen indoor and outdoor sites around Utrecht, and includes two live music events every evening on Neude square. Check out the full program here.

A seriously great reason to take a day trip to Utrecht. Also check out the Domtoren. Tours are everyday from 10.00 – 17.00, guided tours every hour, lasting an hour, €7.50. Or check out the many great museums in Utrecht. Why you are there do some second hand shopping at the many great stores on the Oude Gracht and enjoy a beer at Café Belgie or even lower on the ‘deep’ canals.

a random night of acts at high speed @ Cafe Wilhelmina May 20th

Music: Page Turner #17 @ Cafe Wilhelmina, Thursday May 20th, 21.00, €5.

"Pageturner is a night of zap performance-art for people with a short attention span. Bands, electronic acts, singer-songwriters, writers, poets, weirdo's, video-artists.. you name it! Passing by at high speed, these acts will make for one big freak-out caroussel performance." Cafe Wihelmina

So think short films but live shows with music!

Relive De Diepte

Music: Garage-Night @ OCCII, Friday May 21st, 21.00 - 02.00, €7.

A seriously missed late-night landmark in the City- De Diepte, the legendary rock 'n roll bar (nachtkroeg) on the St. Pieterspoortsteeg (off the Dam), closed down nearly two years go:( Rumor had it they continuously refused to close up shop at bar time that the City gave them so many fines they couldn't stay afloat. Relive your Deipte days at the OCCII with two live bands THE HEX DISPENSERS (Austin, Texas)and THE ANOMALYS (Amsterdam), and DE DIEPTE DJ'S (Amsterdam, Holland).

Amsterdam Beatclub @ de Nieuwe Anita, May 14th

Music + Dance: Amsterdam Beatclub- Tiki Party @ De Nieuwe Anita, Friday May 14, €7.50.

Check out the ABC_TIKI_PARTY with live music from Mellow Jo & The Hi-Tones (Rock 'n Roll / Swing); a limbo show with "How Low Can You Go.."; and then a the dj/vj duo of The Scopi-Tonics to bring you through the evening.

Antillen Festival @ Tropentheater May 12th

Festival + Film + Music: Antillen Festival - Sams Ensemble & film Panman @ Tropentheater, Wednesday May 12, 20.30, €15.00.

Music from the Bovenwindse Eilanden (Saint Maarten and Saint Eustatius)with ketel drums and string bands. Following the band is the film "Panman, Rhythm of the Palms"- a story about the life of the famous steel pan player Harry Daniel.

live funky-jazz rock @ Badcuyp, May 13th

Music: The Ploctones @ Badcuyp, Thursday May 13th, 21.30, €8.

End your free day with some swining jazz from the Ploctones.