Touring with Geoff Berner in the Netherlands
On the morning of November 17th, I flew into Paris, caught a train to Liège (BE) from Gare du Nord, took the #4 bus to rue Surlet and arrived just time for soundcheck for Geoff Berner's show. From there we toured through Amsterdam (Nuewe Anita), Haalem (Patronaat), Vaals, Middleburg (Kaffe t'Hof) and back to Amsterdam.
Every show had its own flavour, and although everyone of them was a success, perhaps the most memorable moments for me would have to be:
1. Playing to an over capacity crowd of 200 at the Nuewe Anita (Amsterdam), where some didn't get into the venue because of lack of space, most watched us from a second floor balcony hollering as if it were a real punk show, and once the whiskey ran out for Geoff and I, the owner quickly brought us a 32oz bottle of Vodka to keep us in top performance shape.
2. playing Kaffee t'Hof (Middleberg), where the ultra hip and styling venue owner gave us some top notch whiskey that had a huskey-smokey taste. His collection of religious iconography statues were sporatically placed throughout the bar; all of them missing a limb...and he insisted on tipping us an extra 100 Euros because he truly enjoyed our show.
3. 5 shows in 6 days, with a quick stoppover to see the Norwegan band: Kaizers Orchestra play @ Tivoli's in Utrecht on our only night off. Geoff was invited on stage to play "Whiskey Rabbi" with them, we got to walk around Utrecht (which, b.t.w. is perhaps even prettier than Amsterdam...and it's canal is straight out of a fairy tale), and I got to share my first DUVEL beer with Norwegan guitarist Geir Zahl, my partner in crime: Geoff, and a bunch of Kaizers Orkestra groupies. Did you know that their groupies like to buy them large Chocolates in the shape of the first letter of their names? Wow! Why don't I get groupies like that?! LOL
5. Elizabeth, the lovely Austrian PH.D student who rode her bicycle 30km one way and 30km back to see the show, all this through a snow storm.
6. And of course, there was the attemp to live up to Amsterdam's reputation by attempting to smoke Barney's joints. The result was a pathetic duo; Geoff and I getting lost in the streets of Amsterdam, Geoff catching the train and I missing it because I wasn't quick enough to figure out what was going on, me almost leaving my violin behind on the train, and us being sick the morning after...with my speaking to the dutch waiter in french for some unknown reason. We both concluded that we are not made for Amsterdam's green stuff.
Check out Geoff Berner's new CD "Klezmer Mongrels" at www.geoffberner.com or www.myspace.com/geoffberner
Every show had its own flavour, and although everyone of them was a success, perhaps the most memorable moments for me would have to be:
1. Playing to an over capacity crowd of 200 at the Nuewe Anita (Amsterdam), where some didn't get into the venue because of lack of space, most watched us from a second floor balcony hollering as if it were a real punk show, and once the whiskey ran out for Geoff and I, the owner quickly brought us a 32oz bottle of Vodka to keep us in top performance shape.
2. playing Kaffee t'Hof (Middleberg), where the ultra hip and styling venue owner gave us some top notch whiskey that had a huskey-smokey taste. His collection of religious iconography statues were sporatically placed throughout the bar; all of them missing a limb...and he insisted on tipping us an extra 100 Euros because he truly enjoyed our show.
3. 5 shows in 6 days, with a quick stoppover to see the Norwegan band: Kaizers Orchestra play @ Tivoli's in Utrecht on our only night off. Geoff was invited on stage to play "Whiskey Rabbi" with them, we got to walk around Utrecht (which, b.t.w. is perhaps even prettier than Amsterdam...and it's canal is straight out of a fairy tale), and I got to share my first DUVEL beer with Norwegan guitarist Geir Zahl, my partner in crime: Geoff, and a bunch of Kaizers Orkestra groupies. Did you know that their groupies like to buy them large Chocolates in the shape of the first letter of their names? Wow! Why don't I get groupies like that?! LOL
5. Elizabeth, the lovely Austrian PH.D student who rode her bicycle 30km one way and 30km back to see the show, all this through a snow storm.
6. And of course, there was the attemp to live up to Amsterdam's reputation by attempting to smoke Barney's joints. The result was a pathetic duo; Geoff and I getting lost in the streets of Amsterdam, Geoff catching the train and I missing it because I wasn't quick enough to figure out what was going on, me almost leaving my violin behind on the train, and us being sick the morning after...with my speaking to the dutch waiter in french for some unknown reason. We both concluded that we are not made for Amsterdam's green stuff.
Check out Geoff Berner's new CD "Klezmer Mongrels" at www.geoffberner.com or www.myspace.com/geoffberner
posted by BRIGA at 8:57 AM
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