Katrina's Playlist

by Katrina Joy Funk

There’s really nothing like getting off campus to clear your head, refresh your soul, and remind yourself that there are other people in this world besides your fellow campus dwellers. Even better if the trip off campus involves heading into Amsterdam for a concert. And even more exciting if that trip involves taking that fun little ferry ride from Amsterdam Centraal across the water to Paradiso Noord. Well, at least that’s what my Wednesday night looked like. Since moving to the Netherlands, Tolhuistuin (formerly known as Paradiso Noord, an offshoot of the famed Paradiso venue) has been one of my favorite hidden gem discoveries. Though smaller and more unassuming than its cavernous, stain-glassed sibling, it provides the opportunity to get a bit more up close and personal with the performers.

It was already getting dark at five-thirty when we began our trek into Amsterdam, armed with snacks from the Utrecht Centraal’s Albert Heijn and canned gin and tonics. I get excited about attending nearly any kind of concert, but this was one I had been especially looking forward to. Paradiso Noord is known for hosting folk and Americana artists, something which I adore because it feels like a little slice of home in the middle of bustling Amsterdam. This particular night, an all-time favorite of mine, Shakey Graves, was playing. I had impulse-bought tickets back in July after missing out on his performance at a festival in my hometown. So, of course, I was thrilled to discover his European tour took him through the Netherlands. For those unfamiliar, Shakey’s music is a captivating combination of rock, blues, country, and indie. A good introduction would be “Roll the Bones” from his 2013 Audiotree live session. You’ll be hooked.

We arrived at Tolhuistuin and joined the long line snaking out the door of the building. Once inside, we secured a place close to the stage and indulged in a little people-watching to pass the time. Concertgoers of all ages laughed and chatted with each other as they sipped beer from tall plastic cups. The atmosphere was warm and relaxed though the growing excitement was palpable. Eventually, the opening act made her entrance, the up-and-coming folk artist S.G. Goodman. Dressed in a Carhartt jacket, wavy bangs just skimming the tops of her John Lennon-style classes, she charmed the crowd with her sense of humor and thick Kentucky accent. “I had to sign a piece of paper that said I would only play sad, slow songs so when Shakey shows up you guys’ll be ready for the ‘rock show.’ Luckily, I’m pretty good at playing sad, slow songs,” she quipped before launching into her set of sweetly melancholy love ballads. All too soon, S.G. Goodman took her final bow, waved goodbye to the audience and it was time for Shakey Graves.

Now, the crowd was electrified. Shakey Graves soon appeared and took the stage with a “what’s up Amsterdam?!” Accompanied only by his electric guitar, dressed in a tan suit - a divergence from his usual uniform of a cowboy hat and white undershirt - he began to play. As the first song began, Tolhuistuin was transformed into a bar in downtown Austin, Texas. You could almost feel the weight of the humidity and hear the click of cowboy boots on the floor. Soon, Shakey (whose real name is

Alejandro Rose Garcia) invited his band on stage, all dressed in matching tan suits, and the ‘rock show’ S.G. Goodman had predicted, began. Launching into “The Perfect Parts” off of his 2014 album And The War Came, Shakey soon had the crowd dancing and singing along. The only thing that disrupted the vibe was the group of rowdy, drunken friends who would not stop singing the wrong lyrics, despite increasingly angry pleas from fellow audience members and eventually even from Shakey Graves himself.

The evening was winding down and the moment everyone had been awaiting was nearing. Singing the last notes of “Nobody’s Fool,” Shakey bantered with the audience: “you’re somebody’s fool for sure, for fucking sure. What’s life without being somebody's fool half the time, at least? That’s the good stuff!” Then, much to the audience’s delight, he began to play the first notes of “Roll the Bones,” accompanying himself with a kick drum, riffing and improvising on the familiar favorite. The crowd was transfixed.

It was all over too soon. Shakey and the band said their goodbyes, and the slightly dazed audience spilled out into the chilly November night. Back on the ferry and in the station, I saw several familiar faces from the concert, all looking happy and tired, still humming the melodies of the evening. I returned to Utrecht that night feeling creatively inspired and as though I’d been transported to a different place and time. As I settled in for the night, the music still echoed in my ears. It really is nice to get off campus sometimes.