For many centuries now, Amsterdam has been a city with an exceptional attraction on people from all corners of the world and from all walks of life. It’s the place where sailors spent their hard earned money on women and booze and where exotic tastes, colours and folk could always be found in the harbour. In line with this open minded spirit the capital was also one of the first breeding grounds for this thing we call dance music and still holds a leading position when it comes to new flavours, styles and artists. So its no surprise that the Amsterdam Dance Event is one of the biggest gatherings of musicians, promoters and ravers in the world. In the run up to our showcase  on the 20^th of October we wanted to give you something extra to get in the mood. Every week one of our artists on the line-up will treat you with a special ADE podcast and tell you where they like to hang out when looking for some good food, quality sounds or soothing drinks. So check it out and get to know the ‘E’ side of Amsterdam.
This week:  Darko Esser !

Drinks: Melkweg / Lijnbaansgracht 234
Just behind the famous Leidseplein you can find one of the most famous concert venues of the city.Situated in an old milk factory this place is a hotspot for fans of all kinds of music and one of the main venues for the ADE. “I love to go there because the program holds so much diversity and of course because I host my own Balans night here”

Food: De Pizzabakkers / Haarlemmerdijk 128
Italian food with a simple, but high quality approach seems to be very popular among the We Are E artists and Darko is no exception. “It’s small and cosy and they just make the best pizza’s in town”. The restaurant’s street, the Haarlemmerdijk, is quite a happening area with a a lot of nice shops and boutiques, so it’s also the perfect place to unwind and recharge after checking out the latest the city has to offer in fashion and gadgets.

 Music: Rush Hour / Spuistraat 98
When you are coming from central station and you walk down the Spuistraat towards the city centre, you definitely have to make a stop at this little gem of a record store. The store is small, but the collection is massive! “I really like the atmosphere of an old-fashioned record store and the feel of some real physical media like vinyl. Whenever I’m in the neigbourhood I always come here.” “Be sure to look beyond the electronic collection and check out their afro beat and soul stuff”

text: Gideon Bouwens
picture: Rush Hour

Tags: ADE, Amsterdam Dance Event, Balans, Cocoon, Convention Factory, Darko Esser, Doornroosje, Melkweg, Nijmegen, RushHour, Showcase, WE ARE E, Wolfskuil