A Dutch Artist/Singer Tells Us About the Best in Amsterdam Nightlife

Caro Emerald

Age?

32

Where do you live?

Amsterdam

What do you do there?

I am an artist.

What Dutch bands or DJs are you obsessed with and think we should know about?

I really like the [producer] group Kraak & Smaak, they're fun. They're electronic and they've got some jazz influences. It's dance music, but it's also very groovy, which I like. "Let's Go Back" is great fun to move to.

Where are the cool places to see live music in Amsterdam?

My favorite place to see concerts is Paradiso. It's a concert hall and a nightlife spot inside an old church! It's hard to describe the crowd -- it varies and people of all ages and nationalities go there. They organize all types of events. There used to be an event called Choir Days where they would organize performances by artists from all over the country. It was three days of different a capella choirs performing, and I loved to go and listen for myself.

Describe your perfect night out in Amsterdam.

I love to go out in my area, the Pijp. It's a very popular area in Amsterdam. There's not a lot of tourists and it's very lively. There is the Albert Cuyp Market during the day and it opens up to shops and bars at night.

What's your favorite night spot in Amsterdam?

There is a really hip party in a big flat in an empty building called Canvas. You head to the 7th floor, you get there by elevator, and it's really cool. The DJs spin vinyl and a lot of old-school, funky music and soul, which I love to dance to. For more hardcore nightlife events, check out Trouw, which organizes weekly parties.

What's a bar or club you would NEVER go to in Amsterdam?

I would never go to Escape, a big disco that is very much a tourist scene. They play house music, dance music. I haven't been there too many times. I like the underground, creative parties.

Check out Caro's music recs:

Kraak & Smaak -- "Squeeze Me"