The Experience
No cops, no dogs, no mud. Is that what separates this special festival from all the others? Well, it certainly didn't hurt. Considering this event debuted with an advance sellout, it seems fans embraced the idea of a festival that could exist outside the rules normally applied to multi-band events. Never mind that it took place in one of the greatest cities of the world.

Amsterdam. The name conjures up images of a special place where tolerance is the moral code, serene canals flow under hundreds of bridges past historic architecture, and timeless works of art hang in witness to the golden age of one of the world's great civilizations. Crime is lower than American cities a fraction of it's size, bicycles are the favored mode of transport, and every friendly citizen you meet speaks English fluently. It's a veritable Utopia, steeped in history and art, where the music simply adds the icing to your favorite cake.

One visit over to the Quotable Quotes page, or three minutes spent watching the first-class video capsule, will give you an idea of the reactions of some touring-savvy bands and music fans to the overall feel of this one-of-a kind festival. Call it a chance to see your favorite bands in the best environment possible, or a great reason to make a sojourn to a city everyone has fantasies of visiting; either way, it's a trip that you will never forget. Heck, Shain Shapiro, who wrote the great review for JamBase, moved there after his first experience.

The Melkweg turned out to be the most fan-friendly venue one could imagine. The two rooms are big enough to make the show possible, but intimate enough to endow the performances with a "party with your friends" atmosphere. The bands all participate in the yearly poster signing session, which further enhances the intimacy and camaraderie. Jeff Wood is doing the posters again for 2008, and his winged Amsterdam canal post-turned-guitar has been adopted as the moniker, as seen on the front page. Flying to Amsterdam for music. He captured it all in one beautifully articulated design. Cinovative, who produced the 2005 & 2006 video capsules, and the full length DVD, has also produced a capsule from 2007. We are grateful for their continued support of the event, and the quality work they do in capturing the magical feel of this one-of-a-kind show.

So make your plans, get your passport, and become one of the fortunate. As you wander aimlessly down a canal, soaking up the history and ambience of Amsterdam, then visiting your favorite coffeeshop before experiencing the Van Gogh Museum or a gorgeous canal boat ride, you will never question your decision to do this at least once. Or maybe every year. Just ask Shain.

The Show
The first three years, we played four artists over three nights. In 2007, Dark Star Orchestra helped draw the biggest European turnout thus far, and we had many requests from Europe to do the show on a weekend. Well, that's just not possible due to venue restrictions, but we cooked up a plan for 2008 that would allow at least DSO to play on a Saturday. We expanded the show to four nights, and added two artists. DSO will now play a special pre-party on March 15th in the Old Hall, and will perform their full-length show. We're very excited about the new format, and hopefully some of our European friends who just can't come on a week night, can share in the fun.

The Melkweg is set up in such a way, as to allow a flow between the two rooms of the venue. There is also a restaurant, café, cinema, and art gallery in the building. This makes for many places to hang out before and during the concert. There is also a liberal in/out policy, so that any time you feel the need for fresh air, or a walk around the nearby Leidseplein, no rules will prevent it.

With the newly expanded capacity of The Max at 1500, and three artists playing in the Old Hall starting at the same time, the comfort factor which this festival is known for will remain intact. There will be ample opportunity over the four nights to take in all the music you want. Check out the concert schedule. http://jaminthedam.com/ConcertSchedule07.html

The Melkweg is located just off the Leidseplein, a very active and vibrant square just at the edge of the city center. The Holland Casino is there as well, along with a plethora of restaurants, and is very close to many hotels. You can walk the entire length of the "centrum" from the Central Train Station to the Leidseplein in about 25 minutes. The trams are very convenient and there is also a 24 hour cab stand one minute from the venue. See the FAQs on the message board for detailed info. The perfect venue in the perfect city.