2 Days of Peace, Beats and Love at the PITCH Festival in Amsterdam.

We were in Amsterdam to cover the PITCH Festival (July 4 – 5) for Must Love Festivals, so with that in mind, and a busy work schedule, we didn’t get to play tourist a whole lot, beyond doing some lazy laps around the red light district, where we attended a €2 peep show and had the unfortunate luck of seeing another man’s vinegar strokes, and getting lost in the sunny shadows of golden-age canal houses.

Our journey to Amsterdam marked the first time we traveled outside of the United States for a festival. And, I have to say,  it was super cool! It added a whole different dynamic to visiting a destination. Apparently, Amsterdam, like so many other European cities, loves their festivals and will close the books on 300 of them by the time the ball drops on 2015.

We went into the PITCH Festival not really knowing what to expect. Now in its 3rd year, the festival is based around progressive electronic music. Honestly, I kind of figured it was going to be two days of DJs bumping all-sorts of house, dub and trance, like an outdoor rave, but the lineup went so far beyond that. In addition to the DJs, the festival’s organizers put together an eclectic lineup of artists who unleashed sonic waves of rock, electronica, and even Saharan-desert blues on to festival-goers. I knew things were going to be good as soon we entered the festival grounds and came face to face with the wailing blasts of Seun Kuti’s alto-sax. On the main stage Kuti and his orchestra, Egypt 80, who originally played with his father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, before his passing in 1997, let it all hang out with their grooving Afrobeat sound and spirited vocals.

“So, that’s what they mean by ‘progressive’ electronic music festival,” I thought, before revealing my insight to Beth as Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 finished their set.

“Yeah, who knew, right? These guys sound great!”

On that note, we set out to discover new sounds and artists. Besides Massive Attack, we had never heard of any of the other artists. To get our bearings on the first day we wondered the grounds, checking out the five different stages and randomly catching bands that happened to be playing at the time.

Other than the main stage, which was outdoors, the four other stages were an eclectic mix that ranged from an outdoor festival tent to the Gashouder, a large pillar-less round chamber with an iron roof that predates World War I. Without a doubt, the Gashouder and the Westerunie, an upstairs space in a stone building with drooping blue windows on one side, were some of the coolest rooms that I have ever seen shows in. Beyond that, the organization of the festival was fantastic and you could come and go as you pleased, which was nice since right outside the park is a large restaurant and bar with an excellent patio.

For the next day, we decided to go through the festival lineup and plan out the shows that we wanted to see. Not knowing any of the artists, we sifted through samples via the PITCH Festival app and set reminders for the shows we wanted to see. Prior to PITCH, I felt stagnate with my music collection, it no longer inspired me. Furthermore, I realized recently that I’ve been listening to some of my favorite songs, from the likes of Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd and 2Pac, for nearly 20 years. Twenty years, can you believe that! Spending the afternoon discovering new artists who we would then see live just a few hours later reinvigorated me, as there were so many good musicians, all with their own unique sound, style and following, who up until this moment I didn’t even know existed.

Still reeling from first day performances by Massive Attack, Tinariwen, The Field and Seun Kuti & Egypt, we plotted our course into the uncharted music (for us anyways,  all of these bands had a lot fans) of Caribou, Darkside and Snakeships, and we came out on the other side of this summer sound cloud as fans of each.

Along the way, Beth pieced together this short (16 seconds, short) video showcasing a few snippets from the first night with Tinariwen (these guys and their sarahan blues were my favorite discovery at the PITCH Festival), The Field and Massive Attack, respectively.

And on the second day, just when we thought the festival couldn’t get any better, it did. Much to our surprise as we stepped out with sweaty smiles from Snakeships in the Westerunie, the Netherlands vs Costa Rica game had just started. At first, it seemed liked the club-like stage with a bar was the only place showing the game, while the scheduled DJ mixed beats keeping a close watch on the game and the pulsating crowd in front of him. Then, as we walked around towards the main stage, we realized that the organizers had set up a huge screen just off from that stage to broadcast the game.

By that point, all eyes were on the game. From an our perspective it was insane, as nothing like that would ever happen in the United States. But here we were, right in the middle of a festival with the headliner still up, and the World Cup took precedence. We wondered if the headliner, Richie Hawtin would play, but sure enough he did. This added even more flair to the game, because everyone now had a beat to groove to as they watched the game, and as the beats grew, so did the crowds movements and emotions, building anxiously with every miss and save until Netherland’s game winning overtime goal. At that second, the place erupted in a simultaneous roar (see the victory celebration in all its raw, unedited goodness below), and it was in this moment that I had my aha moment, not just for football but for electronic music too.

Know Before You Go: The PITCH Festival

For more stories about Amsterdam, check out:

Where to Snack, Sleep and Smoke in Amsterdam

It Was Me Amsterdam, Not You (+3 Awesome Spots to Check Out)

Looking for Unique Lodging in Amsterdam? Check Out a Houseboat

Amsterdam After Dark (Photo Essay)

Modern Magdalene #1–Red Light District, Amsterdam–Somewhere in Time Photo

Behind Glass Doors–A Stroll Through the Red Light District

Amsterdam, I Can’t Find You–On the Road Journal Entries

Want to discover more unique festivals? Follow our friends and fellow travelers as they journey through Europe this summer with Must Love Festivals and through the #MustLoveFestivals on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.