Melodica Band Profile: Record Hop

Melodica 2008 is coming to The Amsterdam Bar! We want to give our friends a preview of some of the bands that will be playing at The Amsterdam Bar during the Melodica 2008 music festival. We start today with a Denton, Texas band: Record Hop.

Record Hop consists of Ashley Cromeens on Vocals and Guitar; Scott Porter on Guitar; Tony Wann on Drums; and Cory Ward on Bass Guitar. According to their website, Record Hop has been gigging in the DFW area since mid-2002. They describe their music as "Chinese traditional / Crunk / Shoegaze" in what I can only assume is a tongue-in-cheek entry on their Myspace page. Having taken the time to listen to a few tracks off their album "Pareidolia" (2004), I can testify that they are neither Chinese Traditional or Crunk. I will wait until I see them perform before I decide whether they qualify as Shoegaze.

As noted above, their first album, "Pareidolia," was released in 2004. Tracks available for sampling online suggest a frenetic, guitar driven band. The track "Last Second" shows real promise, with a mysterious "grunge/alt rock meets The Cure" sort of hook. Word is, Record Hop's second album is nearly ready for release and they have begun to perform the new songs live. I'm looking forward to checking them out to see how their sound has developed since their first offering.

Record Hop is scheduled to play at The Amsterdam Bar on February 22, 2008 during the Melodica 2008 music festival.

Melodica News! The Amsterdam Bar will be a venue for 2008!

We received exciting news this week: The Amsterdam Bar will serve as one of the venues for this year's Melodica music festival. Some key information from the guys at We Shot JR:

Just wanted to let everyone know that passes to the Melodica Festival will be going on sale this weekend at Good Records and all Melodica venues (Sloppyworld, Fallout, etc.) $25 gets you access to every show (including the Sunday all ages show), and if you want one, I'd suggest buying it soon because as of right now, only 300 passes are available. Each venue will also allow you to pay a seperate cover for individual shows (ranging from $5-10), but the passes honestly seem like a much better deal if you're planning on seeing more than one show.

That sounds like good advice to us.

We are still in the process of getting information about the shows at The Amsterdam Bar, but we do have a tentative lineup of the bands involved:

On Friday, February 22, 2008:

Record Hop
Happy Bullets
Jetscreamer
History at our Disposal
Jack with one Eye

On Saturday, February 23, 2008:

We Shot JR Night:
Finally Punk
Cry Blood Apache
Medio Mutante
Yellow Fever
Treewave
Zanzibar Snails

We are especially excited to be serving as the venue for We Shot JR Night. These guys know the Dallas music scene and we know they'll be bringing a great show to The Amsterdam Bar.

For more information about weshotjr.com, you can click here.

Beer Profile: Old Rasputin Imperial Stout

Old Rasputin Imperial Stout (Fort Bragg, California) – 9% ABV: Imperial stout, also known as "Russian Imperial Stout" or "Imperial Russian Stout," is a strong dark beer or stout that was originally brewed in London, England for export to the Tsar of Russia. Imperial stout has a high alcohol content to preserve it during shipment. A classic example of this kind of beer is Old Rasputin from North Coast Brewing Co. Old Rasputin pours a rich dark-brown, molasses color that resembles coffee. The beer smells of caramel and nuts and it offers up a classic stout flavor with a nice punch of alcohol at the finish.

The Amsterdam Bar is proud to offer this mesmerizing brew in bottles.

Happy Thanksgiving from TAB

Just a very brief post this evening to wish all of our friends and patrons a very Happy Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to celebrating the holidays with all of you and ringing in the new year with plenty of good cheer.

Beer Profile: Chimay Red, White, and Blue

Chimay Red (Belgium) – 7% ABV: This unusual ale is a real classic among beer connoisseurs. Some regard it as the finest beer in the world. This beer is actually brewed by Trappist Monks--one of only five such breweries in the world. It's rich and hearty but also sweet, well balanced, and interesting. Chimay is bottle conditioned and is one of the very few beers that actually improves with age.

Chimay White (Belgium) – 8% ABV: This crisp beer bears a light orange color and a very bitter taste, and is the most hopped and driest of the three classic Chimay beers.

Chimay Blue (Belgium) – 9% ABV: This copper-brown beer has a creamy head and a slightly bitter taste. Considered to be the "classic" Chimay ale, it exhibits a considerable depth of fruity, peppery character. The taste continues to evolve and develop with a few years of age, and is extremely popular in Europe.

The Amsterdam Bar is proud to serve Chimay in bottles.

Beer Profile: Mothership Wit

Mothership Wit (Fort Collins, Colorado) – 5.9% ABV: New Belgium Brewing Company has always been an innovator and has done more than any other American brewer to popularize Belgian-style beers. Now New Belgium has brought out a new "wit," or white beer that is taking America by storm. Mothership Wit elevates the zesty Wit or White beers of Belgium with wheat malt, coriander and orange peel spicing—all of which are organically grown. The Mothership experience begins with a cloudy, pale yellow appearance capped by a creamy white head. Next is the alluring, slightly spicy, floral nose. The refreshing taste is the result of a gravitational balance of citrus and sour flavors held in suspension by a bright burst of carbonation. If you like white beers, this will soon be a favorite.

Beer Profile: Maredsous 8

Maredsous 8 (Belgium) – 8.0% ABV: This is one of our most popular beers. Maredsous 8 is a Belgian Dubbel and is a wonderful ruby brown with a large creamy tan head that is slow to dissipate. Maredsous 8's aroma is chocolaty and sweet with a hint of roasted malts; smells reminiscent of a stout with more spice. A taste of Maredsous 8 reveals hints of dark fruit, such as figs and dates. The feeling in the mouth is smooth and creamy—the finish is a very light hop note. Try one and you'll understand why people have been coming back to the Amsterdam Bar for years to enjoy Maredsous 8.

The Amsterdam Bar is proud to offer Maredsous 8 on tap.

Hurray!!! The State Fair is over!!!

Well, it was fun while it lasted, but the Texas State Fair 2007 ends tonight around 10:00 PM. That means we get our parking back! That means we get our regulars back!

We've missed you; please come back and visit us tomorrow night for Jazz night! The weather is cooling off and it's a great time to hang out on our patio.

Hah-ha-ha!!! I love the holiday season!

Only one more week of the Texas State Fair!

We'll miss it when it's gone, but we can hardly wait to see all our old friends and regulars.

Be sure to come out October 22nd for our first Jazz night of the post-fair season! We'll meet you on the back patio!

Only two more weeks of the Texas State Fair!

With yesterday's Texas-OU game over (a tough loss for Texas) and behind us, there are only two more weeks of the Texas State Fair. Here at the Amsterdam Bar we always greet the State Fair with mixed feelings. It's an exciting event and the Texas-OU game is one of our biggest days of the year, but overall the fair depresses business by taking up all the parking in Exposition Park. Many of our regulars stay away and business slows down accordingly.

We are looking forward to welcoming all our friends back on October 22, 2007 when the State Fair ends. This Fall looks like a great season to visit the Amsterdam Bar. Our patio is looking better than ever with new lighting and many parties and bands scheduled.

We'll you see you all soon!