Bimhuis

If there is one scene alive and vibrant within Amsterdam it is jazz. This may be strongly part to the jazz course at the Conservatorium Van Amsterdam. The students from the course flock around the city to different joints each night to have a jam and every Tuesday it is the Bimhuis they descend on. Beginning at 10.00 with the promise of a free drink to anyone who plays more than one piece the bravest venture out first, often a band who play together regularly and have an idea in their minds. My first night in Amsterdam I went to the Bimhuis (my first night being a Tuesday) and it was a great welcome to the city and the jazz scene it holds. The night is free and the venue is lovely, nestled into the protruding block you get great views of the city and water. I often found myself watching the ships slip by as I listened to the music. Jams are a great way of getting into jazz as you follow the ideas from one solo to the next and it was a great testament to the high levels of skill and improvisation from the Conservatorium. If you like jazz and want a free night out, remember to bring money for drinks and coffees from the bar, head to the Bimhuis. Just don’t sit near the front, the trumpets can be quite loud.

Bimhuis has been having these free student nights for years, and it's really the best day to go. Go any other day of the week and you're dishing our 20 euros or more on something that you'll consider boring unless you're a jazz guru. So I doubt you'd even go. Everything is more chill and laid back on a student night. And I don't mean student night as in wild party, this is Bimhuis so things are still respectable and low key. But really this place shines with the look, the views, and the ambience of music geeks from the conservatory trying their best to hit on cute girls in town for a semester at UvA. =)