Apr 3

[Concert Recap] ERIC NAM in Amsterdam

Updated: Nov 11

"God? It that you?"

On Tuesday March 19th, Eric Nam performed at the Melkweg in Amsterdam, delivering a show full of great music, dance and of course what we know and love about him: humor! Eric Nam has been a successful soloist for years, and his popularity grew so big here in the Netherlands that he was able to do not one, but two shows in Amsterdam. Through the venue we were able to captivate his show on the first day. Thank you Melkweg for the amazing experience!

The Venue

Before the Melkweg turned into a place for concerts, club nights et cetera, it was a sugar and later milk factory: and nowadays, it's the only factory left in the Amsterdam Canal Centre. The have various spaces for concerts, movies, expositions and more.

The concert area has a capacity of 1500 people, which was close to sold out on the first night of Eric's concert. The venue had a balcony and bars all around, with the floor ascending towards the back so even those people were able to see the artist well.

The Organization

The organisation and staff were clearly used to handling concerts. Everything went in an orderly manner, even though some people have been queuing since 3am in the morning. The atmosphere was very friendly, people helping each other out an just enjoying a good time together. As far as we are aware, they didn't have a numbering system, but everything went smoothly nonetheless.

The Concert

Alex Porat took the stage first, captivating the crowd with her soulful vocals and infectious energy. Form the heartfelt "I'm Not Crying" to the anthemic "Tear Drop" Porat's performance was met with resounding applause and adoration from the audience. Between songs, Porat engaged with the crowd, sharing anecdotes about Amsterdam and expressing how much the crew "Slays". Despite some technical issues with the bass, Porat's talent shone through, leaving a lasting impression on everyone in attendance.

Following Porat's stellar performance, the stage was set for Eric Nam's captivating concert in Amsterdam - or as the fans called it NAMsterdam. With anticipation building, the band kicked off the evening with an electrifying intro, setting the scene for what was to come. Stepping onto the stage, Eric Nam launched into his hit track "Sink or Swim," accompanied by a dynamic performance from his backup dancers. The energy in the venue was palpable as he seamlessly transitioned into "Undefined," igniting the crowd into a frenzy of excitement.

Acknowledging the enthusiastic audience, Eric expressed his joy at being back on stage, humorously describing his shows as "Ted talks with a little bit of music." Encouraging fans to sing and dance along, he delivered fan favorites like "Any Other Way" and "You're Sexy I'm Sexy" inciting a chorus of choices from the audience. Introducing new tracks to the eager crowd, Eric playfully interacted with the audience, urging them to participate in the call-and-response sections of his songs. Eric's infectious enthusiasm soon had everyone on their feet, dancing and singing along to the upbeat rhythms.

Eric is clearly born to be on stage, not only through his music but because of his story telling and interactions with the crowd as well. He describes the 'Friend that doesn't want to go home', begging for one more drink, and asks who knows someone like that. "if you aren't raising your hand, that friend is probably you", he joked.

Throughout the night, Eric showcased his versatility as an artist, seamlessly transitioning between heartfelt ballads like "House on a hill" and high-energy anthems like "Paradise". Engaging with the audience on a personal level, he read signs form fans, offered advice, and even sang a personalized birthday song for audience members. In return, the audience sang a Dutch happy birthday song back: "Lang zal ze leven". In Dutch, that ends with "in the gloria", which Eric understood as "in the Korea" - Understandable!

The next song, "Echo" starts, and Eric is hit with a technical issue as his microphone falls silent. "God? Is that you?" he asks as the music dies down "Suprise-Gloria!"

As the technicians try to fix everything, the music suddenly blasts through the speaker again, visibly startling Eric and the crowd. "I think I just shit my pants." The crowd laughs and "Echo" starts again, this time without any issues.

As the concert reached its climax, Eric's boundless energy showed no sings of slowing down. Dousing the crowd with water and joking about technical mishaps, Eric kept the audience on the edge of their seats until the very end. Closing out the night with an encore performance of "Only for a Moment" and "Congratulations," Eric left the audience cheering for more.