Q: what was your favorite part of the year doing gigs and working together as a band?
🤍 Randy: My favourite part is the moment right after the set is done. The adrenaline is starting to fade, and you realize just how much energy you've expended, just how far you pushed yourself this time. Your breath starts coming back to you, and in my case, I have to resist the urge to throw up after the scream verse of BPM. But none of that feels negative like it usually would; it's more of an indication or a mark of just how magical what you just did was. You look out to the crowd, no matter how big, and you see people smiling, looking a little more relaxed and happier than when they first walked into the venue. You finally begin to see that you affect other people; your energy, hard work, all that stuff actually matters. The bruises, the blood, the pain in your throat, it all shows how much of an honour it is to be able to affect someone's night like that. In that moment, nothing in the world could make me feel less purposeful, and it drives me to keep coming back, keep struggling at my craft, and to give it my all no matter how tired I was coming into the night. That is a feeling I'll never forget.
💚 Wax:I'd have to say that my favorite part of the band is definitely the playing itself. It just feels good in the moment. You're full of energy, and you're trying to play the song properly while still leaving room for some improvisation and avoiding feeling or looking like a robot. The feeling of changing something on the fly or adding another ending to a song is amazing because you know it could only happen because the band is locked in. A live set leaves a tiredness in you that's what I'd call a good tired. It's the feeling left after all the energy has been released to the crowd through your instrument. Your body is sore, but your brain is still running a million miles an hour. It's definitely why the drive home is always somehow more fun than the drive to a show.
🧡Cara:Big pig man, that's it, That's the answer. I loved meeting all the people in the local scene who are just so welcoming and cool people who make fucking killer music. Obviously, getting to spend time with my band, I love those guys and couldn't be doing things like playing fucking Pride without them; that was hype. Also, yeah, big pig man, that song is so special to me easily my favorite J//A song. Nothing compares to playing that live; it's my favorite feeling in the world. I could probably do a whole 30-minute set of just that song and not get bored of it. It's also a wicked cool experience having released some good music this year. It's so cool to listen to Maize and be like, 'Yeah, I helped write that.' It's also a big fucking ego boost whenever I get pictures after a show. Shout out to my fans for capturing my good side! The photos that came from my being in the band have helped my self-esteem so much in the visual department it's crazy. Turns out it's gender affirming to be sexy and cool. Wish we were making money from it, but alas, I love everything, so I don't mind doing this even if we're making negative money. Rip Randy's wallet, for real, for real
🖤Chris: My favourite part of the year as a member of Just Amsterdam would have to be the community we have fostered. Playing in the GTA with my three friends and making potentially hundreds more this year is one of the few achievements that brought me some sense of pride. When you first walk into the venue, I find there is often an uneasy air, but once we start playing, all of that just falls away and I feel more like I'm in the moment than anywhere else. Once we get off stage, everyone comes up and talks to us, which makes what we're doing feel important to me. In conclusion, the A minor chord is just like that one guy from One Piece.
💙staff at nowhere records: Working with just Amsterdam throughout the year was very fun and interesting. Obviously, there were tough times trying to get them to listen and loading the car during gigs. However, I think my favorite part of the year was meeting new people and promoting the music and gigs. I've always had a passion for promotion and directing, so being able to do promo for a band I like and know personally is a very exciting experience. I can't wait to do more, especially since we have big plans for the beginning of next year, as well as new gigs coming up.
edit: 💜brandon (eggy_recordings): Holy shit I forgot about this so I'll tell you now. My favorite part about working or being around Just Amsterdam is the sense of openess and community, seeing that every show can be different from one another. Its a shared passion for something I once kept under covers because I didnt have any other use for my musical knowledge.
Me and Just Amsterdam, or Randy in general, go way back in college. Well, kind of. I was an employee, he was a student, but I still felt like there was a huge connection. After losing my job, going to Just Amsterdam shows on a regular basis filled that void, and helped develop and revitalized my love for not just music, but being part of a scene.
