MIKEBECK.US - Tour Diary - Sunday, April 16, 2003

Café Nationaal
Goes, Nederland
Sunday, March 16, 2003

If you want to take lessons on how to make a musician feel great, visit Tonnie's Café Nationaal in Goes (pronounced "hooss" with a throaty-phlegmy-Dutch noise at the beginning). A beautiful, sunny afternoon made for easy driving to Nederland's Southern coastal province, Zeeland. I was welcomed by helpful gentlemen (thanks for carrying my gear!), beautiful women and a spicy Indonesian dish served over rice! The community meal was gratefully shared by all the patrons at Nationaal this evening, and then we got down to the business of rock'n'roll. Singing, dancing and some heavy-duty snogging in the audience made this a memorable show for everyone.

Though he's worked at Nationaal for eight years, Toon just became the café's owner this past January. Mazal! And thanks for a great evening. Once you meet Toon, a notorious Jimi Hendrix fan, it becomes very clear why Café Nationaal is so popular with the locals. He enjoyed the show so much, he invited me back to play on my next unscheduled Sunday, which turns out to be April 6. I'm looking forward to another great evening! Tot ziens!

Café Nationaal. A view from the street. Toon surveys his guests. Toon is very personal with all his patrons, and knows each of them by name.

I hope this guy comes back on April 6... I've forgotten his name and I need him to remind me! A nice guy, and the first person in Zeeland to own a Chicago Mike CD. Our bartenders on this beautiful evening. Toon dishes it up! Extra pittig! Hello... Hello! Hey! I'm singing up here!

Extra pittig!

More happy diners at Nationaal! Rockin' da house in Goes! Ouch! My memory for names is slipping! (Must have been all those Heinekens Toon forced on me!).

Special thanks to this man whose name I will re-learn on April 6. A talented local singer, he pulled off great backing vocals on Crosstown Traffic, despite never having heard the song before! The girls who wouldn't sing! No matter how hard I tried, these girls wouldn't sing! Finally, at the end of the evening, they let loose and joined the chorus on Country Roads and the Midnight Special. Success at last!

The view from the stage at Nationaal. Party on, Cowboy! See you in April!


Café Nationaal. A view from the street.			Toon surveys his guests.	Toon is very personal with all his patrons, and knows each of them by name.

	I hope this guy comes back on April 6... I've forgotten his name and I need him to remind me! A nice guy, and the first person in Zeeland to own a Chicago Mike CD.	Our bartenders on this beautiful evening.	Toon dishes it up! Extra pittig!	Hello... Hello! Hey! I'm singing up here! Extra pittig!

More happy diners at Nationaal!	Rockin' da house in Goes!		Ouch! My memory for names is slipping! (Must have been all those Heinekens Toon forced on me!). Special thanks to this man whose name I will re-learn on April 6. A talented local singer, he pulled off great backing vocals on Crosstown Traffic, despite never having heard the song before!	The girls who wouldn't sing! No matter how hard I tried, these girls wouldn't sing! Finally, at the end of the evening, they let loose and joined the chorus on Country Roads and the Midnight Special. Success at last!

The view from the stage at Nationaal.	Party on, Cowboy! See you in April!