People from Brabant in New York find it strange, but also really nice that Guus Meeuwis is performing in the American city. Casper Verhoofstad from Sprang-Capelle and Mirjam van Esch from Schijndel have worked for about six years at Google in the US and know everything about the originally Dutch neighborhood where Webster Hall is located. Cas Heim from Waalwijk is discovering the music industry in New York and has also delved into the history of the hall.
Cas has been in New York for a few months now. After graduating from the conservatory, he is studying the ‘music scene’ in the American city. “I take lessons with all kinds of musicians who inspire me.”
“In the beginning, Webster Hall held masked balls.”
And among all those inspiring artists is now suddenly Guus Meeuwis. “I was also surprised. Last Friday I was still in the Webster Hall and then I saw Guus Meeuwis in the programming. I thought that was very funny.”
Cas has also delved into the history of Webster Hall. “It is a very special place. The hall was built in 1886 and then burned down several times. In the beginning masked balls were held.” But that changed in the middle of the twentieth century.
“Then they started with concerts and a recording studio was also opened. Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley recorded a record here and pianist Bill Evans made a record here for which he received a Grammy.” In 2017, Webster Hall was sold, closed for major renovations, and reopened in 2019 with a Jay-Z concert.
“New York was once New Amsterdam and you see that everywhere in the city.”
Casper Verhoofstad has been living in NYC for six years and Mirjam van Esch since the summer. Both hold senior positions at Google. As locals, they know the neighborhood where the concert hall is located.
East Village has a real Dutch history, Casper knows. “In the middle of the seventeenth century, Dutchman Peter Stuyvesant became governor of this area. Over the years, he has sold it to immigrants who have moved to New York. He mainly sold it to Eastern European countries such as Poland and Ukraine.”
As a result, it became a real working-class district and that results to this day in a mishmash of cultures that live together. “I often joke that New York is actually just Dutch,” Casper laughs. “Obviously it was once New Amsterdam and you can see that everywhere in the city. Wall Street and Brooklyn, for example, refer to Waalstraat and Breukelen.”
“As far as bravado is concerned, Guus Meeuwis certainly fits here.”
The Webster Hall is also a little bit Dutch from this weekend. Once there were Eric Clapton, Guns N’ Roses, KISS, Prince, Metallica, Sting, Tina Turner and U2. The big question then is: does Guus Meeuwis fit in this room? Cas laughs briefly: “I had to get used to it. But I think he has developed a great status as an artist. So in terms of bravado, he definitely fits here.”
“I think so,” Casper says immediately. He has also bought two tickets for the concert this week. “I just don’t think I can throw a beer in this hall like at other Guus Meeuwis concerts.” He is especially curious about who will go to the concert. “Are they Dutch or expats? And can I still make friends here? I am really looking forward to it.”
Mirjam thinks that Guus Meeuwis fits in the Webster Hall because everyone fits here. “This is a very international city. Six hundred languages are spoken here, so everyone fits here. And that’s what I love about New York.”
Waiting for privacy settings…