O beloved Belgium! Continuing until Sunday 2 February, we celebrate the fifth edition of Belgian Music Week because Belgian music is hot.
As many as 44% of the bands on our stage are Belgian! Wow, how spectacular. And an increasing number of Belgians play at AB for more than one nights in a row. A selection:
- Pommelien x 9 (an absolute record)
- Amenra x 5
- Hooverphonic x 2
- Channel Zero x 3
- Helena x 2
So, kudos. Our programmers have put together a playlist especially for this Week of Belgian Music: O beloved Belgium! Be sure to listen. This list highlights upcoming concerts. And check out below which Belgian artists you definitely shouldn’t miss this year!
Kurt Overbergh recommends Robin Verheyen Trio w/ Drew Gress & Billy Hart present 'Liftoff'
Enter Robin Verheyen Trio, featuring two heavyweights of the New York jazz scene: Drew Gress and the legendary Billy Hart. Bassist Drew Gress is best known for his work with John Zorn and Fred Hersch. Billy Hart, for his part, is a true legend. He can be heard drumming on classics like On The Corner (1972) by Miles Davis and Karma (1969) by Pharoah Sanders.
Joyce Jenny recommends Woodie Smalls
He once began with freestyling, but went on to develop into a versatile artist. Releasing albums like Soft Parade and In Between Spaces, on which he collaborated with artists like Isaiah Rashad. Woodie Smalls continues to captivate audiences with his unique style and dynamic shows. After several years of (relative) silence, he finally returns with new music.
Tarik Vanrompaey recommends Soft Boy
Soft Boy began as Xander Hamelton‘s bedroom pop project, but has developed quite a bit since then thanks to a motley crew of friends. Soft Boy impressed at We Are Open in 2023 and raced further over Flemish stages that year to refine their live show.
2024 saw the release of debut album Always Hungry, on which Hamelton and sous-chef Niels Hendrix (Fence, Shovels) served up a wonderful menu of power-pop. The album combines influences from Beach Boys and Velvet Underground with a fresh, contemporary twist.
Ine Geldermans recommends Bianca Steck
Bianca Steck is a young musician, singer, songwriter and architect from Barcelona with British and German roots, currently living in Brussels. Classically trained but with an intuitive approach, she started writing her own songs at the age of 15, exploring different harmonies and sounds that matched her inner attitude towards music.
Noor De Groote recommends Trixie Whitley (+ Laryssa Kim)
Trixie Whitley has just completed a highly successful tour to present and celebrate her new EP 'The Dragon of Everything'. It's the first proper new album for five years, and the collaboration with Josh Kaufman (The National, The War On Drugs, Bob Weir) paid immediate dividends: the single 'High Wire' sounds wonderfully dark and virtuosic in a way that only Trixie can, and the tour was quickly given the green light to sell out. Due to the high demand for tickets, Trixie is adding an extra concert as an apotheosis: she will play in duet with Bert Cools for the last time at the Ancienne Belgique on 2 April 2025. Intimate but intense, it's the perfect way to see Trixie Whitley.
