Paradiso — Photo courtesy of Jasper FaberParadiso, an internationally renowned live music venue located in Amsterdam, celebrated its 45-year anniversary in March. In honor of this special milestone, Paradiso compiled a list of everyone who has ever played at this venue. With such a long history and diverse programming, the list is quite extensive. A complete book will be published in September.

Paradiso — Photo courtesy of Jasper FaberParadiso was founded in 1968 by a group of hippies. "While the venue has evolved over the years, the spirit is still the same," said Maz Weston, one of Paradiso’s Program Makers. From the beginning, Paradiso has been home to rock concerts, poetry readings, world music and dance nights. The venue provides an intimate, personal experience, as the audience is close to the stage. Over the years, Paradiso has welcomed a wide range of artists, from fresh new talent to legendary singers, such as James Brown and Lady Gaga.

“Paradiso is a music factory,” said Weston.

The venue attracts a variety of people. In the past, Paradiso appealed to those who wanted to push the limits. Today, that is still very much the same. Paradiso has a fun, open-minded culture.

“Paradiso doesn’t belong to one sort of crowd or one sort of people. It appeals to everybody,” said Weston, who mentioned Paradiso organizes up to three events a day. “Sometimes you can get three completely different crowds in one night.”

Where will Paradiso be in another 45 years? Weston said, “I really hope it keeps the reputation where anything can happen and everything does.”