Nature Calls. The Stream live. Theater Ins Blau Leiden, Thursday 28 March 2024

Photo: Wout de Natris

On the day I learned that one of the most hideous flats of Leiden is going to be renovated again, next summer, by then 37 years after when I used to live there and it was renovated, I saw it standing in the distance when I was walking to Theater Ins Blau to see the most surprising and different show I ever was present at. A show not only combining science with music but as a form of total theatre that made it sometimes impossible to be cognisant of all aspects. Beyond Cirque de Soleil doing two acts at the same time ,while playing irrelevant music.

Leiden band The Stream played its show Nature Calls, also the name of its new album that was released on the 29th. In other words, I heard songs that I had never heard before and was surprised the whole of the way. Not so much by the music, this was vintage The Stream, but by everything else. In fact, I was surprised to be able to sing along to every word of one of the songs, on which more later.

Jan Stroomer, the band's leader and songwriter, told me that the concept of the album started when he visited his former department of physics at the university. From there a concept was slowly built around themes on the laws of physics, astronomy, etc. Song were written around these themes, some pure physics, others, tying life to nature's laws. I'm a historian, so some of the topics go way beyond my grasp, except that I have a general interest and like to know a bit about a lot, which does not equal understanding. Yet, Nature Calls.

Photo: Wout de Natris

The Stream was in a more dense line up than six years ago. Bass, drums, two keyboards, three singers and, a theremin!. As a guitar man, as yours truly is, this is a strange line up. Billy Joel, Elton, exceptions permitted, they are not for me. The Stream is. The band's songs go everywhere, from 1920s Berlin cabaret and vaudeville to Elton c.s. and above all The Stream. Jan Stroomer is more a fan of Queen and Freddy Mercury he told me a few years back in an interview and that shows. More importantly, he is a true songsmith. He's able to make something nice out of something in theory very weird, but also can write and sing beautiful ballads. Several came by in Ins Blau. The kind that make me very quiet.

All the time the band played, steam was moving over the stage floor, a pendulum of light moved, small explosions took place, random movement took place, a hand was lit several times. Stichting Rino were doing science tricks on stage, mostly successful, not always. "If it smells, it's biology, if it explodes, it's chemistry, when it fails, it's physics", I learned. On a big screen at the back of the stage, equations came by but also the most beautiful pictures of the universe. Black holes, nebulas, the night sky over hours of time, rocket launches, while the music played, science was prepared and shown and a story sung. It was too much to keep up with all at the same, yet together so impressive.

Photo: Wout de Natris

The biggest surprise was hearing Elton's 'Rocket Man' but even more, for the first time in my life, a cover of Pink Floyd's 'Time'. With Dave Gilmour's solo played very convincingly on the six string bass. It was the first time I realised how good the drummer's timing must be and then the rest of the band's. I saw everyone moving their bodies to the time signature. And then, after the long intro, I could sing along to one of my favourite songs of one of my top 5 albums of all time.

Nature Calls is a fantastic show. The music matches it. The album is available on The Stream services as of today. I haven't heard the album yet, but I certainly want to. I've such heard such beautiful songs in the theatre.

When the show plays again, do not hesitate and go and see it. I have never seen anything like it in the most positive sense possible.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Nature Calls here:

https://thestream.bandcamp.com/track/nature-calls