The World of Dust (Stefan Breuer’s alterego)’s opening track of his new album, Gaman is about him going through anxiety before having to perform in a place where he knew no one. Little did I know it was going to be the perfect storyline for my evening when I went to see him live in De Groeverij, in Houten.
Let me start off by saying that I almost cancelled. About three times. You know about my social anxiety, , but since my boyfriend was going to come with me and we were supposed to come with the motorbike, I thought it would be fine after all. Except that the afternoon before the concert he announced he was having to go up to his mother in Emmen unexpectedly, so I was left on my own to decide what to do. Luckily my friend agreed to come with me, but I still spent most of Saturday lying on my bed trying to overcome my panic attacks. Anxiety is difficult to explain, I will not get into the flashing images, etc., the point is at some point I just decided to sit on top of the waves of the happenings and let them drift me.
So they drifted me near Utrecht, to a class record store with a podium, and how happy I am they did. I knew I liked his songs, and I also met him a few times to know that he is an extremely nice person. I did see him perform before with his band Combo Qazam, but he is not front-manning there. But here what I experienced a great performer, who uses shyness as part of his showmanship. He has the material (the songs) and then the ability to make these highly personal songs personable, he gives context between the songs, but not too much and he has the jokes, which take the edge off that seriousness and depth of song after song which can, (I know from practice) scare or bore the audience.
Stefan’s voice is radically different than on the recordings. It sounded clearer, stronger, more in-touch and alive. I am not sure why this is, maybe a bit of over-procession while mixing, or the recording mic, and while on the record it is definitely anything but bad, here it was on-fucking-point.
The simple arrangement extras, the vocalizer, the keyboards etc gave just enough colors.
So my journey and experience started as Trasenster, but also ended up like your concert in Leuwen, it was? I got home humming freedom, a parable, a parallel universe (inside). Even as the police were raiding the IC at Utrecht Centraal. Still don’t know what happened there.
Good morning, nothingness! 