Poppodium Boerderij, Zoetermeer [NL]
Saturday, 7th February 2026
American prog quintet Spock’s Beard returned to De Boerderij after an eight-year absence. The last time they played here, it was as part of a double bill with Sweden’s Flower Kings.
Now, armed with their brand-new and well-received studio album The Archaeoptimist and fresh off a run of US shows, you’d hope they’d crossed the Atlantic feeling confident and full of energy. They’d opened their European tour in Uden the previous night and now it was Zoetermeer’s turn.
So, I set out on a cold, dark Saturday evening, full of anticipation, heading for the Netherlands’ number one prog temple, hoping to reconnect with the group founded by brothers Neal and Alan Morse back in 1992. The line-up has remained stable for years, with one exception: youngster Nick Potters has stepped in for Jimmy Keegan on drums and will also handle the backing vocals, just as an illustrious predecessor once did.
The ever‑reliable team led by John Vis (Mystery, Kayak, Unitopia) was on hand to capture the show for a future DVD release.
What a wonderful surprise as the epic At the End of the Day, from V (2000), opens the set. This is my favourite Spock’s Beard song and my (belated) introduction to them. The performance however is a little shaky, with the odd stumble here and there, but the energy is unmistakable. Fifteen-plus minutes of top‑notch prog is a good start.
Unfortunately, the sound is far too loud. Drums and bass dominate the mix, and Ted Leonard’s vocals struggle to cut through. The Beard will play four songs from their new album tonight. Invisible gets off to a false start and has to be restarted, (video included), but the guitar duet between Morse and Leonard goes a long way toward redeeming it. Crack the Big Sky begins with Dave Meros’s trademark bass intro but quickly dissolves into a wall of noise. Is it just me? Another new track, Electric Monk, fares better; its unison guitar lines are another welcome lifeline. At this point I decide to abandon my spot right in front of the PA and try my luck elsewhere in the venue, hoping the sound improves with distance.
The acoustic interlude for On a Perfect Day from the 2006 Spock’s Beard album is a welcome balm for my aching ears. Then comes the title track of the new record, The Archaeoptimist. Time to buckle up: more than twenty minutes of melodic prog, with Leonard’s vocals occasionally finding a stronger footing. But even the beautifully crafted jazzy middle section (There She Goes) is sabotaged by the man behind the mixing console. Still, the band earns a wave of well‑deserved applause. Whatever the sound engineer is doing, it can’t diminish the quality of the composition, or the commitment of the musicians delivering it.
Walking on the Wind, an older track from Beware of Darkness (1996), lands far better. The medieval-sounding theme paired with Morse’s acoustic guitar part, really appeals to me. Sadly the last of the new tracks, Next Step, also stumbles out of the gate and needs to be restarted several times. To make matters worse, Ryo Okumoto uses this particular moment to advertise the merchandise, which feels ill‑timed and a bit deflating. It turns out to be the last song of the regular set, but Leonard is already hinting that something worthwhile is waiting in the wings.
Said follow-up is called Go the Way You Go and offers plenty of solo spots for just about everyone, including a drum solo at the end (!) and Ryo on portable keyboards (keytar). By stretching this track from the debut album The Light (1995) to well over twenty minutes, the band pushes the total running time to around two hours and ten minutes. And with that, the evening comes to a close.
My goodness, the volume was so high tonight! Far too loud, poorly mixed and completely uncharacteristic of De Boerderij. Whether the man behind the controls was part of the venue’s permanent staff or had travelled with the American company remains a mystery, but the end result was the same: a muddy, over‑amped mix that did the band no favours. The vocals suffered most, with an ocean of reverb swallowing Ted Leonard’s voice rather than supporting it. And that’s a real shame as I’m a fan of Ted Leonard, who carries on the American tradition of high‑range rock vocalists – think Journey’s Steve Perry, Kansas’ Steve Walsh or Toto’s Bobby Kimball. But tonight his voice was noticeably below par – somewhat forced, even strained, and occasionally drifting out of tune.
The overall sound, thanks in no small part to the relentless volume, was a sonic mess. Any hint of subtlety evaporated.
The real stars of the evening were, ironically, the veterans standing left and right on the stage; the old guard is still in fine form. Alan Morse, in his glittering red jacket and wielding his battered Strat, repeatedly stole the spotlight with his flamboyant guitar work. Some of the accompanying clownish antics were a bit much, but honestly, he gets a pass.
Ryo Okumoto, dressed in a long coat and his trademark bandana and ever‑present sunglasses, hovered like a cat behind his two keyboards and laptop, occasionally conjuring up wonderful melodies from his minimal setup.
By the end of the night, I felt worn down by what amounted to arena rock squeezed into a club setting. Still, the 400 plus audience clearly had a blast, applauding like mad. I just hope the band manages to iron out the glitches, especially the sound, otherwise, the planned DVD may prove quite the challenge.
[Live photos courtesy of Richard Winkel (Poppodium Boerderij)]
SETLIST
At The End Of The Day
Invisible
Crack The Big Sky
Electric Monk
On A Perfect Day
The Archaeoptimist
Walking On The Wind
Next Step
~ Encore:
Go The Way You Go
MUSICIANS
Ted Leonard – Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Dave Meros – Bass, Vocals
Alan Morse – Guitars, Vocals
Ryo Okumoto – Keyboards
Nick Potters – Drums, Vocals
LINKS
Spock’s Beard – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram
