The Irrational Library is a Haarlem based rock band with its roots firmly planted in both the regional and international counterculture. The Dutch-American band produces a raw, dirty groove which is heavily influenced by icons of beat-, provo- and punk culture. The band‘s rhythm section -Mishal Zeera on bass and Lars van der Weijden on drums- puts the poetry packed with social criticism on a musical freight train with the velocity of acts such as The Minutemen or Gil Scott Heron. Tom de Haan‘s baritone sax then propels this freight train ever onward with tight melodies and psychedelic improvisations. The “unofficial city poet of Haarlemtown” Joshua Baumgarten is the catalyst that propels The Irrational Library forward on the rhythm and rhyme of his socio-politically engaged spoken word poetry.
Joshua Baumgarten – Known to many as Mr.Weird Beard aka the Beat Rabbi, the Godfather of the Haarlemtown Underground has been organising alternative music events, poetry readings and mini-festivals in Haarlem for the last 20 years. A prominent man with something unique to say, who has become in the last decade a well-known element in what is happening in the local as well as national and international alternative music and poetry scene.
Tom de Haan – Around the last year of second millennium, Tom de Haan started playing baritone sax in the Frysian rock band Echos Minor. They recorded three albums: Constant Exposure (2002) and Bad Leaves (2008), and Farewell (2012, only released on Soundcloud). As a theologian Tom became a minister in the Dutch Protestant church in Haarlem in 2013. There he quite soon met Joshua Baumgarten, who asked him to be part of The Irrational Library band. Thanks to Mishal Zeera he seriously improved his guitar skills.
Mishal Zeera – is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He started making records on 4 track cassette at 16 and – three cities and lots of albums later – is now safely stuck behind a computer, just like everyone else.
Lars van der Weiden – started drumming as a kid in 2003. He graduated from Haarlem conservatory in 2019. From 2009 he is an active member of Spoon Lifts Moon, a band where he two albums with. Since 2016 he is an active member of the Irrational Library, playing shows across the country, Germany, Italy as well as having recorded three albums in 2018, 2019 and 2021 respectively. Since 2017 he is an active member of Sweet Mary Jane a band where he played numerous shows with in the Netherlands and some in Belgium and Germany as well. In 2019 he toured Northern Spain with the Rolling Beat Machine. Besides that he is often involved in many projects, like Mount Turmoil, Gadjo Orkestra, Jazz Funk Konnection and de Dronkemansopera.