It’s a Saturday night and you find yourself in a hip little coffee shop straight out of an independent film, the nostalgic type with warm sounds of live music, a lively crowd and artsy decor to match.
If this scene doesn’t strike as familiar, you are utterly depriving yourself of everything inherently Burlington — plan to make a trip downtown tomorrow night to experience the wonders of Radio Bean.
And, lo and behold, most of everything the local Burlington music scene has to offer has a place at Radio Bean. Whether it be Honky Tonk Tuesdays, UVM and local Burlington Jazz on Thursdays or hot new acts on the weekends, it’d be hard to be disappointed by the current going-ons.
On this particular Saturday night, Nosebleed Island, a local Burlington staple, opened up the sound waves with his ridiculous, catchy sounds. The oft ruffled comedic star shines at the Bean, as his loyal fans came out for his umteenth successful set there.
Click here for Thrust Lab Audio Clips
After hearing that there would be a half hour delay in between the opener and Thrust Lab, the main feature from Baltimore, Radio Bean emptied quickly. When the stage was set again, the Burlington version of clubbers — a crowd of twenty-sums looking to hear some danceable beats — hit the floor.
Remember, this is Radio Bean, not your run-of-the-mill coffee shop.
The three-piece band from Baltimore threw down a drum and bass backed electro set to try to shift the adored coffee shop into a nightclub, with only some success due to the tight surroundings. The Bean could use a bit more space, after all, but the cozy atmosphere is definitely also a selling point.
While Lab was synth-heavy, their post-rock, grand melodies shifted them away from the mess that the Killers have gotten into post-“Hot Fuss”. Along the same lines, the excellent drummer and bassist backbone kept them from sinking into an overly melodic puddle of sound.
And, surprisingly, the fare was not simply one brand of electronica. The band mixed it up a bit, using dissonant chords interchangeably with more melodic ones. Although a raw sound oftentimes, my only other qualm is that they sounded as if they were trying out too many different sounds during a short four song set.
Yet, while they may have been trying to hard, who cares? It was midnight on a Saturday night and the crowd was satisfied as they walked into the sub freezing temperatures. Better known as a successful night at the Bean.
lo-fi rockin' burlington 