Vermont Cynic

Issue date: 1/22/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: Troy Johnson/Vermont Cynic Beats over Burlington

On the edge of Lake Champlain, Burlington sits as a musical oasis between the hipster scene of New York City and the Indie rock of Montreal. With dozens of venues and clubs, it's home to a very diverse, active music scene that leaves little to be desired. Burlington delivers live music every night, accommodating every ear, every listener, and every genre of music. From reggae, to rock, to rap, B-town has the very best.

On Main Street an iconic neon sign spins slowly over one of the city's best-known venues: Nectar's. Nectar Rorris' club has been hosting local and national acts for thirty-three years, since 1975. You can hear any genre on any given night at Nectar's, and on top of that it was THE original host of one of Vermont's most successful and well-known acts.

For most college kids, the first two things that come to mind when they think of Vermont are "pot" and "Phish." The latter of the two, of course, is the group that put Vermont on the map in the musical world when this jam band from UVM blew up in the '80s. Phish has continued to be wildly popular, even after having broken up, and members of the band still sit in on jam sessions in Burlington clubs from time to time.

Even though the state's best known band is finished, there are still some exciting things going on musically in Burlington. There's live music to be found every night, with a number of up-and-coming local, regional and national acts to fill the void created when Phish bowed out in 2004. Mike Gordon, bass player for the now defunct group, pointed out that there are still plenty of shows to see. "I go out a lot, almost every night to check out the music. Red Square, Nectar's, wherever there's something going on."

Gordon himself sits in on a weekly jam known as Honky Tonk Tuesday at the Radio Bean. Fronted by Brett Hughes on guitar and vocals, it is one of the many things The Bean is well known for. The café's small size and good vibes offer an intimate setting for "epic shows" as freshman Daniel Sturnick put it.

The Radio Bean has been especially important to the music scene in Burlington because it offers a starting point for many local acts. Lee Anderson, owner of the café, explains that, "hundreds of bands have had their first shows at The Bean." The artists and musicians don't perform at The Bean to make money, but because they love performing. The Bean caters to all audiences and features all genres of music.

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