Magic Beans | 2018-12-07 | GOAT Soup & Whiskey, Keystone, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

The People: Give me something to feel…I’ll have what you’re having…

Me: I’ll have some of the first night of Magic Beans at GOAT Soup and Whiskey Tavern!

After a massive throw-down in a jam-packed Summit Music Hall the week prior, the Beans took to the mountains for a two-night run of shows to warm up before their final show of the year, opening for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at Stage AE on NYE. For those keeping score, that means these would serve as the last Colorado dates of 2018. A perfect recipe for an epic weekend.

As the tiny dance floor began to pack-in, the band started their set with a confident swagger, launching into the funky “Shaky Ground”. A fitting opener to get the remainder of the bar drawn towards the sound. While it was close to 9 degrees outside, The Beans kept heating things up inside with the island themed “Adonde” which packed quite a bit of heat on its own, bringing a strong improv section which extended the tune into one of its longest renditions. After the monstrous “Adonde”, the band shifted gears a bit with “Mountain Sky”, a clear nod to the resort town playing host for the weekend. The song had its own jam segment (albeit brief) which lifted it into a jamtronica zone before eventually seguing into “Space Cadet” which further helped guide the crowd on their psychedelic journey. Next up was a new tune called “Be Kind, Rewind” that was potentially recorded in the studio this weekend. I won’t spoil the surprise for those who haven’t heard a live version but its a Casey tune with a great chorus. Look forward to seeing the evolution of that tune. The set then closed with one of the best jams of the weekend, an epic take on “Feed The Beast”. This jam took time to evolve, layering concepts and shifting between segments with a smooth execution and selfless playing. The band moves as a unit throughout the entire improv segment, crafting each fragment with a collaborative energy that felt completely locked-in. Once the jam finishes, the crowd erupts as they’re snapped back to reality.

The second set was just as jam-packed, paralleling the first set closer, the second set opener “Five Points” reached similiar improv heights, starting off with an extended intro that eased the crowd into the opening jaunt. In no time we were in full jamtronica space; riding foreboding synth chords with haunting guitar leads in the back ground. After reaching some dark depths, the band then brought things around to a more funky-break-beat jam style before fully decomposing the jam into a vibrating mist and transitioning into the upbeat tale of journey, “Zumbai”. After an especially riled vocal performance from Scott, the jam went into full dance party territory, with funky synths over syncopated bass rhythms which eventually shifted into a hectic outro which built tension to a fever pitch before a cathartic release back into the main chords of the song to the exuberant delight of the engaged crowd. Next-up was “Senen-O-Rama” a tune that reminded me old ragtime tunes from the 20’s, or some level of Super Mario Bros for the SNES that I can’t quite put my finger on. Mixed with the nu-grass approach, the song has a distinct Magic Beans feel while being clearly inspired by old-time piano tunes.

The set continued on with on with “Off Leash” – a Beans tune I had never heard before. A synth driven, heavily electronic themed song which featured one of the simplest yet amazing lyrics, “This is the part where you feel good”. I’m not entirely sure why, maybe its the upbeat nature of the chord progression, the tempo, maybe its everything but those words seem to fit the song so perfectly, I can see why they’re the only lyrics. Instant favorite for from a composition stand-point. Then, as if there wasn’t already enough delivery, the tune lifted off into it’s own exploratory space. Through various subdivisions of the jam, it reaches a truly inspired moment somewhere after the first major peak, as it decodes itself into another blissful moment, it arises again in a completely new guise, completely broken from the original structure. The interplay between Casey and Scott is especially tremendous and helps build the final outro before the touchdown back in the chorus. This is the part where you feel good indeed.

The set then closed with “Undercover Beaver” which provided some light-hearted lyrics and one last opportunity to jam out a bit before the encore “Hanky Panky”. This rendition had the kind of energy that could have carried the band into a whole other set but the night unfortunately has to end sometime (possibly not for Duffy). The show ended with a palpable excitement for what was still in store for night 2.

Magic Beans | 2018-12-07 | GOAT Soup And Whiskey, Keystone, CO

-= Set 1 =-
01. Shakey Ground
02. Adonde
03. Mountain Sky >
04. Space Cadet
05. Be Kind, Rewind
06. Feed The Beast

-= Set 2 =-
07. Five Points >
08. Zumbai
09. (Banter)
10. Shenen-O-Rama
11. (Banter II)
12. Off Leash
13. Undercover Beaver

-= Encore =-
14. (Encore Break)
15. Hanky Panky

Show Notes: This was the first night of a two-night headlining run at Goat Soup And Whiskey.

Taper Notes: FOB right of DFC, furthest corner of the dance floor, stage left. Mics raised around 7′ PAS. There was an issue with the board recording so the first 19 minutes is an AUD mix only. The board matrices in around 13:36 of “Adonde” and remains for the rest of the show. “Be Kind, Rewind” was left off of the upload per the band’s request. Thanks to Dewey for facilitating the board feed and running sound!

Thanks to Magic Beans and GOAT Soup and Whiskey Tavern for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes

LINK: https://archive.org/…/MagicBeans2018-12-07.AKG.P170.AUD.SBD…