Magic Beans | 2021-06-25 | Rancho Del Rio, Bond, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

Close your eyes and you’ll see a reason to proceed…a time and place for Magic Beans performing on the second night of Beanstalk 2021!

After their first set almost didn’t happen due to the weather, Magic Beans taking the stage for the first full successful day of the 9^th annual Beanstalk Festival and their second overall set of the weekend, was a triumphant moment indeed. The music was commencing. The bands that couldn’t play the day prior had either already played their rescheduled sets or would come after the Beans. It was time to celebrate.

Right out the gate, the band hit the crowd hard with a colossal take on their original “Getaway”, a possible nod to the excursion we were all sharing in, or maybe just a great jam to open up the set. Queue Old El Paso girl meme, “Why not both?”. The tune clocked in at almost 20 minutes, making an emphatic splash on the wet Beanstalk crowd. Next up, the band performed a newer tune, “Sharon is Karen”, a fun Talking Heads-esque disco number containing a jam that lets keyboardist Casey Russel go off the rails with shimmering synth leads. They then segued into the Casey penned tune, “Be Kind, Rewind”, the more laid back and soulful cadence contrasting the upbeat party funk of “Sharon Is Karen” with a natural flow. This jam featured swift organ leads to help direct the shape of the micro jam section, never letting off the gas until the outro. When Casey sang the line “I feel good,” I think we all felt the same. 

The band would then continue the second half of the set with an absolute marathon of an almost hour-long performance of non-stop music, starting with the instrumental title track off their 2018 release, “Casino Cabaret”. This would then segue into a cover of the well-known club hit, “Better Off Alone”, dropping in with its pointed signature synth riff and carrying the band into an electronica jam that would eventually blend into the biggest jam of the evening, “As You Like It”. The improvisation within the extended jam was impressive, morphing from funky to raucous and peaky to deep space jamtronica with ease, seamlessly melting into each new vibe instinctively. The band then ended the extended segment by transitioning into their first song they ever wrote as a band, “Underwater Oasis”.  The set then closed out with a duo of tunes: the first, a cover of a classic, “Midnight Moonlight,” which then segued into the fluttery opening riff of the final song, “Inventor”, that ultimately closed the set. After a quick encore break, the band then finished out the night with one last quick tune, “Superglue” – a newer tune off the band’s most recent release, “Slice Of Life”.

Every set that was performed at Beanstalk was a testament to the dedication #TeamBean has to this festival and their community. No band or fan left behind. Magic Beans took lemons and turned them into Beans – growing a festival out of the soaking soil at Rancho Del Rio and not only getting it done, but getting it done in style, performing top notch sets, showing endurance and their perseverance. These sets served as anchors to the festival, the musical beacon shining through the deep, dark, light-pollution-free night, serving as a proverbial lighthouse guiding us all to our musical shore, and no matter how soaked and battered from the storm, we’re all happy to be home.

Magic Beans | 2021-06-25 | Beanstalk Music & Mountains Festival at Rancho Del Rio, Bond, CO

-= One Set =-

01. Getaway

02. Sharon Is Karen >

03. Be Kind, Rewind

04. Casino Cabaret >

05. Better Off Alone >

06. As You Like It[1] >

07. Underwater Oasis

08. Midnight Moonlight >

09. Inventor

-= Encore =-

10. (Encore Break)

11. Superglue

Show Notes: This was the second set on the second night of the 9th annual Beanstalk Music Festival. Will Trask provided additional percussion for the entire set.

[1] “As You Like It” featured Braxton Kahn (ManyColors) on additional percussion. 

Taper Notes: Mics setup FOB DFC raised around 7′ PAS. Board feed was split off of the PA sends but does not have the subs mixed in. As a result, the recording is matrixed with the audience feed to provide low-end as well as ambient sound. Thanks to sound engineer Richard Hartanft for the patch and mix!

ARCHIVE LINK: https://archive.org/details/magicbeans2021-06-25.StudioProjects.C4.MKII.cards.AUD.SBD.Matrix.FLAC16bit