“How the hell did I pull this off?”
The incredulity in Radio Bean owner Lee Anderson’s voice was tempered by a laugh. “I’m not a very good businessperson, and it’s not like I have a trust [fund] to pull from,” he continued in a recent phone call. “I started this place on credit cards. Seriously, how the hell did I pull this off?”
What flummoxed Anderson wasn’t that he’d managed to open the infinitely quirky Burlington bar, coffee shop and music venue back in November 2000 — but that he’s managed to shepherd it through a quarter century of existence.
This weekend, the Bean celebrates 25 years since Anderson, a Minnesota transplant, dropped out of the University of Vermont and rented the former Java Love space at 8 North Winooski Avenue. Since then, the club has become the beating heart of the local music scene. It hosts multiple shows daily in every genre imaginable, functioning as a community clubhouse for everyone from drag queens to country crooners to hardcore punks.
Over the years, the club has undergone changes, additions and subtractions. It sprouted a restaurant called ¡Duino! (Duende) for a decade (those plantains!) and a sister nightclub, Light Club Lamp Shop, that’s still there. Instead of musicians collecting tips in a hat and playing for beer like they used to, there’s now a proper ticketing system and a cover charge most nights. Anderson has rebuilt the stage, replaced the sound system and knocked down a few walls to boot.
The club has had more than its share of close calls, and on a few occasions Anderson has resorted to crowdfunding campaigns to stay afloat. But no matter what’s been thrown at it, Radio Bean has endured.
To celebrate that resiliency, Anderson has a very special birthday weekend planned, starting with a concert on Friday, November 7, featuring bands that have been playing the Bean since the early days — a “Legacy Night,” as Anderson put it. And on Saturday, November 8, the Bean hosts its traditional daylong birthday bash, featuring well over 100 artists from 8 a.m. to close.
Ahead of the big weekend, Seven Days asked Anderson to reflect and talk about what’s next for the Bean.
Twenty-five years is quite the achievement. When you first opened Radio Bean, did you foresee this kind of longevity?
I made a hard deal with myself back then that I would only run the club for five years. Even when we were planning the fifth birthday party, I was debating giving my birthday speech and then totally disappearing.
You were going to do a Bilbo Baggins at the party?
I totally was. I didn’t want to get trapped or locked into something, you know? I thought I’d go travel. But, well … that was 20 years ago, so here we are.
Keeping a music venue open in 2025 is no mean feat. Burlington has seen big and historic clubs like ArtsRiot and Nectar’s close recently, so how has such a tiny, thoroughly un-corporate business like Radio Bean not only managed to stay alive for this long but thrive?
Well, I’ll accept some credit for its survival, but the city itself has never allowed Radio Bean to become stagnant. One of the first articles of my Constitution when I opened it was: “People motive before profit motive.” You need to turn a profit to stay alive. But lead with art and people first, and you’ll see the results.
To be honest, being willing to lose money on shows has been a big part of it. The singer-songwriter showcases won’t make a ton of cash, even if you sell out, because people won’t spend much at the bar. But if you can take some financial hits in order to establish a scene, those people will come back and eventually, hopefully, listen to other acts.
That cross-pollination of scenes seems to be the Bean’s secret weapon. How have you managed to cultivate just about every music scene in town under one roof?
All these different groups think of the Bean as being their place, and they’re all correct in that way. I’m the dude pulling rabbits out of hats every now and then to keep the lights on, but this place belongs to everyone that puts something into it.
I hear from the folk scene how grateful they are to have a club where they feel welcomed. The hardcore bands are really psyched about playing here because there are so few venues in town that still host punk shows. The queer community is thankful. The old-time jam guys love it. The dance community shows up for Taka and Kate Kush…
The Bean never got boxed in as any type of venue, and that’s been really important for us.
Have you ever tried to add up how many shows you’ve hosted at Radio Bean?
Oh, God. I don’t think I could. I helped run sound for 15 bands in one day a few weeks ago, so you take those numbers and multiply it by 25 years … Yeah, no. No way. [Laughing.]
Twenty-five years in, what do you make of the state of the Burlington music scene, then versus now?
We’re in a unique time. Nectar’s closing was a wake-up call, and the community has started to pick up the slack, whether it’s SEABA taking over the old ArtsRiot space or other spots, like Junktiques Collective, stepping up to host more music. The scene is mutating. I honestly believe that the next two years are going to be really awesome. We’ve been in a recovery phase and are about to mutate in a really cool way. When Radio Bean opened, all these clubs, like the Last Elm Café and Club Toast, had recently closed. We filled a vacancy I didn’t even realize existed back then.
And there’s just so much talent in this little city. I realized last spring that there are more UVM bands that are both actually good and very active in the scene than in my entire time living here. We need more downtown venues to support it, but the state of the scene is incredibly healthy right now.
The Radio Bean birthday bash is a big production every year. Will there be anything special for the 25th?
Friday night, we’re having what I’m calling “Legacy Night.” A lot of the first bands to call the club home are going to play, like James Kochalka, the Smittens, Barbacoa, Blow Torch and Missy Bly, as a kind of nod to the early days.
Saturday will be the classic 100-something-bands-in-one-day lineup. It’s a lot of work, for sure, mostly just booking and trying to program the day. I try to curate it so it never falls into a lull or you get too much of the same kind of music. The beauty of the Radio Bean birthday is: So many people get turned on to new artists.
So, you’re not planning on disappearing after the party? Can we hope for another 25 years of Radio Bean?
I’m thinking of the future, for sure. The way the industry is now, between declining alcohol sales and crazy insurance rates, there’s massive overhead. I’m always looking at ways to evolve the club into being more sustainable.
It’s kind of weird since we book so much music, but sometimes I think we could be doing more. I’ve been mulling over doing a few hours a day with no bar service and making the club all-ages, like a sort of mini 242 Main, and make it a home for that scene, as well.
This interview was edited for clarity and length.
Radio Bean’s 25th Birthday, Friday, November 7, 7 p.m., and Saturday, November 8, 8 a.m. to close, at Radio Bean in Burlington. $10. radiobean.com
The original print version of this article was headlined “Causing a Scene | On Radio Bean’s 25th anniversary, club founder Lee Anderson reflects on its role in Burlington — and looks to the future”
This article appears in Nov 5-11 2025.
