The coffee shop dude known as Jimmy bean—he’s worked at Brewniverse, Hallowed grounds, House With Room, Get Mugged, French Press Gang, Beanie Hat and every other caffeine dispensary in Christendom—is temporarily out of work again. A bunch of us pitched in to buy Bean a few beers at the Bullfinch—collective guilt for the many cups of Java he lent us over the years, which is probably what got him fired. After a few, he blurted out that what he’d really like to do is go into music full time.
Jimmy plays “geetar,” or so he pronounces it. He’s only ever played out at open minds at some of the java joints where he’s worked.
Seemed like a good time to conduct one of our informal inebriated surveys.
What advice would to give a coffeeshop counter man who wants to launch a musical career?
“Drink enough coffee, and the high’s the same as performing.”
“The only guys who make any coin in a lot of bands are the managers and the roadies, so you’ll still be fetching coffee.”
“Buy a coffeeshop, put a stage in the corner, brew up a pot and play all you want.”
“All the good sounds about coffee have already been written.”
“…Yeah, but in Spanish!”
“If I see another washed-up pop star using a coffeeshop as a record store to hawk his fucking comeback album, I’ll poor a cup up his nose!”
“Jimmy Bean can do anything he likes. He must be the midst popular cat in town.”
Jimmy Bean a fresh-brewed pop star? Heck, Jimmy Bean for Mayor!

Spot Sprinkle, Flurry Chance and Tapering at the Bullfinch (rescheduled show from the bad weather in January)… Aging jam band High in Our 30s at Hamilton’s (guess that new “no drug references in band names” policy doesn’t apply to them; well, they’re old, and they’re being grandfathered in) with Party Sunny (featuring Sonny Degrassi)…Guitar legend Strat Nimbus and local pickup band The Four Casters ( who’ ll also do an opening set sans Strat) at Dollaire’s…