press coverage
Night Moves
Quirky clubs not to miss — beyond Burlington
by Dan Bolles
Seven Days Newspaper, 07/11/07 (excerpt)
LANGDON STREET CAFE
4 Langdon Street, Montpelier, 223-8667
Ah, Montpeculiar! In recent years, Vermont’s state capital has undergone an artistic renaissance; on many nights, it now rivals Burlington as the “place to be” for great live music. Only four years ago, the city’s night life consisted mainly of a few dive bars and teenagers hanging out in gas-station parking lots. Thankfully, the dive bars are still there — Charlie O’s is highly recommended — as are the gas stations. But those seeking a more aesthetically enlightening experience would also do well to make the drive to Montpelier.
While there are now a number of high-caliber bars and venues in the shadow of the Golden Dome — Black Door Bistro and Positive Pie 2, to name but a couple — the crown jewel of the city’s arts community is the Langdon Street Café. The sister coffeehouse of Burlington’s eclectic hipster haven, Radio Bean, is also a hot spot of Montpelier’s vital music scene.
With a full espresso bar, light sandwiches and a small but delectable selection of local draft beers, there’s plenty to slake your thirst and tingle your taste buds. The yard-sale-chic furnishings and local artwork adorning the dimly lit walls make for a stimulating atmosphere in which to enjoy the myriad performers — musical, theatrical and downright unclassifiable — that ply their trade on LSC’s intimate stage.
The crowd tends to be as varied as the entertainment, but you’ll rarely encounter a more welcoming environment. Dreadlocked hippies sip PBR and chat with punk-rock vegans, while polo-shirt-clad yuppies drink iced Americano and read The New York Times. Beware the toddlers under foot, though.
LSC often books out-of-town acts in tandem with Radio Bean. So if you miss a good band in Burlington, you can most likely catch them the following night in Montpelier. Which, by the way, is the only state capital without a McDonald’s.
Put the money you save by not eating fast food in the bucket by the stage. As at Radio Bean, artists are unpaid except insofar as the crowd chips in — so be generous.
hours
Mon-Thurs 8 am to 11 pm
Friday 8 am to 12:30 am
Saturday 9 am to 12:30 am
Sunday 9 am to 11 pm
Come visit us!
