Hospitality first, sound check second
By Jordan Hanson
The life of the traveling musician can mean making sacrifices. One may give up a nice bed for the backseat of a van, a home-cooked meal for fast food, or a warm shower for a truck stop sink. Hospitality is foreign, except to the musicians who stop in Duluth to play at Beaner’s Central.
“Jason (Wussow) runs the venue like an extension of his house,� singer/ songwriter Mike Mangione said. “That is not how the rest of the music world works and it is little acts of kindness like that that keep a traveling musician going. I always look forward to our time there.�
Mangione is a traveling musician from the Chicago/Milwaukee area. He is currently on a tour of the U.S. and will be traveling to Sydney, Australia, in July. Mike has a long traveling career and is no stranger to the associated lifestyle. When his band last traveled to Duluth to play at Beaner’s he was surprised at how well they were accommodated.
Mike and his band were taken in by Wussow, fed, given a place to sleep, and even got a shower before they left in the morning.
“I really try to go above and beyond for them,� Wussow said. “I burn myself out sometimes.�
Mangione added that, “(Wussow) gave me a killer Straw Porkpie hat that I wear on a regular basis.�
After spending years as a traveling musician, Jason Wussow decided to try his hand at promoting. He established Beaner’s Central in July of 1999. He says that he still plays around 100 shows a year. Thus, he understands the hardships that musicians can endure. Wussow also said that running everything can still be pretty complicated, but he is starting to figure things out.
“Beaner's is a fantastic little venue,� said Tasha Golden of Ellery, an acoustic duo from Cincinnati, Ohio. “Jason has gone to great lengths to create an artistic setting for his customers, and he's been an amazing and generous support to Ellery and to many of our fellow artists. When we think of Beaner's, we think of cold, snowy nights, great food, Jason's patient support, a vibey stage, and community involvement. All lovely things!"
“We try to go for simple, but really good,� Wussow said. “We might do fewer shows, but we’re going for quality over quantity.�
Besides hiring bands and putting on shows, Beaner’s offers coffee, espresso, beer, wine, and food selections to their patrons. They also hold art shows on a regular basis. The coffee shop is the club’s main daytime draw. At night, however, it’s all about the music.
Beaner’s brings in more established acts on Friday nights, even scoring national and international musicians. Their Wednesday night, open mic nights serve as a great way to bring in new and less-established musicians from the area.
“Beaners is a very supportive place and a meeting ground for many local artists and community members,� said local artist Dave Mehling. “Jason Wussow breathes life into the west Duluth community and arts in the twin ports.�
Wussow said that Beaner’s has a “really diverse March calendar� planned. From hip-hop shows on the 7th, to punk-rock on the 14th, to an indie-rock show on the 28th, he hopes to bring in fans of different musical genres.