Popular Burlington music venue Radio Bean will close next week. Owner Lee Anderson announced the news in a series of social media posts on Wednesday. The nightclub’s last official day of operation will be Wednesday, September 9. According to Anderson, the abrupt closure is a direct result of a $29,000 liquor liability bill from the club’s insurance provider that’s due immediately. It’s the latest in a series of debts that have fueled months of speculation about Radio Bean’s future. “Currently, the Bean is facing a very serious, immediate, and seemingly insurmountable financial obstacle,” Anderson wrote in an Instagram post. “The business simply cannot afford this, and without a solution, we will be forced to close as soon as one week from now.” How long the closure will last or if it could be permanent is unclear. Anderson declined to comment further on the closure for now. Anderson founded Radio Bean as a coffee shop and music venue on North Winooski Avenue in 2000. Over the years, he expanded the businesses’ footprint into an adjoining storefront, which housed a series of sister restaurants and, most recently, a second venue, Light Club Lamp Shop, which will also close next week. In January Anderson announced he would be stepping away from the businesses this summer. He said he hoped to “pass the torch” to a new ownership group that would uphold the mission and values of Radio Bean, which has been a cornerstone of the Burlington music scene for a quarter century. Multiple offers came in, according to Anderson, and he eventually settled on an undisclosed group “to shepherd the space into the next phase.” Radio Bean Credit: Jordan Adams ©️ Seven Days That transition has been thwarted, at least for now, by the harsh reality of the Bean’s financial state. On social media, Anderson suggested the closure might not be permanent, writing that Radio Bean “will be closed for an unknown amount of time while plans coalesce. This could be weeks, a month, or possibly even months. Our hope is that this closure be as short and seamless as possible.” Anderson also revealed possible plans for a mini-festival at the club over Labor Day Weekend to “end with a bang,” as he put it. The news has triggered an outpouring of support on social media, particularly from local musicians. Many played their first gigs on the Radio Bean stage and face an increasingly uncertain Queen City music landscape. Radio Bean and Light Club Lamp Shop are the latest notable Burlington music venues to close due to financial issues in recent years, following Nectar’s, Club Metronome, ArtsRiot and others. “Radio Bean certainly wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for this incredible community supporting it all these years,” Anderson wrote. “We have always had an amazing turnout, on and off stage. Thank you. What an incredible place you’ve created. You should be proud, this community is special.” The post Burlington’s Radio Bean to Close Next Week appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less