FOLLY IN THE SHADE: BEAN MAGAZINE CONCERT REVIEW

It’s been a long while since our last concert so I am keen for this weekend, starting with Bean Magazine this Friday night! The Brisbane-based band are ending their EP tour in their hometown and I’m thrilled to see my first Bean Magazine headline show after loving their support sets for Ball Park Music and The Rubens over the last couple of years. Joining them on stage tonight are 01 Thurman and Purée, meaning we’re in for a great night with a stacked lineup.

This is what happened at Bean Magazine’s Folly In The Shade show at the Black Bear Lodge on October 24th, 2025.

01 THURMAN

I’m amazed to say that this marks my second time seeing 01 Thurman, exactly one year after the first time I saw them supporting Noah Dillon on this very same stage! The band continues to impress with their indie grunge and cool on-stage presence. They’ve balanced a polished performance with some exciting production choices and a sense of punk spontaneity, best embodied in frontman Josh Bartlett. My favourite moments are those bridges, which drop down the instrumentals, building tension with a steady beat until they reach an explosive rock chorus. 01 Thurman feels like an innovative reinvention of nostalgic garage grunge, and I’m so eager to hear them again soon!

Fave song: Real Estate

PUREE

Hearing Puree for the first time this year in August, I was stoked to realise they were going to be playing with Bean Magazine tonight too. My introduction to Puree was on the big stage of The Princess Theatre, but the smaller size of the more intimate Black Bear Lodge did not hold the band back from unleashing the same intense energy that they did back then! Tonight it was infectious, loud and passionate, carrying across the venue and hyping the crowd up perfectly for their own music as well as the upcoming headline act’s. The guys on stage - Matt, Mack, Jack and Liam - are incredibly charming, with a subtle humour I wish they drew on more in their music because they pull it off brilliantly when they do. As it stands, I love their sound and their songs, with a setlist full of uplifting indie rock!

Fave song: Someone You’d Like 

BEAN MAGAZINE

By now, the crowd had begun to wrap itself around every exposed edge of the Black Bear Lodge stage. The band snuck on-stage as the lights went down and jumped right into the set with Carly, setting the tone for a set characterised by the band’s usual, charming frenetic energy with its cool, head-banging instrumentals and evocative lyrics. The trio, consisting of guitarist and singer Henry ‘Lacroix’ Creamer, bassist Seb Baren and drummer Gabrielle Beiers, are obviously beloved in Brisbane with a slew of loyal fans screaming back every lyric and ready at arms with crowd chants to hype up the band.

The tour has been promoting the band’s two EPs, In The Shade (2024) and FOLLY (2025), which meant we were treated to a healthy dose of Bean Magazine’s discography. The band’s homegrown rock sound allows them to twist the genre on its head and they play this so well on stage. There are a few slower or calmer songs, like Share You, Free As Hell, and the night’s encore song Old Or Young, that showcase a deep level of sentimentality and romanticism in their lyrics, while maintaining a steady and confident rock sensibility. They highlight Bean Magazine’s ability to constantly innovate and extend upon their own sound, rather than becoming repetitive. The psychedelic influences the band embellishes their music in songs like 3 and Don’t You Die give the music a trippy, timelessness.

In contrast, the highest energy songs allow Henry and Seb to let loose on stage, with thrashing guitar and bass while Gabrielle’s flourishes and energy on the drums continue to excite the crowd. These scream-along songs have the crowd head-banging during the instrumental breaks and singing every word of the chorus. The crunch of the guitar and edge to Henry’s voice as he’s in the mic during songs like Hoogiefest and Chicken has become an essential part of their sets to me. And then, of course, we take it up to 11 with some of the biggest hits in Fire and Nobody Wore Shoes, which inspire the crowd to fully commit to the bit and have gone a long way in cementing Bean Magazine’s fiercely fun reputation.

I don’t know how we hit all the band’s biggest hits, and then some, and yet I wanted more. Bean Magazine’s ability to inspire and immerse the crowd completely in their music lends them an addictive quality that I think will continue to spur on their success, especially with an upcoming album and international dates to continue bolstering their current audience’s interest and invite some new fans along the way! We’re eating it all up and eager for more!

Fave song: Nobody Wore Shoes

SOUNDS GOOD?

If you like the unfettered frenzy of being in the Bean Magazine crowd, you might also be into seeing a show by one (or all!) of these groups too:

Le Shiv – This indie four-piece also has a great sense of mood, an energetic rock stage presence and a healthy dose of psychedelic influence, while honing it in their distinct way!

Blue Diner – Blue Diner is a completely different sound but emphasises some of the cool, dark undercurrents of bands like 01 Thurman and Bean Magazine, playing it off against a softer vocal presence to make a dynamic contrast in their music.

Radio Free Alice – This alt-indie band has a retro, rock attitude. With fast guitars, catchy lyrics and cool, collected vocals, their music is intriguing and exciting to get into so give them a listen!