Friday, October 27. This date marks the most recent appearance of the Burlington band Gang of Thieves down over at the old Java Barn. Now I’d like to start this Java column off by stating an undeniable truth of our universe; Gang of Thieves is to Java as tuberculosis is to the nineteenth century health industry: an overwhelming epidemic unmatched by most. If you’re not into the whole yin and yang comparison, I’ll spell it out for the laymen amongst ye: Gang of Thieves is the real deal.

The energy and quality of their performance remains one of the best we’ve seen at Java. This marks the fifth time I’ve seen them at the Barn (the extra being last years Senior week show), and it’s remarkable how they’ve managed to blow me away each year and then come back even harder each following year. They’ve been playing around the North East, specifically the Burlington area, for what’s nearing out to roughly a decade. In the time since I’ve seen them here, I’ve seen band members change, managers added, and now we’ve just been given word that the singer, Michael Reit, has just moved out to Colorado to start a family.

Something interesting from last show is that Reit had actually flown all the way back out to the North Country from Denver to play at the Java Barn. I guess it’s something about the ossified, scrooched, splifficated, and absolutely zozzled nature of our regular audience. I jest, however, it should be known that despite how rowdy you all manage to get yourselves, you are all a pretty charming crowd to these artists. The perpetual moving and grooving that begins at each show is unlike any other.

Something distasteful noted from the last show is that it seems too many of you sinisterly sly-guys out there took it amongst themselves to emulate the theme of the band’s name. While this is a rather pleonastic description for the sake of an entertaining read, I hope you’ll be able to gather that I’m referring to the thievery at the venue. Specifically, I’m speaking of people stealing the band’s merchandise clean off of the table. The past two shows we’ve had, one band refrained from displaying merch, and now we had Gang of Thieves moving their merch to the green room to avoid any more stolen items.

While it is exciting to accrue a nice little stash of stickers, bear in mind that the artists are the ones paying for those stickers. Ever wonder where the term “the starving artist” comes from? Some of the artists we feature are brand new on the scene and are entirely self-funded. The point of Java is to experience and appreciate what these artists have to offer and subsequently support them: not to steal every lighter, sticker, and koozie you can get your hands on.

We have another exciting week planned for you down at the old coffee place. By the time you’re reading this, you will have already seen the CT band, Great Blue, have their debut performance at the barn. On Saturday, November 4, we’ll also be showcasing the two artists Root Shock and Monogold for their first ever appearances at the venue as well. Until then. Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est!