Burlap and Bean's Fab Four Night

NEWTOWN SQUARE– has always had a family vibe and the show on Saturday proved that point even more. The evening's talent consisted of four artists who emitted a feeling of kinship with the audience.

There was a revolving door of musician friends that added a little extra with each song. Even the headliners' sets intertwined with themselves. The evening was a folksy, bluesy show and tell, and the audience loved it.

The show started out with Stephanie Eden whose sweet sound blended ironically with more heartfelt and soulful lyrics. She has the sound of an early Joni Mitchell with a twist of bluegrass. The highlight of her set included a duet with another headliner Anders Hyatt for a slightly country version of Etta James' "At Last." 

Eden told the audience they were hired to play it at a wedding once and it has just stuck in their repertoire since. One of her last songs was a new track off her most recent album. She dedicated the song to her children as she played her acoustic guitar swaying against a slight baby bump.

Next up, Anders Hyatt teamed up with Angella Irwin for several songs that evoked a classic sense of singer-songwriters like Carol King and Carly Simon, and no one could deny the dead-on vocal resemblance to James Taylor.

Irwin's vocals added a soft touch to round out the harmonies in songs like Hyatt's "Blue Moon."  His set included several fan favorites and then finished out the show with new songs he admitted to never having played in concert. One of his last songs was a quirky pastiche love ballad.

"I battle aliens in outer space...someone has to save the human race," he sang and then went into the chorus of "I Will Always Love You."  After a verse or two he repeated the phrase, "help me Elvis," and then the last chorus switched from Dolly Parton (or Whitney Houston) to Elvis' love song, "Can't Help Falling in Love with You."

Reade McCardell appeared third on the bill for the evening. His music had a simple jazz-like rock sound paired with offbeat lyrics and images disjointed in logic. Each song made the audience pause for a second to think, "Wait, what did he say," and then a soft murmur of giggles would ensue. He described his music as "weird" and "freak folk."

"Its what I do, it's my comfort zone," McCardell told the audience.

The genius behind his music is not just in the funny and slightly deranged images he creates in his songs, but the alliteration that they are grounded in. On the surface, the words don't really connect, but the sound of them compliment each other perfectly; similar to the lyrical style of Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London."  He closed the night with a rendition Bjork's "Isobel." McCardell perfectly captured Bjork's usually electronic and always unique vocals.

Irwin finished out the night with an elegant and sometimes experimental set. Her songs focused on love, loss and hope. Irwin's lyrics strongly touched the senses and complemented her soft witted lyrics, such as "Let's make a list, the pros and cons of a kiss."  She even tried out a few of her songs on the evening's ever-present Wurlitzer piano.

While the evening focused on vocals and style, Irwin stood out with her impressive guitar work. The audience could tell she was extremely serious about her music; her demeanor tended to be solemn when performing, but would only crack a small smile when she ended each song.

The evening closed with all four musicians gathering back on stage for an uplifting version of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Helplessly Hoping."  

The song's lyrics, "They are one person. They are two alone. They are three together. They are for each other," reflected the evening's performers individually and as a group. Throughout the show, each brought their own sound, while still managing to bring out the best in their fellow musician. Indeed, they were there for each other.