There’s not much to Seneca, PA, a tiny community in Venango County stretching along Route 257. It’s elongated rather than compact. There’s no real downtown, but along the strip of 84 Lumber, discount smoke stores and four wheeler dealerships sits Brother Bean Global Coffee House, the best live music venue in Northwestern PA.

Bruce and Gwen Kahler opened Brother Bean Global Coffee House in 2005. They ran the shop and music venue for three years until 2008 when they sold the coffeehouse to a local non-profit organization which moved the café two miles down the road to its current location at 3338 State Route 257, Seneca, PA 16346
Well-chosen performers play every Saturday night. This isn’t your open-mic nervous first timer sort of place; these are pros. Although the artists skew towards the singer-songwriter variety, Brother Bean regularly plays host to metal acts, ambient sounds, international hip-hop and even a touring improv group. The shows are always all ages, with no cover, with a tip jar passed for the musicians.

There comes a time in every music fan’s life when he begins to feel a bit out of place with the kids at basement shows trying to find new and exciting acts, but Brother Bean audiences span generations. Emo kids mope over lattes, aging hipsters like myself sip chamomile, and just everyday folks drop by for a cup of perfectly dripped Kona to see who’s playing that night. And no one is ever disappointed.