Inside Cool Beans Coffee and Tea, 141 W. High St., Bellefonte, customers can grab a hot cup of joe and jam to the mellow tunes of Shannon K. Knight and Jim Colbert, who will perform there at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Colbert has been playing at Cool Beans regularly since the shop opened about a year ago at around the same time he met Knight in a songwriting class that was offered at the HUB-Robeson Center.

"We began to talk in class and found out that we liked the same types of music," Knight said. "We shared the stage for the first time this past November, and now we try to play about once a month."

Knight said she looks at these performances as a chance to gain experience.

"I'm new at this, so I'm trying to learn all that I can," she said.

The duo will perform a two-hour acoustic set in which they will both play guitar and sing.

"I'm more traditional, and [Knight] brings a pop influence," Colbert said. "We meet somewhere in the middle."

The show will feature familiar covers, including more contemporary music from groups such as the Indigo Girls as well as older folk songs from the '50s. A significant portion of the performance will be original material.

"We try to pick some songs that are familiar to the audience," Knight said. "It's also a great chance to get our music out there to see how people like it. There are usually several musicians in the audience who are very supportive."

Colbert said he sees the show as an extension of writing and as a vehicle to perform new music to a friendly crowd.

"Cool Beans is a wonderful place to play because it is small and intimate," he said. "It's a great listening room, and it's almost like playing in your own living room."

The venue also hosts other musical acts, including an open mic night held on the last Saturday of every month.

The variety of cold and hot beverages featured on the menu at Cool Beans are just as tempting as any musical act that performs there, said Kim Reitz, who owns the shop with her husband.

"We have the largest selection of specialty drinks in the area," Reitz said. "We offer flavored espressos as well as candy bar drinks."

Reitz said she is very enthusiastic about the music of Colbert and Knight, and even though she is usually busy running the shop, she said she enjoys taking the time to stop and listen to their songs.

"Jim and Shannon have been a wonderful contribution to Cool Beans," she said.

"They are very generous for coming here and providing us with their talents," she added.