THE BETHS
Auckland, New Zealand indie rock outfit The Beths can be summarized for me into one word: delightful.
It’s not that they manifest some sort of hyper-pop-toxic-positivity approach to their playing or songwriting, as they still absolutely rock out with the best of them and address less-than-fun themes lyrically, it’s just that seeing them perform is simply put, fun. They are a perfect incarnation of, and ambassadors to, the joys of live music… “how,” you say? I’m glad you asked…
First and foremost, lead singer and guitarist Elizabeth Stokes is a gem of a performer. Her dreamy, Kiwi-accented vocals translate live in a way that is truly mesmerizing. Whether rocking out with the full band in tow as with opener “Straight Line Was a Lie” or taking a mid-set beat to perform solo with “Mother, Pray for Me,” Stokes’ ability to deliver perfect pitch is actually kind of insane, especially for a rock band with such a breakneck performance pace and loud/soft dynamics.
Guitarist Johnathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck each had their moments to shine throughout, absolutely knocking it out of the park on their respective instruments, adding pristine vocal harmonies, and injecting intermittent quips, as well as taking a moment advocating to save their beloved local Auckland music venue, Neck of the Woods, from closure with 100% of their merch profits from the show going towards the cause.
In addition to the advocacy for something very clearly near and dear to the band, they gave us a brief history of their relationship to Philly, having played Ortlieb’s as part of the first-ever US tour and, apparently, playing here a whole bunch since then. “I feel like we play Philly a lot,” reflected Stokes early in the set.
But aside from their plea to save their hometown venue, the band was relatively tight-lipped. Stokes remained overall stoic, offering her consistent thanks and appreciation, and aside from Pearce’s speech, they ran through each song without delay (though there was something about a breakfast blog from Sinclair, which I’m pretty confident doesn’t actually exist).
Only four albums into their career, The Beths have proven that they have what it takes as songwriters and performers to maintain their staying power in the indie-alt-rock world. Catchy melodies, exciting riffs, energetic drumming, and grooving basslines are abundant throughout their discography. The Beths are the type of band that you can listen to to find joy, catharsis, melancholy, hope, despair, and the full spectrum of the human experience. Bad day? They’ve got a song for you. Amazing day? Take your pick. Ambivalence and existential confusion? Yup, here’s another one.
From the juxtaposition of angelic vocals with creative guitar-hero antics to the injection of punk distortion and big drum fills, they’re kind of a jack of all trades, master of… all trades.
The short version, I suppose, is 1. Listen to The Beths. They’re the perfect Summer rotation band. And 2. Go see them live whenever you get the chance, which, apparently, for us Philadelphians, shouldn’t take too long…
Setlist:
Straight Line Was a Lie
No Joy
Knees Deep
Happy Unhappy
Mother, Pray for Me
Best Left
Jump Rope Gazers
Metal
Til My Heart Stops
Little Death
Expert in a Dying Field
SPOON
When I left my house, the last thing I said to my dog, Loki, was, “I won’t make you watch this.” It was the Phillies game (*game 2 in the series against The Nationals for the sake of historical posterity). I turned it off, put on a playlist of Tame Impala’s entire discography, and hoped Loki would vibe out for the next few hours with some Kevin Parker grooves while I was a coupleof blocks over rocking out. By the time I left the show, I had received a notification from my friend regarding their insane 9th-inning comeback victory. “The Fightin’ Phils,” indeed. Shame on me for doubting my favorite team…
So how appropriate is it that I missed the game because I was seeing the band responsible for all-time great defiance anthem aptly titled “The Underdog” perform said anthem? We are a city of perpetual underdogs, making victory - both literally and emotionally - all the more sweet.
While Spoon’s success with “The Underdog,” the major hit from 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga has now crossed two decades and generations of music lovers (and various forms of media), it is truly their entire discography that makes them worthy of their legendary status. Officially forming in 1993, this band has been delivering some of the most interesting, swag-inducing, danceable indie-rock-pop of the last three decades. Led by our favorite madman/genius/swaggery crooner, Britt Daniel, Spoon, despite its numerous lineup changes, has never failed to remain consistently great. They still sound as sharp as ever, and the interplay between this tour’s five-piece remains unrivaled.
I’ve seen legacy bands with too many members on stage. Acts that made me realize if one of them disappeared or simply stopped playing, I wouldn’t notice a difference in the sound. Spoon is uniquely the opposite of this. Their arrangements have always been one-of-a-kind, but the way each member contributes is like a load-bearing wall of musical foundational structuring. Full stereo sound in five parts.
The way both Daniel and guitarist Gerardo Larios play off of one another is entirely different from the standard “lead/rhythm” duology of most guitar-driven rock music. It’s less strumming chords and more pulling strings like they’re trying to rip them off the guitar, and they do it in perfect, synchronous harmony. The way their interplay goes back and forth between groovy, sometimes bluesy riffs that create an overlap that then makes a whole new sound altogether when they strum complementary, discordant chords is something I rarely witness with bands like this. Occasionally, Larios would switch to an effects-heavy keyboard and swap instruments for his lead duties, creating the same interplay he has with Daniel on guitar with Alex Fischel on keys.
Spoon is a case of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” and it’s fucking rad to witness that type of dynamic interplay and on-stage musician-to-musician relationship. It showcases the immense individual value of each member of the band and comes across like a sonic puzzle–its image is only revealed with the placement of all its pieces.
But aside from the unique guitar shenanigans on display, we also have three additional critical members to round out said whole. Aforementioned keyboardist Alex Fischel commands the piano-led melodies for songs like “My Mathematical Mind” and substitutes the studio horns for keys in “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” and “The Underdog,” creating a whole new, yet familiar sound for each. His role in reworking certain songs for live performances and acting as a rhythmic mainstay proves him equally essential to the guitars. Bassist Ben Trokan holds everything together with hypnotic basslines that lead the melodies up and down, back and forth, and drummer (and the only other founding member) Jim Eno gets to bear the heft of the load as both snappy time-keeper and playful smasher of his kit.
Their last album, Lucifer on the Sofa, is over four years old now, meaning this isn’t a tour to promote it. So the pressure was off, and, as Britt Daniels said prior to diving into “My Mathematical Mind,” that gets him feeling loose. After witnessing the musical journey through thirty years of the band’s history, it seems this co-headlining stint was indeed just for fun. Maybe they’re just trying to stay sharp for the next tour following the release of their currently-in-progress next album? Or they’re just longstanding musical legends still at the top of their game who love performing… Either way, this is a band that has yet to experience any sort of decline or misstep. And that in and of itself is a miracle. So whatever the reason they’re playing, next time, don’t miss it.
*By the time this was posted, the Phillies did the exact same thing again** the following night in game 3 of the series… what a time to be alive. Go Phils.
**OK, seriously, now it’s three times they did it…
SPOON SETLIST:
Take a Walk
Wild
The Hardest Cut
I Turn My Camera On
My Mathematical Mind
The Way We Get By
Stay Don't Go
Something to Look Forward To
The Underdog
I Summon You
Out Go the Lights
Inside Out
Lose Control
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
Rent I Pay
Encore:
Do You
Got Nuffin
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