The Beths at First Ave (03/20/2023)

Setlists The Beths Setlist Future Me Hates Me Knees Deep Out of Sight You Wouldn’t Like Me Your Side Best Left I Want to Listen Head in the Clouds Don’t Go Away Jump Rope Gazers Less Than Thou I Told You That I Was When You Know You Know I’m Not Getting Excited Silence Is Golden Expert in a Dying Field -- Encore -- You Are a Beam of Light Little Death Sidney Gish Setlist Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second (STRFKR cover) Rat of the City Where the Sidewalk Ends I Eat Salads Now Sin Triangle Persephone Filming School Presumably Dead Arm Not but for You, Bunny Read More The Beths Tribune called The Beths, one of the “best up-and-coming bands”, so we were really eager to catch this young New Zealand trio (Elizabeth Stokes, Jonathan Pearce and ....

The return of The Beths to the Twin Cities officially ushered in the first day of spring. Who cares if there was snow with most still wearing their ski caps. For a brief time at First Ave one could believe winter’s grip was finally losing its hold.

Sidney Gish opened the evening of the sold out show. The signer-songwriter from Boston played the electric guitar while working a row of foot pedals to augment her sound with bass, percussions and the occasional synth chords.

Gish played songs from her two albums Ed Buys Houses and No Dogs Allowed. “I Eat Salads Now” had a soulful, bouncy vibe in which Gish referenced in her lyrics that she was 26 years old. By chance, her actual birthday was a couple days ago and she was in fact turning 26. She said that it was the perfect moment for The Beths to come on stage with cake and balloons when she sang the line.

“Persephone” got a big applause when announced. Gish then accidentally added a layer of synth to the song, but she said: “This is fun!” Aka let’s roll with the new sound.

The highlight of the set was “Presumably Dead Arm” a stream of conscience whisper that Gish sung along with the crowd as the words and music grew into a crescendo “… with a vengeance, it seems.”

Setlist

The Beths opened up their set with “Future Me Hates Me” and then a crowd favorite: “You Wouldn’t like Me.” The band from Auckland, New Zealand was nice enough to return to the Twin Cities after their show was originally cancelled on February 22^nd due to you guessed it: a massive snow storm.

So they rescheduled one last show on their American tour, which lead singer, Elizabeth Stokes, said was symbiotic, since they ended their last American tour at the Fine Line in March of 2022. The giant fish that was so prominent on their tour didn’t make it to First Ave, though, for The Beths and Sidney Gish had to hop on a plane from San Francisco just to make it to the show.

Even though the lead guitarist, Jonathon Pearce, had the word RAGE embossed on his sweatshirt do not be fooled. This is a nice group of musicians with Benjamin Sinclair on bass and Tristan Deck on drums. Sidney Gish described her touring companions as the band you would see in a cartoon. There is a definite brightness in their sound and lushness in their four-person harmony even if the lyrics delve into the angst and worry of everyday life.

This robust sound was best exemplified in “Jump Rope Gazers”. But it was the high-spirited songs like “Don’t Go Away” and “I’m Not Getting Excited” that demonstrated their skills as a tight-knit group as they careened, even shifting speeds and chords midstream.

There won’t be much time for relaxation for this most sought after band. Soon, they tour Europe, then summer music festivals in the United States. And if you missed their show at First Ave, they will be back, opening for The National at The Armory on August 9^th.

Don’t worry! There is little chance the show will be cancelled due to snow.

The Beths

Sidney Gish Sidney Gish The Beths The Beths The Beths

The Beths at First Avenue, Minneapolis (20 Mar 2023)

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