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It seems like every time The Beths hit Cleveland, the band comes with more to offer.
Now, that may just be the arc of a talented group expanding its repertoire one album at a time, but in this case it’s laudable. Over four albums and endless touring, the Auckland, New Zealand indie quartet has refined and broadened its harmony-laden power-pop stylings, incorporating both harsher and more delicate tones to what began as deceptively simple but incredibly catchy songs. The sound never veers far from where it originated but the tweaks show that the band, with each successive record, is willing to grow.
That growth continued on this year’s “Straight Line Was a Lie” and was on display Tuesday during a 90-minute show at the 1,200-capacity Globe Iron. From the feedback-drenched “Silence Is Golden” to the spare “Mother, Pray for Me” played solo by lead singer and guitarist Elizabeth Stokes, the show was another solid outing from a band with considerable strengths as a live unit.
The Beths have stopped in Northeast Ohio multiple times since releasing its debut album in 2018, and its last appearance was a sold-out 2023 show at the Beachland Ballroom. At the time, I wondered if the band would ever play a venue that small again.
Well, I can’t tell the future, but it filled a venue twice that size on Tuesday night, and with good reason.
Starting out with the title track of its new album, the highlights were many. The band blasted through 17 songs, from the R.E.M.-inspired flourishes on “Metal” to the zippy “I’m Not Getting Excited” to moody show closer “Take.”
The interplay between the musicians was tight, and save for a few flourishes by guitarist Jonathan Pearce and drummer Tristan Deck, nothing about the concert was overly showy. The stage setup was minimal, except for a banner behind the musicians and six strategically-placed, color-changing lamps.
Less than a decade into its career, the band’s sound became even more dynamic. That was on full display on new songs “Mosquitoes” and “Best Laid Plans,” which blew away their studio counterparts as they crescendoed to powerful finishes.
The band has proved itself on record and in the studio, knows its strengths and when to tweak. Its growth has been steady, and if it keeps it up, there’s no telling what heights are in reach.
The Beths’ city mates, Phoebe Rings, opened with a 30-minute set of pleasant and inoffensive tunes with bits of 1960s French pop and R&B thrown in the mix. Lead singer Crystal Choi, positioned behind her Korg synthesizer, has an ethereal voice that blended well with the rest of the quartet’s music, even if there weren’t any melodies memorable enough to remember once a song finished.
More shots of the action are below following the setlist.
Setlist:
1. Straight Line Was a Lie
2. No Joy
3. Silence Is Golden
4. Future Me Hates Me
5. Metal
6. Til My Heart Stops
7. Mother, Pray for Me
8. River Run: Lvl 1
9. Your Side
10. Mosquitoes
11. Ark of the Covenant
12. Jump Rope Gazers
13. Best Laid Plans
14. Little Death
15. I’m Not Getting Excited
16. Expert in a Dying Field
Encore:
17. Take
Eric Heisig is a freelance writer in Cleveland. He can be reached at eheisig@gmail.com.
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