From straight lines to circles, The Beths really know their shapes. We caught them at the very well-attended second of two nights at the always amazing Fillmore in SF. They worked their way through some 18 odd songs, half of which can be found on their extraordinary new album Straight Line was A Lie.
If you don’t know The Beths, they are among New Zealand’s finest exports. Fans of Rilo Kiley, Waxahatchee, and Hop Along will find much to love in their music. The Beths play a melodic, emotionally charged guitar-forward flavor of rocky pop (or poppy rock?). But The Beth’s greatest strength lies in their hooks – every song is loaded with them, one after the other! It’s unbelievable. I first was introduced to the band on a trip to New Zealand late last year, driving around Dunedin listening to Expert in a Dying Field, distractedly wowed by the quality of those songs as I was simultaneously trying to catch up with old friends.
The Beths dazzled the audience with tight musicianship – most surprisingly with a dueling recorder solo during the middle of “No Joy.” Bassist/recorderist Ben Sinclair, who doubles as the band’s blogger and local food reviewer, shared that, while they were unable to make it to the iconic Taco Bell in Pacifica, they instead spent the morning trekking around the Presidio. A fine way to spend a Sunday in San Francisco if you ask me. Drummer Tristan Deck and guitarist Jonathan Pearce also played brilliantly, alongside chief Beth herself Elizabeth Stokes – whose songs anchor the entire experience and firmly wedge themselves into the listeners’ minds.
They were joined by opener Phoebe Rings, who charmed the crowd in just 7 dreamy songs – many of which can be found on their 2025 release Asurai. Vocalist and keyboardist Crystal Choi played lush chords and told endearing stories, while bassist Benjamin Locke and drummer Alex Freer rode tight, steady grooves. But of particular note were guitarist and synthesizer player Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent’s solos – including a particularly blistering guitar one in “Mandarin Tree” and a wobbly spaceship synthesizer one in their penultimate song “Drifting.”
Another highlight at The Fillmore? The apples! Perhaps gone are the days when you’d get a mealy red delicious; instead they had a whopping pile of delicious Fujis!
Photos of both bands can be seen in the gallery above. The Beths have about a million shows more on this tour (see below). If they’re traveling anywhere within a 900 mile radius of your city, you should really really go.
The Beths 11/09/25 Setlist (Via Setlist.fm):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. Happy Unhappy
9. Out of Sight
10. When You Know You Know
11. Mosquitoes
12. Ark of the Covenant
13. Jump Rope Gazers
14. Best Laid Plans
15. Little Death
16. I’m Not Getting Excited
17. Expert in a Dying Field
18. Take (Encore)
Phoebe Rings 11/09/2025 Setlist (Via Setlist.fm):
1. January Blues
2. Lazy Universe
3. Ocean
4. Aseurai
5. Mandarin Tree
6. Drifting
7. Cheshire
SOCIAL LINKS
thebeths.com • instagram.com/thebeths • facebook.com/thebethsnz • youtube.com/c/thebeths
The Beths Upcoming Tour Dates:
NOV 12, 2025, Ace Of Spades, Sacramento, CA
NOV 14, 2025, McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
NOV 15, 2025, The Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA
NOV 16, 2025, Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
NOV 18, 2025, Metro Music Hall, Salt Lake City, UT
NOV 19, 2025, Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
NOV 21, 2025, The Truman, Kansas City, MO
NOV 22, 2025, Palace Theatre, Saint Paul, MN
NOV 23, 2025, The Salt Shed, Chicago, IL
NOV 25, 2025, Globe Iron, Cleveland, OH
NOV 26, 2025, Roxian Theatre, McKees Rocks, PA
NOV 27, 2025, The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON
NOV 28, 2025, The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON
NOV 29, 2025, Théâtre Beanfield, Montreal, QC
DEC 1, 2025, Royale, Boston, MA
DEC 2, 2025, Royale, Boston, MA
DEC 3, 2025, Fete Music Hall, Providence, RI
DEC 5, 2025, Brooklyn Paramount Theater, New York, NY
DEC 6, 2025, Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
DEC 7, 2025, Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
DEC 9, 2025, 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.
DEC 10, 2025, 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.
FEB 24, 2026, WWW X, Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
FEB 25, 2026, Yogibo Meta Valley, Osaka, Japan
MAR 13, 2026, Meow Nui, Wellington, New Zealand
MAR 14, 2026, Meow Nui, Wellington, New Zealand
MAR 20, 2026, Glenroy Auditorium, Dunedin, New Zealand
MAR 22, 2026, James Hay Theatre, Town Hall, Christchurch, New Zealand
MAR 23, 2026, Theatre Royal, Nelson, New Zealand
MAR 26, 2026, Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand
MAR 27, 2026, Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand
APR 17, 2026, The Gov, Adelaide, Australia
APR 18, 2026, Astor Theatre, Perth, Australia
APR 23, 2026, The Tivoli, Brisbane City, Australia
APR 24, 2026, The Roundhouse, Sydney, NSW
APR 25, 2026, Forum Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
