The Beths at The Palace (November 22, 2025)
- Straight Line Was a Lie
- No Joy
- Silence Is Golden
- Future Me Hates Me
- Metal
- Til My Heart Stops
- Mother, Pray for Me
- Dying to Believe
- Idea/Intent
- Knees Deep
- Mosquitoes
- Roundabout
- Jump Rope Gazers
- Best Laid Plans
- Little Death
- I’m Not Getting Excited
- Expert in a Dying Field— Encore —
- Take
- 11/26 – McKees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre
- 11/27 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
- 11/28 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
- 11/29 – Montreal, QC – Théâtre Beanfield
- 12/1 – Boston, MA – Royale
- 12/2 – Boston, MA – Royale
- 12/3 – Providence, RI – Fête Music Hall
- 12/5 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
- 12/6 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
- 12/7 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
- 12/9 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
- 12/10 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
New Zealand’s The Beths returned to the Twin Cities after a short break (this site last saw them in 2023), bringing with them a new album (Straight Line Was a Lie) but the same disarming, high-energy sincerity that has made them a beloved presence on the indie circuit.
They arrived to a stage dressed like a whimsical greenhouse—their name spelled out in flowers and leaves, flanked by mismatched department-store lamps. They also brought a new gag: foot-powered launchers that catapulted plastic recorders into the band’s hands on cue. Mildly dangerous, very charming.
They opened with new material: “Straight Line Was a Lie” into “No Joy,” both strong additions to their expanding catalog. The crowd was interested—warm, not quite lit—until the band detonated “Silence Is Golden.” The false ending sounded awesome, and the room flipped from attentive to electric.
Frontwoman Elizabeth Stokes thanked opener Phoebe Rings, requesting “the traditional form of clapping,” prompting drummer Tristan Deck to propose alternative techniques like flappy-armed “speed clapping.” The crowd attempted this with chaotic enthusiasm. Stokes later took the stage solo for “Mother Pray for Me,” a stripped-down, emotional highlight that underlined something essential about the Beths: the songs appear plain until you realize the melodies are quietly acrobatic, the emotions are unscreened, and Stokes’s voice is doing difficult work with unshowy poise. She isn’t playing a character. The vulnerability is sort of rare in today’s indie rock scene.
Mid-set brought a genuine surprise: “Idea/Intent,” their debut single from 2015, played as a special “request.” It was a reminder of how much punch they used to pack—faster, louder, more caffeinated. A small part of the audience may still crave a full-tilt punk-steeped Insomniac-style ripper from them, but that’s no longer who they are. The tradeoff is worth it: the ballads have gotten better, the mid-tempo songs deeper. The Palace was not sold out, but still full, proof of a band connecting with an international audience.
Halfway through a six-week tour (many cities getting two-night runs), the group seemed loose, rested, and delighted to be there. Their egalitarian band-introduction segment—each member introducing the next—reinforced the collaborative, good-humored vibe. Guitarist Jonathan Pearce attempted local banter about the “Minnesota Wilds” (plural), a setup for a joke about the Beths buying both the NHL team and New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team and moving them to St. Louis. The audience wasn’t totally with them on the All Blacks reference, but the charm was undeniable—like receiving intergalactic news from a friendly alien.
Phoebe Rings opened with a breezy, city-pop shimmer: dreamy vocals, Nile Rodgers-esque rhythm guitar, soft synths, and a late-set detour into unexpectedly heavy keys. They slipped in a Korean-language song, joked about jet-lag and tourist stuff (they took a walk and touched a river — “the famous Mississippi?” “I don’t know?”) and generally kept things feather-light. At the front of the room they were quiet enough that the bar chatter occasionally leaked through, but their vibe held: cheery, maybe a little sleepy, but sweetly captivating.
Overall, the night was a triumph. The Beths continue to evolve their singular place in indie rock, marrying tight power-pop craftsmanship with warm, offbeat stage presence. They remain fast, fun, emotionally sharp, and—judging by tonight’s crowd—without peer in their lane.
