Written By Nina Kremer | Album Artwork By Lily Paris West
“This is the weirdest show we’ve ever done,” laughed Stokes, the lead singer and songwriter of the Beths. What an understatement.
The Beths, an indie rock band from New Zealand, played an album release show for their fourth album “Straight Line was a Lie” on August 28, which was released the following day. The show took place at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, a unique, to say the least, venue for the pop-up show. Upon entrance I was not sure whether I was still in L.A. or if I had been transported to some other realm where puppets reigned supreme.
The theater is magical, and the curtains, chandeliers and red velvet stage create a truly grandiose yet whimsical atmosphere. In addition to bistro style seating areas and regular theater seats, guests have the option of sitting on the floor, which brought me back to my childhood days of going to the circus.
Before the opener, the puppeteers came out and performed a touching rendition of “Don’t Rain On My Parade” from the musical Funny Girl, sung by a bright yellow cat.
Opening for The Beths was comedian Margaret Cho, who began by asking, “Is this twee?”
In direct contrast to the childlike joy of the theater, Cho opened the show by cracking jokes about serious matters like the current state of the country, recent protests in L.A. and her experience with abortion. After she was done, as she said, "defiling" the theater, she introduced The Beths.
Jonathan Pearce (guitar), Benjamin Sinclair (bass) and Tristan Deck (drums) came out to teach the audience a song on the recorder. Every audience member was given a branded recorder at the start of the show and told that they would have the honor of performing alongside the group. The bandmates then attempted to train their very own “L.A. recorder orchestra,” as Sinclair said. Though one half of the theater was still somewhat flat, they were content with our progress, and brought out lead singer Stokes to jump into the show.
They began with the title track of the album, “Straight Line was a Lie,” immediately reminding the audience why they are really here — not for a puppet show, but for a rock show. The acoustics of the venue were incredible. It felt almost like listening to the studio version of the album, because the mix was so well balanced and the band was so in sync.
The puppets then came back to dance as the band transitioned into “No Joy,” a song about feeling apathetic which stood in direct contrast to the playful performance. A blue puppy came right up to the audience, sitting in audience members’ laps. The show suddenly felt like a rock ‘n’ roll episode of “Sesame Street” or a live music video. During the song it was time for the L.A. recorder orchestra to make their debut performance and the result was…flat. But that is okay, we tried our best.
The band then went back in time, playing “Knees Deep” from their previous album “Expert In a Dying Field.” During the song, ducks in rain coats ran around the stage as I sat in awe of the consistent clarity of Stokes’ voice. They then came back to the new album with “Metal,” as robot puppets, fittingly, dramatically acted out the lyrics of the song.
The first new song off of the album which they had not released previously was called “Til My Heart Stops.” An uncharacteristically soft track, Stokes sang while the stage lights went down and fairy lights twinkled behind her. The puppets also continued to correspond to the lyrics as skeletons rode bikes around as Stokes sang, “I wanna ride my bike in the rain.”
Between songs the band commented on their puppet co-stars.
“Those ducks, man. They know how to use those umbrellas…effectively,” Deck joked.
“Those robots have souls!” Pearce replied.
The rest of the band then joined the audience in sitting on the floor as Stokes began singing a sincere rendition of “Mother Pray for Me.” The song’s repetitive melody added to the message of trying to connect with a loved one, as it felt as though she was desperately trying to get her point across.
Afterwards, the band stood back up to perform an older song, “Happy Unhappy.” At several points in the show, I was admittedly surprised to find that some of the backing vocals — which I had assumed were Stokes’ vocals doubled — were actually Pearce. His higher register blended perfectly with Sinclair’s lower harmonies.
The second half of the set saw more favorites from previous albums like “When You Know You Know,” “Jump Rope Gazers,” “Little Death” and “Not Getting Excited,” mixed in with the latter half of the new album with “Mosquitos,” “Roundabout,” “Ark of the Covenant” and “Best Laid Plans.” There is an overarching romantic lightheartedness to the new album which was in keeping with their venue of choice.
Though I have seen The Beths perform before, I saw them in an entirely new light in this chaotic and cheerful space. This was not just any other show. This one truly felt like a joyous celebration of their new album. And The Beths are not just any band. They are true entertainers.
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