The Beths @ The Royale 12/2

Photography by Kate Kotlyar

Review by Robin Sheng

On Dec. 2, 2025, New Zealand indie rock band The Beths delivered an amazing performance at the Royale in downtown Boston. The Beths have had a longstanding presence in the contemporary indie music sphere, having released four albums since their debut in 2018. They have been on tour across the US since October in promotion of their new album “Straight Line Was a Lie,” a record centered on mental health themes.

After a very appropriately delicate and thoughtful performance from opener Phoebe Ring, The Beths took the stage with the energetic opener “Straight Line Was a Lie”, the title track from their new album. The performance featured an impressive level of band cohesion, as every instrument came together with just the right amount of passion. This is especially apparent in the outro, where lead singer Elizabeth Stokes repeated “go around again” while the band continuously played on with meticulous coherence.

Their technical skills as a band were further demonstrated in “Silence Is Golden,” a fast and somewhat chaotic song that the band nevertheless managed to fully deliver. Lead guitarist Jonathan Pearce performed with such ample passion and finesse that it was impossible not to be impressed. Pearce’s guitar work on other songs such as “Til My Heart Stops” was much more delicate and indirect, aiming to capture atmosphere. In other performances, it is the drums from Tristan Deck that take the spotlight. This is especially the case for “Little Death,” a song about the desperate feeling of developing crushes. During the second verse, Deck’s drums splendidly mimic the sound of a heartbeat, vividly capturing the feeling of being in the vicinity of an unrequited love interest.

One aspect of the show that I greatly appreciated was the inclusion of songs from all of their albums across the setlist. When the band played “Metal,” the lead single from their newest album, right after “Future Me Hates Me,” their breakout song from their debut album, it became apparent how much the band has matured. “Future Me Hates Me,” with its catchy and rather angsty lead guitar line, is accompanied with more urgent and varied vocals from Stokes. By contrast, in “Metal,” Stokes sings with a much more direct and explanatory voice, as the song goes over complex themes about life. The juxtaposition of the two performances, both stellar in their own ways, displayed the diversity of expression that the Beths are capable of.

Another particular strength of the band that is especially notable in the live setting is their harmonies. Whether it is in the somewhat playful “No Joy” or the much more emotionally intimate “Not Running,” backing vocals from Pearce and bassist Benjamin Sinclair can be found to create an additional layer of expression. In the case of “Not Running,” they echo off Stokes’ lead vocal section, further escalating the emotional release of the song.

To top it off, the Beths are masters of creating a warm and amiable concert environment. This was mostly accomplished through an appropriate level of stage banter. I was particularly amused by their humorous remarks about the opener’s merchandise that also promoted the opener. Additionally, the setlist also included sudden switch-ups in atmosphere, which kept the audience in a state of surprise that further contributed to a positive concert environment. This is exemplified by the energetic outburst of “I’m Not Getting Excited” immediately following the catharsis of “Little Death.”

They also played a cover of the notable holiday song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” afterwards to lighten up the atmosphere. While I was not necessarily much of a fan of the cover itself, it certainly created a jolly feeling among the audience that served as an excellent transition to the concert closer “Expert in a Dying Field.” Overall, the Beths delivered a truly memorable performance with a set of songs that demonstrated the band’s diverse capabilities, leaving the audience excited for more material to come from them.