A Cozy Night With The Beths in Philadelphia
- Emma Zoe Polyak
- Dec 13, 2025
- 2 min read
Seeing The Beths on their second sold-out night at Union Transfer felt like a warm homecoming for me. As a Kiwi, I’ve been cheering on the Auckland band’s steady rise for years, and standing in a packed room full of devoted fans, it was impossible not to beam at just how far they’ve come.
Touring in support of their fourth album, Straight Line Was A Lie, The Beths brought a set that felt both tightly rehearsed and comfortably loose. The stage was dressed in cozy detail, with softly glowing lamps lining the back, reinforcing the band’s signature warmth even as their sound hit with more force live. Many of the songs carried a noticeably rockier edge than their recorded counterparts, adding to the energy in the room.
Earlier in the night, Philadelphia got a joyful introduction to Phoebe Rings, another Auckland-based band who were playing their first-ever U.S. shows as part of this tour. The group immediately set a warm tone, alternating between English and Korean songs. But it was when they spoke to the crowd that they won us over, their sweetness as memorable as their sound. Between songs, they shared that they were in Philadelphia for just two days and had already made the pilgrimage to Reading Terminal Market where the band tried a Philly cheesesteak, a rite of passage for any band touring through Philly. Musically, Phoebe Rings leaned into softness; their set was largely gentle and atmospheric, but threaded with funkier moments.
The Beth’s set was mostly made up of songs from their new album, and one of my favorite moments was when vocalist Elizabeth Stokes briefly stepped away from the full band for a solo performance of “Mother, Pray for Me,” offering a tender moment before the set picked back up. The show truly reinforced how powerful The Beths’ songwriting expands in a live setting, with the band’s chemistry shining through.
If you haven’t yet, I can’t encourage you enough to check out both The Beths and Phobe Rings – two wonderful examples of contemporary Aotearoa music. The Beths will continue touring in New Zealand and Australia in the new year, and I for one can’t wait to hear what they have coming next.
