I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: December 6, 2025] The Beta Band

When The Beta Band’s 3 EPs came out, I was totally on board.  It was weird–electronic but folky, tape manipulation and craziness but also catchy melodies. And then it got a huge boost on the movie High Fidelity and I felt strangely vindicated.  I bought their second album too.

And then I pretty much forgot about them.  They put out another album in 2004 but I didn’t get it and then they broke up.

When this tour was announced–20 years(ish) since they broke up and 23 years since they played Philadelphia, I immediately grabbed a ticket, assuming it would sell out in a second.

When the date rolled around, I wasn’t entirely sure I still wanted to go.  I mean, how much did I really like that album?  But since there was no opening act and it promised to be a fun show, I went.  And I’m really glad I did.

When I arrived there was a hooded and face-covered DJ playing songs.  I don’t know who he was–maybe he was in the band?  And around 15 or 20 minutes later, the show opened with a short film they made (presumably a long time ago or maybe it was a recent film using old footage) and it was hilarious.  Very Terry Gilliam in its cheap-lookingness and absurdity but a really fun look at the guys doing silly things twenty some years ago.

And then the band came out.  The four original Betas were present and were wearing color coded jumpsuits: Robin Jones (yellow; drums), John Maclean (pink; keys), Richard Greentree (green I think; bass), Steve Mason (gray, I think; vocals and guitar).  Of course, unexpectedly to me, they switched instruments a bunch.  There was even a secondary drumset for Steve to play which said Jack’s Away on the drum head.  They were immediately fun and kind of silly but very serious about the music.  And they immediately did not play The Three EPs in order.

John did some turntable scratching (quite well) to much applause.  And then Steve played acoustic guitar and stood up front singing (his distinctive voice sounds the same).  John Maclean had a whole array of instruments around him and even play jaw harp on She’s the One.  Mid song he wandered over and played cowbells on their cowbell stand (which Richard had been playing earlier in the song–that’s right, no bass).  Steve switched to the congas set up at the front of the stage and then moved over to the bongoes for even more percussion.

And that was all the first two songs.  They moved onto The Beta Band album (not an EP) and Steve was on electric guitar.  I had forgotten how much I liked It’s Not Too Beautiful and I LOVED the way the kept up the weird trippy middle part just like the record–swirling violin samples, with Steve singing a main part (and keeping the beat on his thigh) while John and Richard sang the It’s not too beautiful me now.

For Push It Out, there was a roomwide clap along while Steve played the vibra slap.  Robin joined John by the keys as they each played some part of the song.

And then Robin was up front playing guitar for Needles in My Eyes!  John had the bass and Steve was over at the keys.  Robin even played a guitar solo (not bad for a drummer).  For Dogs Got a Bone, it was like an old school folk scene, with Richard sitting down and Robin playing congas.

It was fun to hear Dr. Baker but everyone got really excited for B+A which ultimately led to John on bongos, Steve on congas, Richard on the cowbell tree and Robin on the drums.  But holy cow, the explosion of sound from the crowd when they played Dry the Rain!

John bouncing around by his keys while Robin played congas.  Richard on bass and Steve on electric guitar.  And when it hit the middle part, Robin raced back to the kit and John grabbed the trumpet as everyone sang I will be your light I will be your light.

Fascinatingly, that wasn’t the end of the show or even the main set  They had one more song, Broke, before they took an encore break.  For Broke, Steve went to the tiny drum kit while Robin stayed at the main kit.

Throughout the show they had videos projected behind them, as if there wasn’t already so much to look at.  They were varied and appropriate for each song and they added some nice colors to the scene.

For the encore  they started with I Know, that simple guitar melody with, once again, Richard and John singing the repeated parts.  Things got really fun during Squares, with John playing all kinds of sounds while Steve engaged the audience “I see the people, but they didn’t make a sound.”

As the show came to and end, everyone was on percussion, and John did a bit more record scratching.  Then he moved to the congas.  And as the show ended, Robin was at the kit, Steve was at the smaller kit, Richard was playing the cowbell tree and John was banging cybals on the main drum kit.  Four guys having a blast after 20 years apart.

It was a really fun and wonderfully uplifting show and I’m so glad I went.

1. Inner Meet Me ¶
2. She’s the One ¶
3. It’s Not Too Beautiful ß 
4. Assessment Ø
5. Alleged ½
6. Push It Out £
7. Needles in My Eyes £
8. Dog’s Got a Bone €
9. Dr. Baker £
10. B + A €
11. Dry the Rain €
12. Broke ½
    encore
13. I Know €
14. Squares ½
15. The House Song ¶

€ Champion Versions EP (1997)
¶ The Patty Patty Sound EP (1998) [did not play The Monolith]
£ Los Amigos del Beta Banditos EP (1998) [did not play It’s Over]
ß  The Beta Band (1999)
½ Hot Shots II (2001)
Ø Heroes to Zeroes (2004)