The Beths – Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 (ORCHID VINYL) 2LP Discount

The Beths Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 begins with crowd screeches and bellows. It s a collective exhalation, in one of the few countries where live music is still possible. The album title, and film of the same name, deliberately include the date and location. In a mid-pandemic world, playing to a heaving, enraptured home crowd feels miraculous. In March 2020, everything seemed on track for another huge year for The Beths. Home after an 18-month northern hemisphere tour, they had just finished recording sophomore album Jump Rope Gazers and were primed for more extensive touring. But within days, New Zealand s lockdown split the band between three separate houses. All touring was cancelled. The band found an outlet through live-streaming, returning to the DIY mentality of their early days to connect with a global audience. The album and film have their genesis in that urge to share the now-rare experience of a live show, as widely as possible.