The Beta Band’s Steve Mason played his first NYC show in 22 years at Le Poisson Rouge (review, pics, video, setlist)

It’s been 20 years since The Beta Band broke up, but frontman Steve Mason has kept the shuffle beat going via various solo projects (Black Affair, King Biscuit Time) ever since. Just not in North America. Tuesday night’s solo show at Le Poisson Rouge was his first NYC show since The Beta Band played The Roxy in 2002, not that he hasn’t tried to get here sooner. 

Those who had caught The Beta Band back in the day — with their two drummer setup — may have been a touch disappointed to see that Mason is only backed by keyboardist Darren Morris on this tour, with a pair of bongos by Mason’s mic stand, but the pair made the most of it for what was a very entertaining show that found Mason still sounding fantastic and an engaging performer even with some canned backing. 

It helps that Mason is touring in support of Brothers & Sisters, his best record since The Beta Band and his most fiery, angry, politically-minded batch of songs ever. “Would you like to hear a song about the slow steady decline of the UK?,” he said introducing “I”m on My Way,” but it could’ve been for any of the album’s songs. He played the lion’s share of the album, which was just as rousing and head bobbing as Beta Band songs “Dog’s Got a Bone,” “Dr Baker,” “Inner Meet Me,” and “Squares,” which closed out the main set.

Mason was in good spirits and clearly glad to be back, and burned off a little excess energy at one point by doing a few spontaneous push-ups. He played guitar on a few songs and bongos/cowbell on a few others, but was just as magnetic holding the mic and encouraging audience sing-alongs. The energy level went up when Mason got the crowd to nestle in close to the stage. “Now we can have what the old timers used to call ‘a gig,’” he said.

The show ended with “Dry the Rain,” The Beta Band’s 1997 single made famous in John Cusack’s High Fidelity film (“I will now sell 5 copies of The Three E.P’s by the Beta Band”) and Brothers & Sisters standout “The People Say” that had the whole crowd chanting along. Let’s hope he doesn’t wait another 22 years before coming back

Check out photos by P Squared from the whole night (including openers Bellows who I missed), plus the LPR setlist and video from the show, below.

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SETLIST: Steve Mason @ Le Poisson Rouge 4/23/2024
No More
I’m on My Way
Planet Sizes
Dog’s Got a Bone
Let It Go
Dr. Baker
Fox on the Rooftop
Travelling Hard
Brothers & Sisters
Upon My Soul
I Walk the Earth
Squares

Encore:
Inner Meet Me
Dry the Rain
The People Say