The night before Phono del Sol, you have the opportunity to get in a sweet darling hyperactive mood around people and bands that accept you and will tell you how much your feelings are valid. Oh, and it’s free.

The Total Bettys are a pop-punk band from San Francisco that embody everything San Francisco is supposed to feel like. They embody the reasons freaks and losers that want to move to San Francisco. They are the ones that still stand, though they have not been standing for long, but they’ve helped people up so they could all stand together in the short amount of time they have been standing at all. They are the anxious, the queer, the weirdos, the too excited to see a friend in public, and the not afraid to embarrass themselves. They are a band that have done nothing but bring me joy, support, and friendship since I first saw them live. I am their biggest fan and they are mine.

The Total Bettys recently released their debut album Peach (via Lauren Records) is everything I had been waiting for from them. An album that pumps me up in a way only The Total Bettys could, because they are not afraid about singing about mental illness. They take the anxious energy and turn it into catchy lyrics and riffs that make it impossible for you to stay sad. Peach is an anti-anxiety med that doesn’t make me want to take a nap, it makes me want to get up and actually enjoy life.

The video for “I’ll Fix It” proves everything I’ve been saying. They even invited fans, friends, and strangers to participate. The crowd/live shots were also all filmed at the local DIY space Oakland.Secret.

The Total Bettys, Long Knives, Try The Pie (solo)
El Rio
June 16, 2017
7:30pm, FREE (21+)