The BethTones began on a summer day in 1983 on the outskirts of Allentown, PA, when a couple of bored 14-year olds set out on a humble mission to become rock stars. We couldn’t really play any instruments, so cover songs were out — we’d start with all original songs. Mostly about our neighbors and stuff they were telling us about in high school health class. The band played rock and roll the way God, Joe Strummer, and local authorities intended: loud, fast, and with questionable judgement.

Jeff and Ritchie would end up studying at Lehigh University, where The ‘Tones re-formed in a new iteration, adding Doom on lead guitar, while Ritchie moved to drums. Bass playing duties were a revolving door in that era — Mihir and then Jen mostly, sometimes Jeffski in a pinch. The band wrote more songs, played some gigs at fraternity parties and any local bar that would have us. Our dream was to play at the world-famous Funhouse on East 4th St. in South Bethlehem, and ultimately Madison Square Garden.

A key stop on that journey was a College Battle of the Bands sponsored by MTV that took place on February 13th, 1988. We submitted an audition tape and shockingly were invited to participate. Part of me has always wondered if they even listened to our tape, or if they just wanted to see what would happen.

The stage in Grace Hall that night was incredible. It was huge. It had lights. We had monitors. They mic’d up the drum kit. There were pros mixing the sound like we were Van Halen at The Spectrum in Philly.

And they gave us a tape from the soundboard. That tape was gold.

We’d go our separate ways after college, deferring our dreams of rock star grandeur in favor of the usual stuff, like most sell-outs to the illusion of corporate American success.

But the spirit of The BethTones lives on. We still play some gigs. Mostly at The Funhouse. But not nearly as much as we’d like or the world needs.

Welcome to our digital home.

And if you don’t like it, stand outside.

Love,

The BethTones