Heavens To Betsy, Tuffie, Scrunchies
Fine Line
Minneapolis, MN
October 16, 2026
I'm still a little confused that this show didn't sell out, but I imagine that brand recognition is a real thing here. Heavens To Betsy, for those who don’t know, were an Oregon duo active from 1991-1994, featuring drummer/bassist Tracy Sawyer and singer/guitarist/drummer Corin Tucker -- better known for her next band, Sleater-Kinney.
And while I've always enjoyed Sleater-Kinney, the rough-around-the-edges raw sound of Heavens To Betsy really hit me much more personally. The band were very young and that raw sound is a perfect fit for their blunt lyrics that pushed boundaries in that 1990s way. It's sometimes extremely vulnerable music. More often it's venting about a bad day in the service industry or raging against a horrific male-dominant culture. Rage was probably the word of the day during their 2026 tour kickoff show in Minneapolis, though Tucker (now in her 50s) reframes it as a call for positive action.
But I jumped right into the moment instead of building up. Which is a mistake because a show like this isn’t just about a reunion show -- which took place on the date of the band’s new album, a collection of demos and rarities called baby’s gone. This was a show about the power of music, spanning generations and the ongoing need for community amid struggle. While I won't lie and pretend that my night wasn't about seeing Heavens To Betsy, the night (overall) was about how the scene is just as vibrant as in the mid '90s, in both similar and different ways.
Twin Cities locals Scrunchies were up first. They released Colossal in 2024, their fourth album and it was a personal favorite of 2024. They's good shit, playing Riot Grrl influenced rock ‘n’ roll with a wide range of emotion, volume and gravitas. Having seen the band a lot, I'm continually impressed at how tight their performances are. Even twice in 10 days, the set was varied and performed seemingly flawlessly. They focused on playing a quick, tight set with minimal speaking, but still paused with a humble note about playing with a band this influential in the lives of everybody in the room. After seeing them in a larger room with a different crowd earlier this month, this time the audience were clearly more familiar with the band with an energetic floor, even as the crowd was still filing in.
Tuffie were the middle act of the night and were dealing with illness and a substitute drummer, which likely explains their very short set. At first the sound was muffled up front, though I think that might just be their sound, as this show was my introduction to the band (also from the Twin Cities). I'll call it shoegazey with atmospheric vocals. The set list picked up the dynamics at the same time I found a new spot on the floor, building to a mood that was equally contemplative, somber and uplifting. The AI generator machine it “ethereal,” which is a pretty good word for it.
Even before Heavens To Betsy took the stage, I was impressed at their approach. There was no grand curtain. There was no team of sound engineers. This was a duo, who first met each other in middle school. That scrappy two-member approach carried through their stage presence and prep too. They weren't doing a job or boosting an ego. Sawyer and Tucker were on stage as their real selves.
After a slight break between bands, both members the stage together, first with Sawyer on drums and Tucker on guitar, later switching to Tucker on drums and Sawyer on bass, then back, then later with Sawyer on bass and Tucker on guitar with no drums. There were jokes about "getting in our cardio" with the switching of instruments, but the changeups weren't just about necessity. They set a tone of authenticity: using the right instrument combos to strike the mood of the song but also, effectively, making it a more personal experience for everybody. Heavens To Betsy's lyrics are blunt -- teenage journal blunt, at times -- and it's important to not come off as rock stars when playing such personal music. I don't know why they began as a duo back in 1991, but the format matches the mood perfectly. It was never grand or staged. It was just two vulnerable (but confident) artists sharing their work.
Even between songs, everything was down to earth and humble. There was a lot of reflection and at one time I thought of VH1 Storytellers, as both members would speak of how they met and even what happened on a particular day – ultimately leading to a song’s origin. It's somewhat startling to realize how those shitty days from four decades ago continue to haunt and influence daily life. Ultimately, that was theme here. These songs capture a moment in the artists lives, but they still live today just as strong.
As the first day of this tour, there were definitely a few hiccups. Politely, a few songs stopped and started over. There were jokes about forgetting lyrics and why, if nothing else, reforming was good excuse to "reclaim the material" because of questionable online sources for lyrics. But it all fit the mood. The entire show was intimate. The teenaged duo of from the ‘90s and are now returning to them, willing to put it all on stage in front of fresh audience of strangers with their own life experiences. After the show, the band immediately climbed off stage and into the crowd.
This was a great reunion show from an important band. Just as important: this was a gathering where a community could gather in a safe space to share their experiences.
The set pulled a great variety from their catalog. Baby’s gone set up the first half of the set, building into comp tracks and Calculated. No, they can't scream like teenagers anymore. More accurately, though, they choose not to. Like the statement at the start, the goal is different now. It was a powerful night I won't forget. And it was cool to see purses lined up on the edge of the stage/front row instead of that collection of empty PBR cans I see at most of the shows I attend.
