The Best Betts: Friendship in the Plum Jungle

Covid was a weird time. We listened to music, microwaved mail, and made sourdough – among other things. About two weeks before the shutdown, I was scrambling to host an event at SBCAST – the Swiss-Army Bauhaus facility where I was living at the time. Running up and down the stairs from my studio with boxes in my arms and sweat in my eyes… two 20-somethings popped out from the studio across from me. 

“Hi! You’re doing an event! Can we help!?”

I smiled – but internally rolled my eyes. Sure I had seen them the day before hauling their own boxes and sweat up the stairs, but hey, that’s moving… This was the first time I met Ben and Lindsay – my soon to become friends, family, and a relationship that I consider to be one of the best things to happen to me personally during the pandemic. 

A couple weeks ago (or whatever) when Ben texted me to help get his word out about the album, I didn’t respond. Because of course. And here we are.

Familiar Feels: the EP

Yes, Ben Betts is releasing his new album Plum Jungle with a live performance at Buena Onda on Friday, October 17, 6:30-9:30 pm. Did I look up the album before writing this? No. 

But I have heard Ben play. You’ve probably actually heard him play. Not on the radio singing power ballads when you’re driving wistfully off into the horizon. Or even in the background of an eatery as you and your friends strain your voices and regret walking towards the sign that said “live music.” 

How you’ll recognize his “sound” is more by feel than song or venue names. It’s likely been walking along State Street, or sitting at a winery, maybe even on a harbor cruise. You’ll be talking to friends, enthralled in conversation and then you’ll notice a gentle plucking at your mind. Something just off in the periphery. Not really asking to be looked at. Or danced with. It’s just there, moving with you. Then you’ll notice off in a corner – the solo man standing around his shining steel drum. 

To call Ben a one-man band is a bit of a cliché. Let’s call him a one-person ‘feel.’ Sure he has steel drums – the more recognizable of his instruments – but look down as he plays and there are also loopers, guitars, and the occasional bowing of a saw. He does his own spin on cover music. There’s nothing like watching people walk along State Street and suddenly realize they’re hearing Britney Spears’ “Toxic” on steel drum. His original works are just as catchy – with the same kind of familiarity that draws people in from the streets or their own mind. 

I’m actually not a huge fan of live music at breweries or wineries; unless, of course, I’m going there to see live music or that specific band. Ben’s skill as a performer is in his gestalt. He is just as easy to listen to as he is to talk over in a brewery. You can sit there and be entertained with his performance, or just let it sink into the background as you enjoy the moment or others – that is a skill I have not noticed in a lot of other “live music” performers at spots around town. It may be a Yananoli Street bar you’re hearing that loud band from, but this is
their Woodstock.

Traipsing into the ‘Plum Jungle’

Ben and Lindsay moved to Santa Barbara (and more specifically, SBCAST) that fateful, sweaty aforementioned day without many connections or ties to the area, just a wonderful sense of “why not?” We spent those next few weeks in six-foot distanced laughter, deep thoughts, and joy – a freshly formed bubble with newfound friendship. When things started opening up, Ben would drag his steel drums down to State Street and busk. Linds and I would hang out upstairs, waiting for him to come back (and to count tips). 

Fast forward a few hundred memories and years. We’ve all spent time with each other’s families – shared holidays, tears, and the complex emotional tapestry that lives weave. Our friends and families “feel” like family to one another. 

Coming from a creative family, I immediately recognized the heart and raw talent contained in the Betts family. His dad, Brad Betts, has now exhibited several times at Art & Soul; his mom, Danny, a powerhouse in east coast architecture; his younger brother, Sam, a whirlwind of wit and sculptural skill. I’m just as excited to see the Betts’ visit as I am when my own family comes to town. 

And yes, the family will be there at the Buena Onda party, selling coffee (also called Plum Jungle) that they hand roast and serve in their family’s Maine-based art gallery. To get a better sense of the album title, I texted Ben for a meaning behind the term Plum Jungle. Ben responded: 

Plum Jungle takes its name from the fleeting sweetness found in life’s wildest moments. Inspired by the idea that our most intense times often become our most cherished in hindsight, the album invites listeners to find beauty in the chaos.

I’m no music expert. There’s a reason that Ben continues to get gigs, make music, and I’m writing this. It’s why we all want to traipse into Ben’s Plum Jungle of creativity: What they hear is real. What they see is charming. And what they feel is talent. 

In family we try not to play favorites… in the same way we probably shouldn’t play “best” with friends. In the Betts family, I’m not sure if Ben is the best, but he sure is my favorite. 

Have I listened to the album? No. But I know it’s good. The same way I know Ben put his heart and talent into it. The same way I know him, the Betts, and I are going to laugh about this article – We’re friends. We’re family. 

I really do hope you listen to the album, go to the event, make friends with the Betts family, buy their stuff and do these things because I feel it’s a good bet… it might be The Best Betts.