Tackling Rush’s songs is no easy feat, even for experienced musicians. But when teen band F.A.T. Betty took on the Canadian legends’ 1980 classic “The Spirit of Radio”, the youngsters knocked the intense musical workout right out of the park! You just have to smile watching the five-piece lay out such a thunderous groove, making it all look easy, while frontwoman Petra Betti soared on Geddy Lee’s iconic vocal lines. 1.8 million fans couldn’t get enough.
The Marin, California high school band delivered their viral cover at the San Anselmo Teen Battle of the Bands in May 2025. The live setting in a park made the cover all the more impressive. After all, in a studio cut, you can hide behind a bunch of edits and fixes. But at this kind of outdoor gig, you just have to nail it all in one take. Unsurprisingly, F.A.T. Betty won first place in the competition. It’d sure be a tough gig to be the next band going on after them.
F.A.T. Betty’s line-up features Petra Betti (vocals), Teo Donnelley (keyboard), Finian Donnelley (guitar), Isabella Lindsay (bass) and Apollo Burton (drums). The band describe themselves as a teen rock band that performs originals and covers from acts such as Rush, Led Zeppelin and Steely Dan. These kids certainly have impeccable taste!
F.A.T. Betty have already gained quite a bit of traction online despite only starting to upload their performances relatively recently. The band made their first upload on YouTube on April 1, 2025, with a cover of Lake Street Dive’s “Hypotheticals”. Their performance at the San Anselmo Teen Battle of the Bands was their first clip to gain more than a million views on YouTube. More recently, the band tackled another progressive rock standard with their take on Rush’s “Tom Sawyer”.
For longtime fans of prog rock, seeing young musicians embrace intricate arrangements struck a chord. Many viewers found it refreshing to see high schoolers throw themselves into classic rock. Viewers added comments such as “There’s hope for the future generation if they are playing Rush!” and “That is NOT an easy song to play and these kids absolutely nailed it.”
The San Anselmo trophy was hardly a fluke. F.A.T. Betty followed up their victory by winning the San Francisco Rock Project’s Bands of the Bay competition and landing a showcase at the town’s Teen Band Takeover. They have also built up a following of 20,000 subscribers on YouTube. We have to say the future of rock is in safe hands with this kind of talent on the scene!