I think the last couple of shows they played in Chicago were sold out. The one next week is so sold out I didn't even see any secondary market tickets available, though I lucked into a pair. Psyched, it's been possibly 10 years since I last saw them.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 13 March 2023 20:45 (one year ago) link
I don't know the answer to that, but I was somewhat (and happily) surprised by the age range of the show I saw. I expected a lot of Gen Xers like me, and we were certainly a good chunk of the audience, but a lot of 20-30-somethings too. I don't even know where people hear Yo La Tengo these days, but the crowd seemed well versed in the material.
When I saw their free show in Central Park in 2017, that was pretty much the age group around me - not far from college age, if at all.
FWIW, I was in the very front and the highlight was when Ira climbed over the barrier, seemingly towards me. When he jumped down the stage holding his guitar, I got a little concerned - irrationally but given the determination and speed with which he was moving, it just instinctively felt like he was going to come after me or something. Instead, he thrust his guitar into the hands of the guy next to me and told him to play. He stepped away for a bit, and then after about 10 or 15 seconds, he motioned to the guy to pass the guitar to me, i.e. we all get a turn going down the line. It was awesome, and with my guitar experience limited to a classical guitar class I took in school, I was mightily impressed by how much that guitar weighed and how poorly I would do to just hold it for a few hours.
― birdistheword, Monday, 13 March 2023 21:51 (one year ago) link
My story is back in 1993 or so they played at my college for a handful of people, and a friend insisted I get my picture taken with Ira:
https://i.imgur.com/GsEuN9L.jpg
He wrote a note on the back of a promo "Painful" sticker:
https://i.imgur.com/PPtoifK.jpg
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 13 March 2023 22:08 (one year ago) link
That's awesome.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Monday, 13 March 2023 22:12 (one year ago) link
Ahh, that's so cool!
― birdistheword, Monday, 13 March 2023 22:37 (one year ago) link
Was waiting for a band/musician to do this, and apparently based on a picture posted on Instagram earlier Yo La Tengo were one of them. Seems like Ira and James played in drag last night (or some version of it) to make a point. Good on them.
― grandavis, Tuesday, 14 March 2023 15:15 (one year ago) link
Yep, this is what I saw:
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 14 March 2023 15:16 (one year ago) link
yo la tengo protesting anti-drag laws tonight in tennessee, courtesy @JohnQBoxler. pic.twitter.com/kB6IvqUeZX— jesse jarnow (parody, i think?) (@bourgwick) March 14, 2023
xpost that's so awesome josh
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 14 March 2023 15:18 (one year ago) link
Aw I'm kinda sad I didn't see them in drag. What I get for seeing them in slightly-less-batshit NC. But good for them.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 14 March 2023 15:27 (one year ago) link
Been 9 years since Australia, fingers crossed they get back around here sometime
― hrep (H.P), Tuesday, 14 March 2023 22:46 (one year ago) link
Saw em in DC Sunday night. As an encore they did Adam & the Ants “Ant Music.” On Twitter I read that they had done that same song 25 years at the 930 Club in DC . James was on vocals and Ira was second drummer with Georgia
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 13:17 (one year ago) link
They did that here in ... 2000? When Lambchop opened, and came out later to help with "Antmusic." Iirc not only was Susie Ibarra there to help with the new stuff, but the ranks of Yo La were fleshed out with Mac from Superchunk and David Kilgour!
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 14:41 (one year ago) link
https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/yo-la-tengo-7bd6ae90.html?songid=73dade9d
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 15:42 (one year ago) link
Per guy on Twitter they have played Antmusic 29 times
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 15:43 (one year ago) link
Show is tonight, nice to learn it's one of those An Evening With ... performances, with an acoustic set and an electric set. Also means it won't go that late, because they're old!
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 24 March 2023 20:13 (one year ago) link
They sure don't act old on stage. I just saw them last weekend and Ira was bunnyhopping all over stage during one song.
― Evan, Friday, 24 March 2023 20:29 (one year ago) link
The two sets when I saw them weren't so neatly divided — the second set was noisier, but both had loud and quiet parts.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Friday, 24 March 2023 20:48 (one year ago) link
so far so good! with a friend who has never heard them, he seemed to dig set one.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 25 March 2023 02:20 (one year ago) link
Songs:FalloutAselestineBig Day ComingThis Stupid World
I haven't watched it yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV4R0T64RF0
― nickn, Saturday, 25 March 2023 03:40 (one year ago) link
lol they just brought out Wilco as guests. the whole band.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 25 March 2023 03:45 (one year ago) link
Even before that encore it was one of my favorites YLT shows I’ve seen, they are at a peak now. Just every sing was great.
And yeah, I’ll take a Wiltengo album now.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Saturday, 25 March 2023 04:26 (one year ago) link
lol, fat fingers and autocorrect strikes again
killer show, go see them if you can.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Saturday, 25 March 2023 04:28 (one year ago) link
What was the third Wiltengo cover? Beatles, Dylan, something I didn't know, and then ... Sandy Denny?
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 25 March 2023 04:54 (one year ago) link
Johnny Thunders’ “One Track Mind” was the last with Wilco and before the Fairport convention song.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Saturday, 25 March 2023 06:15 (one year ago) link
Thanks!
I loved taking a friend who didn't know nothing from nothing. He asked me which one was Tweedy, and then later, when he looked up Wilco, learned some of them used to be in Uncle Tupelo, who he and some of his friends used to listen to in college in Texas. He loved the physicality of Ira's playing, how Ira treated the guitar as a physical object to be manipulated into getting different results. He also commented on the size of James relative to his bass. He couldn't tell if it had a skinny neck or if James was really that huge compared to the instrument.
He thought the show was great, of course. Because it was. And I owe the collective enthusiasm of ILM for getting me out there, since as I've posted I've been taking them for granted for years, but this one was indeed up there with some of the mid to late '90s shows I saw. It was funny when Ira introduced "Nowhere Near" as "really old" and Georgia emphasized "really, *really* old," because I remember that song when it came out and I'm not ol ... wait a minute!
Speaking of old, they played "Drug Test," which might be the first time I've heard them play anything *really* old.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 25 March 2023 14:00 (one year ago) link
I saw someone refer to collective assembly as as Yankee Yo La Tengo Foxtrot.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 25 March 2023 14:47 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dgyWCkNF6A
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 25 March 2023 20:27 (one year ago) link
thanks, that's awesome
what Beastie Boys song did they do?
― obsidian crocogolem (sleeve), Saturday, 25 March 2023 21:49 (one year ago) link
when i saw them a decade ago they dug up "did i tell you" from new wave hotdogs & fakebook
― ufo, Saturday, 25 March 2023 21:54 (one year ago) link
I didn't have "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac with Alan Sparhawk on lead guitar on my bingo cardthey also did like 8 minutes of Time Fades Away with Mark Freeman of NNB maybe the most storied old Minneapolis post punk band
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 27 March 2023 04:30 (one year ago) link
Slack by NNB one of the great Minneapolis rock songhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AWTGExPigI
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 27 March 2023 04:33 (one year ago) link
Time Fades Away (Neil Young) feat. Mark Freeman from NNB pic.twitter.com/qlTDFMTQSM— solace (@kyle_matteson) March 27, 2023
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 27 March 2023 04:54 (one year ago) link
they are not wholly unlike alan lomax/lenny kaye but for . . . other stuff
― mookieproof, Monday, 27 March 2023 05:07 (one year ago) link
like, wfmucore
― mookieproof, Monday, 27 March 2023 05:08 (one year ago) link
what a great show, I wondered if other ilxors might be there
"I Heard You Looking" was somehow the wildest Ira Kaplan I've ever seen, couldn't always tell what Alan Sparhawk was playing on that but seeing him in that noise was pretty emotional
and many other moments for my personal live music mythology, a YLT guarantee
― fleeting art that floats! (geoffreyess), Monday, 27 March 2023 05:14 (one year ago) link
don't know how I've never encountered the name NNB! thx ums
― fleeting art that floats! (geoffreyess), Monday, 27 March 2023 05:15 (one year ago) link
a record store by me has the Slack 7 inch but it's $100Dick Champ from NNB moved to NYC and formed The Scene is Now and hung with Sonic Youthhttps://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2015/05/12/kim-gordon-girl-in-a-band-giveaway
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 27 March 2023 05:18 (one year ago) link
xpost they are great, hope we cross paths sometime geoffreyeyes feel like we've been in the same room tons of times probably
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 27 March 2023 05:20 (one year ago) link
.@therealylt + Alan from @lowtheband ‘Dreams’ (Fleetwood Mac) pic.twitter.com/JH1j1RyxYh— solace (@kyle_matteson) March 27, 2023
Low Ya Tengo pic.twitter.com/Ag15H0W3ZH— solace (@kyle_matteson) March 27, 2023
ah these sound great! seems like alan was mostly just doing the organ drone on "i heard you looking" that they usually get one of the sound guys to do, just with some added chaos when fitting
― ufo, Monday, 27 March 2023 09:43 (one year ago) link
saw Alan and Zak Sally hanging out too which was nice they seemed very close, I think things were strained for a long time
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 27 March 2023 14:19 (one year ago) link
With all the guests and everything this tour has kind of a valedictory feel, like everybody coming together to celebrate YLT. Deservedly!
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Monday, 27 March 2023 14:32 (one year ago) link
Also (and I know it's kind of his deal) when the guests come out it's often the only time Ira smiles and seems to be enjoying himself.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 27 March 2023 14:52 (one year ago) link
Beatles, not Beasties - "She's a Woman".
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 27 March 2023 14:55 (one year ago) link
lol thank u I was very confused
― obsidian crocogolem (sleeve), Monday, 27 March 2023 14:58 (one year ago) link
We got I Heard Her Call My Name encore in Milwaukee but no guests. And yes, my mind did indeed split open - twice even!
― Psychocandy Apple Grey (Pyschocandles), Monday, 27 March 2023 15:14 (one year ago) link
Like I said, even without the encore, it was probably one of the best YLT shows I've ever seen. They just feel so locked in and Ira was really leaning into the noise, at a few points he was giving me some Thurston Moore vibes with the way he was playing with feedback and hunched over his guitar. The new album sounded incredible in a live context.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 27 March 2023 15:16 (one year ago) link
Can't miss with this tour: raucous 2nd set closer in DC was "Pass the Hatchet..." with Ira jamming Georgia's drumsticks in his guitar. I especially enjoyed hearing an extended "From a Motel 6," and "Can't Forget" from Fakebook.
― Chris L, Monday, 27 March 2023 16:40 (one year ago) link
setlists are really all over the place
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 27 March 2023 16:44 (one year ago) link
makes sense, 40 years as a band, around 20 albums ...
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 27 March 2023 16:48 (one year ago) link