On the other hand when I read your last post I am flabbergasted by your sensitivity.
I accept that and I do not want to go any deeper (only a little bit). I just wanted to understand why our judgements differ. Especially as we start from practically the same point. When I saw MBV ten years ago they were my favourite group. Loveless was the most hypnotic album of the 90s. A song like When you sleep is absolutely stunning and still today. The concert left me totally cold. No interaction between the band and the public whatsoever. Except some stage-divers. When I went to see YLT the first time I did not expect a lot. And Ira talked to us and reacted when people asked for songs. And he was playing guitar like a devil (sorry another stereotype). Totally involved into his music. He was on a trip and he took us with him. I left the concert as a convert to YLT. When comparing those two bands to drugs I would say MBV is about taking LSD, a lonely but very strong experience. But YLT is about sharing a joint. It is a social thing and it is a soft and quite feeble high which lasts.
So maybe we have different preferences concerning those substances.
― alex in mainhattan, Sunday, 15 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Dr. C, Sunday, 15 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
For another thing, this 'really getting into it, man = emotion; concentrating on playing = technical, unemotional' vision -- I absolutely refuse this limiting, ridiculous stereotype. Some of the most calculated bullshit I've ever encountered at shows has been from the most active people on-stage, some of the freest, most evocative and emotional playing from the most calm and controlled performers. Roy Montgomery in particular, with two extended improvisatory pieces at Terrastock 2, showed that much, all while sitting down, but he had that crowd -- and a large one it was -- on as much of a trip as Ira did for yours. *And* Mr. Montgomery was engaging in a bit of audience banter too if that makes you happy.
I am not trying to set up an opposing set of rules to yours, Alex, but I am trying to demonstrate that your own vision is not automatically the mirror image of mine. Is this so hard to understand?
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 15 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
(But I still maintain, however, that your English is not crap. Es ist ganz besser als mein Deutsch...)
― Phil, Sunday, 15 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
On the subject of YLT live- I remember Alec Empire interview in NME where he talked about seeing YLT live and how they were scared to go on because the stage was covered in water and so they might get fried! Onstage!
And alec then called them a bunch of assholes- he would love to be there himself, he'd relish that kind of situation- and he proceeded to tell the the kids to stop buying all of this indie garbage.
― Julio Desouza, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
http://www.yolatengo.com/schedule.html
'Fun' reading above.
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 1 December 2005 22:34 (eighteen years ago) link
I suppose I'm only really familiar with "And the nothing...", "I Can Hear the Heart...", "Summer Sun", and "Painful", since those are the only ones I own. Oh, and their first album, which I've listened to 1/2 a time.
But I only recognized about 5 of the songs they played, total. I assume the rest were covers, obscure b-sides...who knows. When things couldn't get any worse, they ended with their "Nuclear War" cover, which lasted about 15 minutes and wasn't very impressive. Then, when they finished, a fall-over-drunk woman yelled out, "HAY!!1 Play it...aGEE-YEN!"
And they did. They played another 15 minute long version of Nuclear War, which was just as disappointing as the first. Then, they were done.
Plus, it looked like Ira and Georgia were in the middle of a messy divorce the whole show.
― Zach S, Friday, 2 December 2005 02:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― I do feel guilty for getting any perverse amusement out of it (Rock Hardy), Friday, 2 December 2005 02:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tyler Wilcox (tylerw), Friday, 2 December 2005 03:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― cdwill, Friday, 2 December 2005 03:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― js (honestengine), Friday, 2 December 2005 05:22 (eighteen years ago) link
I've loved them both times I've seen them, and like all the LPs, though And Nothing... doesn't get much play.
― nickn (nickn), Friday, 2 December 2005 08:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tylerw (tylerw), Friday, 2 December 2005 15:01 (eighteen years ago) link
But other than that, they've never been bad. And I told Ira Kaplan he was a Rock God at Maxwells one time, and he was doubled over laughing with (or at) me. I was pretty drunk at the time.
― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Friday, 2 December 2005 15:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 2 December 2005 15:14 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.yolatengo.com/ylt/hanukkah2005diary.html
I was at the Sun Ra Arkestra show Wednesday, which was fine (esp the jammy version of "Little Honda") except I found the comedians only mildly amusing.
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 2 January 2006 17:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Monday, 2 January 2006 17:52 (eighteen years ago) link
― Curmudgeon Steve (Steve K), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 01:57 (eighteen years ago) link
Their pieces with new-music horn players (Arkestra, Sabir Mateen, etc.) are the most disappointing collaborations since Dim Stars.
YLT were almost the Who circa 1968. Now they're the Who circa 1989. A huge and tragic waste.
― Lawrence the Looter (Lawrence the Looter), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 08:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― it was jody that killed the beast (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 08:48 (eighteen years ago) link
"Tragic waste" is a ridiculous overstatement even if you don't like the horn stuff. Having the same approach to your shows in 1992 and 2005 would be ossification.
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 14:12 (eighteen years ago) link
The double 7" is spectacular. Nuclear War 12, not so much.
I have to agree though, some of the best shows I've ever seen were Yo La Tengo shows. When they're on, they're on.
― mcd (mcd), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 16:56 (eighteen years ago) link
Yea, but there are other approaches they could have taken (and could still take?) without "ossification'.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 19:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 13 July 2006 18:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― rajeev (rajeev), Thursday, 13 July 2006 18:59 (seventeen years ago) link
xpost
― Sundar (sundar), Thursday, 13 July 2006 19:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:06 (seventeen years ago) link
― DAVE's secret to fortu-Oh look! Shiny! (dave225.3), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:14 (seventeen years ago) link
― DAVE's secret to fortu-Oh look! Shiny! (dave225.3), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:15 (seventeen years ago) link
― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:19 (seventeen years ago) link
― DAVE's secret to fortu-Oh look! Shiny! (dave225.3), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:37 (seventeen years ago) link
(also, you literally couldn't see the band whether you were standing or not. I had no qualms about standing cuz I arrived after 9, and any everyone-sits protocol was out the window by then.)
In addition to the octopi-sex score, I like the funk stuff for "Shrimp Stories."
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Friday, 14 July 2006 12:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― fongoloid sangfroid (sanskrit), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:18 (seventeen years ago) link
― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:19 (seventeen years ago) link
― fongoloid sangfroid (sanskrit), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― fongoloid sangfroid (sanskrit), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:29 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:32 (seventeen years ago) link
fun performance, but i'm with Morbs, really not a rock show at all. here's an interesting essay on Painlevé and a video example:
http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/03/25/painleve.htmlhttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8604649289441675492
― fongoloid sangfroid (sanskrit), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:33 (seventeen years ago) link
― marc h. (marc h.), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:34 (seventeen years ago) link
― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:36 (seventeen years ago) link
also, i noticed Love Life of the Octopus was originally scored by Pierre Henry. pretty bold of them to redo that one.
― fongoloid sangfroid (sanskrit), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:38 (seventeen years ago) link
i would've liked to have made my own decision, is all.
it was a fun show!
― marc h. (marc h.), Friday, 14 July 2006 13:58 (seventeen years ago) link
― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Friday, 14 July 2006 14:06 (seventeen years ago) link
― marc h. (marc h.), Friday, 14 July 2006 14:12 (seventeen years ago) link
Ah, yeah, that's right..
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 14 December 2023 15:52 (four months ago) link
My wife scored tickets and we are doing NY and went last night. Aislers Set opened. Then David Cross dressed as Ira’s rabbi. Plus Cowsill guy and Vicki Petersen and Ira’s MomDJ Todd from wfmu after A fun night.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 15 December 2023 17:37 (four months ago) link
Being there for Hanukkah show one can see Ira racing back and forth from guitars to keyboard and a roadie quickly putting out music stands . Georgia messed up one opening and then signaled a time out with her hands , said we’re a bit fried but I got this and then started up the song perfectly.
Ira was profusely thanking their small crew , the club employees and the band’s guests during the evening.
Seeing Ira’s Mom sing lead on “My Little Corner of the World “, cane in hand at end was so sweet.
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 16 December 2023 17:39 (four months ago) link
Aislers Set would have been very cool. What a gift these shows are.
― grandavis, Sunday, 17 December 2023 17:00 (four months ago) link
Aislers Set did their first gig in 8 years ( and practiced twice to prepare for gig. ) . Ira said they had toured with YLT 20 years ago. It was a good set
― curmudgeon, Monday, 18 December 2023 15:31 (four months ago) link
I remember that tour and am slightly dazed to realize it was 20 years ago.
― waste of compute (One Eye Open), Monday, 18 December 2023 15:48 (four months ago) link
Aislers played my buddy's party on Saturday, but try as I did to make it out there it was just not in the cards.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 18 December 2023 16:05 (four months ago) link
I am glad to hear. I love those records but have never seen them live (Aislers Set, I have seen Yo La Tengo many times). Maybe they will get the bug and play again.
― grandavis, Monday, 18 December 2023 17:36 (four months ago) link
I only saw Aislers Set once and it was also 20 years ago but not supporting YLT, they were headlining. I think Comet Gain and the Would-Be-Goods were supporting them. Yes, it was, and the Lucksmiths
― Colonel Poo, Monday, 18 December 2023 23:13 (four months ago) link