Yo La Tengo

[bearman🐻]

I personally love the new slow/quieter songs from the new record. In particular "I Feel Like Going Home" gives me chills. I think the loud crazy guitar is part of their whole sound, but I didn't think it was excessive, maybe because I've come to expect that from them. Sorry that I missed "Cherry Chapstick", but I had to be at work early...oh yeah, guess I should get back to it. Thanks for filling us in on those of us suckers that had to bail.  

[bigmarley4]

Originally posted by Joe M.:
  I thought the sequence of songs was weird. The Story of YLT as 2nd song?! The guitar part of Stockholm Syndrome was messed up. I thought the covers were far superior than the slow songs from the new album. Besides the guitar part of The Story of YLT, I thought the guitar work was a little too loud and excessive.

Agreed with Joe.  I was really hoping for 30-50% new album mixed in with older stuff.  Of course, that was my first time seeing them so I am being selfish.  But I was in the front and the guitar parts at some point were almost abrasive.  Otherwise, they rocked a lot more than I thought they would, and it was a good show.

[mbg73]

I've seen a ton of YLT shows.  On the tours right after a new album comes out, they usually play most of the new songs plus a few oldies.  It's on the subsequent tours that they usually mix things up more and dig into the catalog.  I'm sure they'll be back around again soon.
 
 And the second encore was "Paul is Dead."  They didn't play "Cherry Chapstick"

[terry]

Thanks of posting the setlist. You saved me alot of head-scratching time. It was interesting to watch Ira try to remember how to play Paul is Dead. I thought after awhile he would give up and ask for another request.
 
 It was a great show. I agree that the crowd was not as into the new stuff. I had a bird's eye view from the 2nd level and was shocked that the crowd did not seem to be moving at all during some of the new songs. Perhaps the new stuff just hasn't sunk in yet, it's such a great record. It was hard for me to keep still during the whole show.

[vassego]

I was pretty pleased with the show, although I thought the first 1/4 of the setlist was kind of odd...but I guess it's just not what I would have wanted.  I would definitely see them again, it was good to hear some of my favorite stuff off "I Can Hear..."

[friarfunk]

Whoops, you're right on "Paul Is Dead."  I had "Cherry Chapstick" in my head from when Ira was debating which one to try.

[mbg73]

Yeah, "Cherry Chapstick" was the girl's alternate request when Ira wasn't sure he could pull off "Paul Is Dead."

[nkotb]

By the way, thanks for the congrats, brennser.  It's an odd milestone to reach; it feels like the wedding was a lifetime ago and just yesterday at the same time.  
 
 We're actually sticking to the traditional gifts this go around (paper for one year) and a pretty small budget, since we're spending money returning to the place we got married and having dinner were we had the reception.  It's proving to be a little more difficult than I would've thought!
 
 

Originally posted by brennser:
  Happy anniversary nkotb!
 
   

Originally posted by nkotb:
  Unforunately, I'm out tonight.  I'd love to be there, but the stress of some looming deadlines, a new puppy, and some last minute first-anniversary planning I haven't had time to do has me thinking it's better to skip.  Should be a great show, though; the new album is fantastic.

[/b]

[groovyside]

a review of this ran in the Post today
 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/27/AR2006092701948.html
 
 

Yo La Tengo: Smooth Harmonies With Some Sharp Edges
 Thursday, September 28, 2006; Page C05
 
 
 Yo La Tengo's opening song Tuesday night at the 9:30 club, "The Weakest Part," has harmonies so sweet that it's hard to believe it comes from an album titled "I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass." Thankfully, the trio rarely lived up to the gruffness of that title during a two-hour set: The group so excels at crisp, pretty pop songs that it would be a shame if it introduced roughness just for the sake of trying to stay fresh.
 
 Even so, Yo La Tengo's version of pop is not all gloss, as sharper elements protruded from the songs' bouncy cocoon, such as Ira Kaplan's Neil Young-esque guitar solo on "Stockholm Syndrome," James McNew's sinister bass line on "Sudden Organ" and the lyrics about a scuffle on a train on the otherwise cheery-sounding "I Should Have Known Better." "Mr. Tough" found McNew and Kaplan singing together in a bizarre falsetto, while drummer Georgia Hubley switched to keyboards to sing the bewitchingly sedate "I Feel Like Going Home."
 
 Yo La Tengo even managed to look backward with a fresh eye, offering a new, percussion-based rendition of an older song ("You Can Have It All"), paying tribute to the Velvet Underground ("She's My Best Friend") and indulging an audience request ("Paul Is Dead"), despite Kaplan's needing a few minutes to remember the song's chords.
 
 
 -- Catherine P. Lewis