In the homestretch of their annual Hanukkah celebration at Bowery Ballroom, Yo La Tengo were well worn in to their sound by night six and leaned heavily on some of their slower standards, saving their more explosive moments for elements of surprise, continuing their legacy as one of the all-time greats. Following an opening set from the recently reunited Love Child as well as a series of readings from David Sedaris, Yo La Tengo took to the stage with Marc Ribot in tow and he'd sit in with the band for the entirety of their main set. Slowly stirring up noise, the now quartet created waves of blown-apart sound that swept over the crowd with total control and tremendous ease. While seated center stage, Ribot let loose eruptive bursts of guitar that were enflamed and engulfed the room before Ira would swoop in to engage in a frenetic display of showmanship. For the majority of the set, the band stuck to their respective instruments with Georgia stepping out from behind the drums only once during the first half of the show and James sticking tight to his corner while Kaplan would occasionally begin to wail away on his guitar and take up some space. Nestled into their grooves, the band's unbelievable tenure continues to be their great success and most powerful weapon, from the moment they step on stage they command the attention of a devoted crowd who has likely seen them on countless occasions, especially if you're attending a Hanukah show, and still they blow away everyone in attendance with such powerful and deep sets. A hallmark of this residency is the band's "no repeats" mentality which meant that this evening was gifted gems like "Damage" and "A Worrying Thing," which were well received by the crowd and really set the mood for the evening. Newer tune "Apology Letter" was a fun feature and felt like an immediate classic from an album that could (and should) go down as one of the strongest entries in an almighty discography, a fact proven every night of this run. I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One was the focal point of attention on night six and got four hits into the set list, the main portion of the night closing with a raucous "Moby Octopad" that sent Ira into overdrive before a roaring "Little Honda" brought things to a gnarly close. After a brief stage reconfiguration, the group returned with the legendary Swamp Dogg and rocked the crowd through an encore of his funked-out jams. His dynamic howls matched with the band's ability to bring the noise made for a stunning combo that had the room grooving hard and getting lost in the impeccable vibes and rhythms. Swirling into a mystic haze, the whirring synths and ripping guitars melded together for something truly out of this world and made for a wonderful exclamation on an already fantastic night. For decades, Yo La Tengo have been defining what it means to be a band of their stature, your favorite band's favorite band, and with each passing year their legacy only continues to manifest as one of the greatest American indie rock acts to ever do it and to see them play Bowery Ballroom is to see them in their element and something no one should pass up.
Set list:
02 "Forever"
03 "Damage"
04 "Can't Forget"
05 "A Worrying Thing"
06 "Apology Letter"
07 "Walking Away From You"
08 "The Other Side of This Life" [Fred Neil cover]
09 "One PM Again"
10 "I Feel Like Going Home"
11 "Here to Fall"
12 "False Alarm"
13 "The Kid With the Replaceable Head" [Richard Hell & the Voidoids cover]
14 "Moby Octopad"
15 "Little Honda" [The Beach Boys cover]
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16 "Synthetic World" [Swamp Dogg cover]
17 "She's All I Got" [Jerry Williams Jr./Gary “U.S.” Bonds cover]
18 "What Do You Plan To Do About It" [Jerry Williams Jr. cover]
19 "Total Destruction to Your Mind"
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