Soooo.... it is a Sunday night and i have had a hard weekend of having my wife out of town and my daughter out of the house at a Lutheran youth event which led to... well... lets just say it led to me staying up too late on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday all I wanted to do was watch playoff football. Buuuuuuut...I did not see enough live music in 2009. So it was 2010 resolution time and I needed to hit more shows and Yo La Tengo was coming to town. Even more importantly a very kind, young lawyer scored two tickets for me, and most importantly I was going with one of my best friends kids who is a music head... like I used to be. So instead of being home and warm I hopped in my car at 7:30 and went to pick up my 16 (almost 17) date for the show.
We parked two streets south of the Pageant and it was a cold walk to the show. Tickets were supposed to be waiting at will call and this time they were there as promised. The last time i tried to take this kid to a show I thought I was taking him to see the Drive By Truckers but screwed up the night and we saw Robin Trower. That was... interesting. Now it is Sunday at the Pageant. Sunday shows can be tough because it is a school night and the weekend is over and it tends to be... lethargic. The crowd skewed about 15-20 years younger then me. Kind of odd.
New Times Viking opened. I had pre-screened on iTunes and decided that I hated them. But they were AWESOME. Three piece band with girl keyboard player/singer, boy drummer/singer and shredding guitarist. They rocked channeling the Replacements and more. I could not place it for a while but they sounded a lot like one of my favorites, Built To Spill and the singers voice blended into the sweet whine if Doug Martsch. They sand about 14 two to three minute songs and had a great rockin sound and a lot of energy. It was a totally unexpected pleasure.
Beatle Bob was in attendance and looked good. Once again it is always comforting to see him there. Validating. Since he sees like 300 shows a year it lets you know there is nothing better going on anywhere else. I am very insecure about my musical taste or lack thereof.
New Times Viking had a minimal set up in front of Yo La Tengo's equipment and their backdrop which was a nice sky blue curtain with....big, ornate, antique buttons on it. Pretty. Pretty odd.
Yo La Tengo came on promptly at 9:07. They immediately played a "song" that was 12 minutes feedback and backbeat and I was bored. I feel old now in my dislike of feedback. When Crazy Horse did it 20 years ago, I thought that was cool. Now with a band from Brooklyn it seemed annoying and pretentious. Yo La Tengo is also a three person band made up of Ira Kaplan and his wife Georgia (George) Hubley and James Mc New on bass. Then they immediately went into a Georgia song which was sweet and soft and then immediately into a Mc New song and I was amazed at his voice and his range. The band has no pretense and seemingly invented "Shoe Gazing".Every music source I have ever respected idolizes this band and I had never seen them. I had tried over the years buying the occasional CD or (gasp) Album but never being grabbed by anything. Still I felt like I needed to see them because everyone cool liked them, so I knew I should (see aformentioned musical insecurities). Most of the songs tended to be very poppy and often devolving to feedback and distortion. The band is clearly Ira's band and he has a limited stage presence but such a nice unthreatening voice.
Mc new is physically a standard issue bass player (fat with long unwashed hair). he physically reminded me of the bass player for Atlanta Rhythm Section who was so ugly he was almost physically unwatchable. Lots of the songs are pleasant, sometimes even twangy but then you get Ira's guitar spooky over the top. It really started to grab me, almost hypnotize me. As the show moves towards the end it gets this dreamy quality partially due to great rhythm section and that is what I realized. Jim and Georgia are a rock solid rhythm unit that can sing. They also bounce between some instruments and really provide a nice platform for Ira's ripping it up.
They ended set with feedback that became the Beach Boys song "Little Honda" and it was....sweet. They took a short break for their encore and then brought out the New Times Viking and did a song together. I am going to have to spend a lot more time with the Band's catalogue. Here is the set list if your bored. I stole it.
And the Glitter is Gone
Let's Save Tony Orlando's House
Stockholm Syndrome
Avalon Or Someone Very Similar
Seeing Double Or Triple
Bean Bag Chair
If It's True
Here to Fall
I Feel Like Going Home
Black Flowers
When It's Dark
False Alarm
More Stars Than There Are In Heaven
Tom Courtenay
Nothing To Hide
Little Honda
Accident - Electric Eels cover w/ Times New Viking
Fourth Time Around - Bob Dylan cover
Emulsified - Rex Garvin cover
1 comment:
Not a bad amateur review, really. It's wise, when reviewing something you don't completely understand, to do just as you've done here.
"I'm no expert, but here's MY take..."
Works for me.
If you really want to dig into the catalog, as you say, know that Yo La Tengo just don't write "hits". There's no one album that's going to hook you with a grand "Now I get it!" epiphany. It's smart music, but not inaccessible. Buy a mid-period one (or, the new one if you really liked the show), and let the songs grow old with you. YLT's the kind of band that ages with you--and your record collection. They'll take you in many directions if you have a little faith.
That first song was awesome, by the way. Feedback, yes, but also third-eye mapping hynosis and planet-realigning riffery. Next time, smoke a doobie when the kid ain't looking, and this kind of stuff will make MUCH much sense for you, I predict. Age is irrelevant. If it rocks, it rocks.
Thanks for sharing.
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