On Sunday night, Indie-rock pioneers Yo La Tengo kicked off their annual Hanukkah run of shows at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City with a night one performance featuring covers and special guests.
Yo La Tengo opened their set with a cover of The Beatles‘ “From Me to You” before running through a litany of classic originals including “Everyday”, “Stockholm Syndrome”, “The Point of It”, and more. About halfway through the show, Yo La Tengo brought out special guests William Tyler and Steve Gunn, who opened the show, along with Saturday Night Live veteran and drumming aficionado Fred Armisen for a rendition of “Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1)”. After that, the guests stuck around for an all-star jam of the Grateful Dead‘s “Wharf Rat”. Following the sit-ins and covers, YLT got back to business by bidding farewell to the special guests and closing out the set with “Today is the Day”, “Tom Courtenay”, and “Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind”.
For the encore, the band once again brought out Armisen, as well as Greg Hetson, for a punk-rock medley beginning with a rendition of Hetson’s own “Live Fast And Die Young” from his time in Circle Jerks. After that came a cover of “S&M Party” by Red Kross followed by The Heartbreakers‘ “Chinese Rocks” and The Ramones‘ “Carbona Not Glue”.
Yo La Tengo then bid farewell to Hetson and welcomed Jon Glaser to the stage to sing Irving Berlin‘s classic “White Christmas” to close the show.
Check out some fan-shot videos from night one of Yo La Tengo’s Hanukka run at the Bowery Ballroom below:
Yo La Tengo w/ Steve Gunn, William Tyler, Fred Armisen – “Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1)” – 12/22/19
[Video: Richard Wolf]
Yo La Tengo w/ Steve Gunn, William Tyler, Fred Armisen – “Wharf Rat” [Grateful Dead cover] – 12/22/19
[Video: Richard Wolf]
Yo La Tengo w/ Greg Hetson, Fred Armisen – Punk Rock Medley – 12/22/19
[Video: Larry Rulz III]
Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah run continues tonight, Monday, December 23rd, at Bowery Ballroom. For a full list of upcoming Yo La Tengo dates, head here.
Setlist: Yo La Tengo | Bowery Ballroom | New York, NY | 12/22/19
Set: From Me to You (The Beatles cover); Everyday; Here You Are; Stockholm Syndrome; Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House; The Point of It; Swing for Life; Tears Are in Your Eyes; Shades of Blue; Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1)*; Wharf Rat (Grateful Dead cover)*; Today Is the Day; Tom Courtenay; Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind
Encore: Live Fast Die Young (Circle Jerks cover)%; S&M Party (Redd Kross cover)%; Chinese Rocks (The Heartbreakers cover)%; Carbona Not Glue (Ramones cover)%; White Christmas (Irving Berlin cover)^
* w/ William Tyler, Steve Gunn and Fred Armisen
% w/ Greg Hetson and Fred Armisen
^ w/ Jon Glaser and Fred Armisen