photos by Winnie Cheung

YLT @ the Bell House - 5/10/11

"For their current U.S. tour, the band has embraced the indie-rock equivalent of "Wheel of Fortune," a large wheel divided into several categories, including songs beginning with the letter S or an entire instrumental film score written by the band. A spin by a guest lands on an imperative that sets the performance for the first set.

That wheel [was] with them Tuesday when they [began] a sold-out, two-night stint at the Bell House in Brooklyn.

"The less information we give people about what's going to happen, the better," Kaplan, now 54 years old, said in a recent interview.

The concept revitalizes Yo La Tengo's back catalog by stepping outside the common practices fueling the music industry's nostalgia boom. But it's also a lot of work.

"It calls upon us to be familiar with a lot of songs that, until we did it, we weren't familiar with at all," Kaplan said. "A couple of songs we'd never played [live] before -- some songs we'd never played in years."

For Kaplan, the notion of touring behind one of the group's classic albums holds little interest. "That was one of the things," he said. "Do we put records on [the wheel]? But we didn't want to."

The second set features songs of the band's choosing, a safeguard for the crowd should the wheel stop at one of the more esoteric options, such as "Sitcom Theater," which requires the members of Yo La Tango to act out an episode of a sitcom of their choosing." [WSJ]

Last night's first set, determined by the wheel, was "The Name Game" which meant all songs they played had a name in the title. You can see a picture of the list of names they played ("Griselda," etc), give or take a name, below.

The next Bell House show goes down this evening (5/11), with The Baxx Sisis opening. More pictures from last night's show which was opened by Antietam, and more tour dates too, below...

Continue reading "Yo La Tengo spun the wheel @ the Bell House w/ Antietam (pics), do it again tonight w/ The Baxx Sisis (dates)"

"We regarded music as a form of socializing, and took a resolutely unprofessional approach. Only a few of us in the scene ever imagined becoming professional musicians. We were the stepchildren of the first generation of no wave bands (a term Chris Nelson coined in the New York Rocker, where I was a part-time photographer) like Mars, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, D.N.A. and the Contortions. We took pride in our facile and self-taught instrumental licks, and played music that was often hookless and even atonal. Our influences were broad, including jazz, African music, commercial jingles, and the English punk movement, especially the artier aspects. We avidly followed bands like the Fall (in its earliest incarnations), Wire, and X-Ray Spex, all of whom we were able to see at CBGB.

It was an era when the East Village was not the tourist trap it has become. There were few restaurants open in the evening, and nearly every hipster you saw on the street was carrying an instrument. Everyone was either in a band, or was a DJ or rock critic. Music was featured at loft parties, festivals, and impromtu neighborhood clubs. One regular Mofungo gig was on the roof of my building at 630 East 14th Street, where we threw a party every Fourth of July. We also formed an alliance with Chain Gang, a punk outfit from the Bronx, whose members made a living driving cabs and self-released a series of amazing singles."
[The inside story of Mofungo by Robert Sietsama]

As prophesized, Mofungo opened for Yo La Tengo on the sixth night of Hanukkah at Maxwell's in Hoboken. I have no idea when the last time the No Wave band (if ever) got back together, but according to the above-quoted article, they played their last show in June 1992 at CBGB. And Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric were in fact special guests, as were Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco and Tara Key of Antietam, and Gil Divine. Eugene Mirman returned as comedy opener. Ira made the mix disc. And they do it again tonight. Last night's setlist below...

Continue reading "it was Mofungo (Yo La Tengo Hanukkah night 6 setlist) "

The Wave Pictures @ Knitting Factory pre-SXSW (more by Chris La Putt)

today in NYC
* Justin Bond @ Joe's Pub
* Pere Ubu @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Murderfist @ Mercury Lounge
* Nathan Bell, M. Yakara 3 @ Zebulon
* Miike Snow, Delorean @ Bowery Ballroom
* Vivian Girls, German Measles @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Violent Bullshit, Bad Dream, Elks @ Union Pool
* Rosetta, Junius & City of Ships @ Public Assembly
* The Big Pink, A Place To Bury Strangers @ Maxwell's
* Antietam, Brett Eugene Ralph, The Undeciders @ Bruar Falls
* Love is All, Beach Fossils, The Beets @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* The Wave Pictures, The Wowz, Polite Sleeper @ Mercury Lounge

A member of the Wowz played with The Wave Pictures at our Knitting Factory show before SXSW. Tonight the two bands share a bill at Mercury Lounge.

Speaking of Mercury Lounge, there's also an early show at the venue featuring the comedy group Murderfist.

About tonight's Bruar Falls show, headliner Antietam says, "Brett is a punk rock ex-footballer poet teacher with a powerful presence and a huge heart. T and T last shared a stage with him in Louisville, 1982. Go here to learn more about Brett and here for the Undeciders. This will be special!"

Starkweather isn't playing Public Assembly anymore tonight.

Today is Day Three of the Big Ears Fest in Knoxville. Read about Day One.

The Vivian Girls show at Brooklyn Bowl tonight is free.

Vivian Girls are also on the bill of the recently-expanded lineup of ATP NY 2010.

The Big Pink & A Place to Bury Strangers tour is at Maxwell's tonight and hits Webster Hall in two days.

Video from a Skeletons show that happened two nights ago, below...

A video of HEALTH performing at MtyMX, below...

A video of Inlets performing the other night in Philly, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

UPDATE: the May 31st benefit show at Bell House has been postponed

The 3rd annual Willie Mae-Ra-Thon is a four-day, all-Brooklyn music extravaganza with 20 diverse and talented bands taking the stage at Brooklyn venues such as Union Pool, The Bell House, and the newly opened Bruar Falls. Participating bands include legendary indie rock bands Antietam and Babe the Blue Ox, art punk upstarts Taigaa! and Pterodactyl, experimental funk ensemble Burnt Sugar and Brooklyn noise-pop faves Parts & Labor, among others.

The Willie Mae-Ra-Thon runs from Thursday, May 28th through Sunday, May 31st. All shows are 21+. The annual event is organized by the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls Advisory Board, which is made up of camp volunteers, camper parents, and other members of the Rock Camp community.

Another Willie Mae benefit coming up this summer is Ladies Camp, an 18+ weekend version of its rock school. Three day sessions start on Friday, July 24th and Friday, August 7th at Urban Assembly School of Music & Art, in Downtown Brooklyn.

The camp is also putting on a Spring Carnival on Saturday May 30th and Sunday, May 31st at 163 Plymouth Street in DUMBO. More info on that, and the Mae-Ra-Thon, below...

Continue reading "Willie Mae rock camp Mae-Ra-Thon benefit & carnival - shows by Parts & Labor, Antietam, Pterodactyl & more "

Masked men opened many of the YLT Hanukkah shows this year

Yo La Tengo Hanukkah 2008 @ Maxwell's in Hoboken

1. Oneida and Paul F. Tompkins opened. Mix disc by Aesop Rock. Special guests = Janet Weiss & Britt Daniel.
2. The Magnetic Fields opened and John Hodgman opened. Mix disc by Steve Shelley. Special guest = Doug Gillard & Ira's mom.
3. John Zorn & Marc Ribot and Slovin & Allen opened. Mix disc by Gaylord Fields. Special Guests = Yoni Wolf & Smokey Hormel.
4. Jennifer O'Connor and Jon Benjamin opened. Mix disc by Russell Maer.
5. Antietam and Fred Armisen opened. Fred also played drums. Mix disc by Georgia. Special guest = Cyril Jordan.
6. Lambchop and Jon Wurster (as Marky Ramone) opened. Mix disc by James.
7. Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band and David Cross (as Rabbi Alan Sugarman) opened. Mix disc by Ira. Special guest = David Mansfield.
8. Metal Mountains and Todd Barry opened. Mix disc by Zooey Deschanel.

That is the list of special guests and openers from this year's 8-night Yo La Tengo Hanukkah concert run at Maxwell's in Hoboken. The eighth night of Chanukah (aka the last show) was December 28th and three nights later The Feelies and Vivian Girls opened for Yo La Tengo at their New Years Eve show at Wellmont Theatre in Montclair (making their grand total nine shows this holiday season).

How was the New Years one? Did anyone go to all nine shows? Other thoughts? Memories? Best night? Anything?

Videos & stuff below...

Continue reading "all of the 2008 Yo La Tengo holiday show openers & guests "

The above drawing is a segment of the songsheet Oneida passed out at Sunday night's show at Maxwell's in Hoboken (12/21). It was the first of eight Yo La Tengo Hanukkah parties at the NJ venue this year, and, as promised, the Brooklyn band (Oneida) opened the night. As also promised, comedian Paul F. Tompkins opened with a set of comedy. AND, I'm feeling really good right now because two (sort of) of my guest guesses also came true last night. Both Britt Daniel and Janet Weiss (I guessed Britt and "Quasi") joined Yo La Tengo for some songs. To quote an email I got from Josh,

Oneida opened.
Then Paul F Tompkins.
Then YLT with Janet Weiss
For the encore - Paul F Tomkins joined the band and sang a Hannukah version of [Johnny Cash's] "Ring of Fire"
Then Britt Daniel joined and sang a few songs including "Mother and Child Reunion" [by Paul Simon]

Anonymous adds that there were covers of P.I.L., Amy Winehouse and Burt Bacharach as well.

The shows continue tonight (Monday, Hanukkah night two). We now know the openers for night eight, but who will open tonight? Will it be Titus Andronicus? Will it be Antietam? I'm not sure. Post your guesses and facts in the comments.

Download the whole Oneida songsheet (thx Josh) as a PDF HERE. Check out a Yo La Tengo video from last year's Hanukkah run, below...

Continue reading "It's Hanukkah Bitch! Britt Daniel & Janet Weiss joined Yo La Tengo, Oneida & Paul F Tompkins @ Maxwell's last night"

The Ladybug Transistor and Antietam are playing a free 2pm show on the steps of the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza on Saturday May 31st. All dates below....

Continue reading "the Ladybug Transistor - 2008 Tour Dates (Brooklyn Library)"