Baseball and indie rock. Seriously, someone should write a book about the intersection of America’s pastime and the inventive, often feedback-driven rock and roll that became the mainstay of college radio DJs in the mid-’80s through the 1990s. There’s the obvious Baseball Project made up of members of The Dream Syndicate, REM, Filthy Friends, and the Young Fresh Fellows. But the award for band name creativity has to be given to Yo La Tengo, a reference to the New York Mets players Richie Ashburn and Elio Chacón’s attempts to avoid on-field collisions.
It’s fitting that in the midst of an exciting season for Baltimore baseball that the venerable Yo La Tengo took to the stage at Rams Head Live on Sept. 22. “Some may remember the last time we were in Baltimore. I am not that person. It’s been a while. Nice to be back. Heightened for a pennant race,” Ira Kaplan said in between songs. “Everyone’s excited. We could see the Orioles game on the way into town.”
Over the last 40 years the Hoboken-based band has amassed a sonically diverse catalog that can at one moment thrum with danceable beats, then in another mesmerize with beautifully textured drones, and follow up with blistering guitar freak-outs. And sometimes that happens all in a single song. In the span of two hours, Yo La Tengo gave Baltimore more than a sample of their extensive catalog over two sets.
Kicking things off with the brilliant “Sinatra Drive Breakdown” from their most recent album, This Stupid World. It’s a perfect introduction, in my humble opinion, to what makes Yo La Tengo so great — a lengthy rocker that starts off with a steady, rhythmic groove amidst distorted guitar. With Ira Kaplan (vocals/guitar/keyboards), Georgia Hubley (drums/vocals/keyboards), and James McNew (bass/vocals/keyboards) alternating vocals among the controlled chaos of feedback it was a taste of what was to come.
The night was split into two separate sets with an intermission about halfway through with no opening act performing. Most of the first set was a mix of newer numbers from This Stupid World (Sinatra, Tonight’s Episode, Aselestine, Miles Away) as the trio took turns switching off between vocal duties and instruments.
Watch Yo La Tengo perform”Sinatra Drive Breakdown (Bunker Session)” live for Bunker Sessions on YouTube:
After announcing a brief intermission, Yo La Tengo returned to the stage with the droning thrum of “Stupid Things” from 2013’s Fade before playing a string of older classics ranging from 1992’s “Five-Cornered Drone (Crispy Duck)” to “Tom Courtenay” from Electr-O-Pura. But the biggest reactions came from the their 1997 masterwork, I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One with “Sugarcube” and “Moby Octopad,” which Kaplan remarked was on their setlist anyway even though fans in the audience were calling out for it. And while the regular set ended with the brilliantly expansive “Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind,” the band returned to play an encore of some great covers, including a cover of “Firecracker Firecracker” by the Maryland group Half Japanese.
Yo La Tengo is one of those bands that put out great records, but it’s imperative that you see them live.
The band wrap up their tour this week with a stop at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in October.
The setlists included:
Set 1:
Sinatra Drive Breakdown
Tonight’s Episode
One PM Again
Aselestine
I’ll Be Around
I Feel Like Going Home
Apology Letter
Here You Are
Miles Away
Set 2:
Stupid Things
Five-Cornered Drone (Crispy Duck)
Brain Capers
Moby Octopad
Shades of Blue
Fallout
Shaker
Sugarcube
Tom Courtenay
Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind
Encore:
Firecracker Firecracker (Half Japanese cover)
I Threw It All Away (Bob Dylan cover)
Deeper Into Movies
Yellow Sarong (The Scene Is Now cover)
Here are more photos of Yo La Tengo performing at Rams Head Live on Sept. 22, 2024. All photos copyright and courtesy of David LaMason.
