Try With All Our Might

Yo La Tengo @ Landmark Loews Theatre, Jersey City 9/29/06
Sugarcube / Pass The Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind / Flying Lessons (Hot Chicken #1) / The Weakest Part / Sometimes I Don’t Get You / Winter A-Go-Go / Mr. Tough / Beanbag Chair / I Feel Like Going Home / Stockholm Syndrome / I Should’ve Known Better / Watch Out For Me Ronnie / Tom Courtenay /The Story of Yo La Tango / I Heard You Looking // Oklahoma, USA (Kinks cover sung by Ira)/ Lewis / Rocks Off (Rolling Stones cover sung by James) /// Cast A Shadow (Beat Happening cover sung by Georgia) / Did I Tell You

Yo La Tengo “The Story of Yo La Tango” – I’ve seen Yo La Tengo several times before, and I’ve found them to be a frustratingly hit or miss live act. This show most definitely fell into the hit category, and was not only the best show that I’ve seen them play by a considerable margin, but also one of the best live shows I’ve seen recently, full stop.

A lot of this had to do with the venue. The Landmark Loews Theatre in Jersey City is easily one of the most spectacular concert halls in the NYC area. It’s an old school movie palace with an interior that resembles an ornate cathedral and features a pristine sound system and remarkable acoustics that presented the music with a clarity that flattered the band whether they performing quieter material arranged for the grand piano, or kicking out extended, heavily distorted jams. No hyperbole, NYC people — if a band that you like books a show at the Landmark Loews, get over any silly fear of transferring to the PATH train and going to New Jersey that you may have and buy a ticket, because they are going to sound amazing. Seriously, it’s 30 minutes from Manhattan, and I know that all of you have gone further out of your way just to get to some random part of Brooklyn at some point.

After a lengthy opening sequence of loud guitar songs, the band settled into a mini-set of piano-based selections mostly taken from the new album. Though “Beanbag Chair”, “Sometimes I Don’t Get You,” and “Mr. Tough” were played with close approximations of their studio arrangements, the remaining piano numbers were considerably altered with great results. “Winter A-Go-Go” sounded slightly more upbeat, “I Feel Like Going Home” benefitted greatly from ditching the strings that sound so superfluous and predictable to my ears on the record, and the piano-and-bass reading of the encore “Did I Tell You” was gorgeous and hopelessly outclassed the country arrangement from New Wave Hot Dogs.

The concert’s peak began with a confident, by-the-book performance of their classic “Tom Courtenay” before shifting into two extended neo-psychedelic drone rockers that showcased the trio’s musical communication and Ira Kaplan’s ability to imply an enormous ocean of sound with only one guitar. It’s always fascinating to watch Kaplan as he slips into noise mode, mainly because he has such a unique physicality to his playing. He’s very animated and theatrical, but he never goes for typical rock guitar moves, instead dramatizing an altercation between himself and his instrument that begins with some passive-aggressive slaps and shoving before escalating into wrestling, throwing, and strangulation. He’s a smallish, nebbishy guy, and so he somehow seems like an underdog even when he’s beating the thing into submission throughout the sustained climax of “The Story of Yo La Tango.” When he put his guitar down after the song, it actually seemed like some kind of victory. (Click here to buy it from Matador.)

Elsewhere: Scott has a lot of pictures from the show and a video of the band performing “Rocks Off” over on Stereogum.