Month: March 2014

Our Spanish tour of 2010 ends on this day, in Barcelona.  First encore: more songs for Alex Chilton–“My Baby Just Cares for Me,” “Government Center” and “Thirteen” (“Take Care” during the set).   We jump into our idling limos after a second encore, only to be persuaded to return for one more number.  We choose “My Little Corner of the World,” featuring, as you may know, our soundman Mark Luecke whistling the instrumental break.  And if you in fact don’t know that, the audience at Sala Apolo most certainly do.  Impatient with how long it took for Mark to get to the stage while we vamped on an Eb chord, they whistle the entire chorus en masse.   One year earlier, we played two shows, neither as Yo La Tengo.  In the afternoon, the Condo Fucks recorded a session for Joe Belock’s Three Chord Monte program on WFMU.  Then, sporting the impenetrable disguise of ski masks and the name Bo Ra Flengo, we did three songs at “Jon”‘s Delocated show at the downtown 92Y.  And none of the above provides Justin with his memory of the day:

The first dance at my wedding was “Did I Tell You” (Fakebook version) played by our wedding band Big Fish Ensemble – who were a bunch of friends of ours – who actually warmed up for YLT somewhere in Florida in 1994 (with the Grifters too I believe, sadly I was not there).

Anyway, the wedding was in Atlanta on March 19, 1994.  

(Belated congratulations, Justin, and you’re right, the Grifters were on that show, March 3 in Gainesville.)

 

One show after paying tribute to Joe Puleo on his birthday in 2010, we’ve got a eulogy to perform.  Trying to process a world without Alex Chilton, our March 18 encore in Bilbao consists of “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine,” “Till the End of the Day” and a just-learned “Thirteen.”

We’ve played a mere three times on St. Patrick’s Day, and thanks to our booking agents past and present for keeping us out of harm’s way.  In 1989, we appeared at Providence’s Rocket nightspot (soon to rename themselves Club Babyhead) and commemorated the holiday by encoring with “Gloria.”  In Tokyo, nine years later, near as I can tell, we paid it no mind, though I think we all have fond memories of our post-show green sushi.  Last year, we found ourselves in the holiday spirit at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, and consequently pulled out  . . . “Halloween.”

 

Happy birthday to our tour manager, Joe Puleo.  Twice in recent years, we found ourselves performing in Europe on this day.  In 2010, in Santiago, James, Georgia and I, accompanied by crew members Gil and Dutch, saluted Joe with a karaoke version of “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”   Last year, we were in Brussels, the three of us–with Dutch and Abe’s able assistance–busted out the karaoke machine again, this time singing “Ben,” rewritten for Joe.  For those of you with computers, they’re both on youtube.

 

Not the most colorful day in Yo La Tengo history.  In 2006, we’re in the midst of mixing I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass with Roger Moutenot at Brooklyn Recording.   But in the present, things are hopping down here in Australia and New Zealand (playing our last show of the tour tonight).   Caught up with Ildiko Kovacs’s tribute to New Wave Hot Dogs at the MCA in Sydney the other day, and just yesterday in Wellington I picked up an instrumental version of the theme from Cat Ballou by Danny Davis!  (Sadly, not the guy from the Arkestra.)

 

Serpentine, 1999

In 1998, we toured Australia for the first time, wrapping things up on this night at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney.  We purchase a Casio keyboard up the street (if you saw us at the Sydney Opera House yesterday?  last week?  a month from now?–I can’t make head or tail of this time zone–you heard that very organ in action).   The tour’s been a success by the only meaningful yardstick: we’re nearly out of t-shirts.  When it’s time for our set, we announce that we’ve got about a dozen shirts left, come to the front of the stage and buy one from us if you care to, and I hope you do, because we’re not playing till they’re gone.  Business is brisk.  We encore with “Always Something,” requested by our promoter Aaron, “Time Fades Away” for co-promoter Dave, and the Saints’ “Know Your Product.”

When WFMU announced that their 2013 fundraising marathon would take place while we were touring Europe, it appeared that our string of consecutive years of taking part would end at 17.   Bruce Bennett had another idea.  What if he flew over to meet us–was there any way we could do the show from Europe?  Turned out there was, in Berlin to be precise, thanks in no small measure to our German pals Christof Ellinghaus and Martin Wenk, not to mention Schneider TM, who donated his studio and expertise.  Danke schoen to one and all.