Month: September 2014

Completing our special two-part series devoted to the events of September 29, we start by returning to our swing state tour of 2004.  The estimated five-hour drive to Madison from Grand Rapids ends up taking hours more, thanks to hardly atypical traffic en route to Chicago, and unexpected traffic even after we escaped O’Hare.  We barely arrive in time to set up and play, and somehow incorporate new members Rick Rizzo, Mark Greenberg and David Kilgour into the proceedings.  And the show is outdoors, which may not have been the wisest strategy for Wisconsin in the fall.  Or was it?  Kerry wins the state in November.  In 2006, we drive overnight from Boston to our next date in Jersey City, at the beautifully restored Loew’s Theatre.  Others arrive in more spectacular fashion, like Qbertplaya of Brooklyn (might not be his real name): For the Yo La Tengo show in Jersey City on Friday, September 29, 2006, I won a prize package from Matador Records via Stereogum: a helicopter ride from Manhattan to Jersey City, and a pair of nice tickets to the concert for me and my brother.  The two of us had never been in a helicopter before, and we certainly weren’t going to let our overprotective parents know of our plans that evening.  It was a thrilling way to kick off the weekend, especially as my birthday is on the 30th.  We got to see you guys in a majestic old venue in our home state, and meet you afterwards.  One of my best concert experiences ever, and with a band I love.  Happy birthday, Q!  The following year, we did a one-off opening for Bright Eyes at the Hollywood Bowl.   Just an amazing night–M. Ward also on the bill, Bright Eyes backed by an orchestra, outdoor concert weather the envy of Wisconsin promoters, and holy shit Hollywood Bowl.

Maybe it’s sunspots, but we’ve had too many memorable shows on September 29 to fit into one post, and oddly I can devote tomorrow’s dispatch to part 2 because nothing comparable happened on the 30th.  In 1993, we play a record release event for Painful at midtown’s SIR studio.  Giddy on show-business fumes, Georgia goes to retrieve our station wagon for the drive home, and thinks she sees one of our friends on the street, waves hello, and when he waves back, she realizes it’s Paul Shaffer.  Seven years later, we have a contender for our most fun show ever, at Austin’s La Zona Rosa, the last of three southern dates with Chris Knox opening.  We’ve already invited Jad Fair, recently relocated to Texas, to join us on a few songs, and then just a couple of days before the show, we’re asked if Daniel Johnston could be added to the bill, to which we instantly agree.  Chris, Jad and Daniel spend their offstage time at the merch stand, creating art for any and all, and the three of them end up onstage with us before the night is through, including a hastily thrown together version of the Ohio Express by way of Toy Love‘s “Yummy Yummy Yummy,” sung by Chris.  Final one for today: two years ago, we played two shows in Ithaca: a performance of The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller with Sam Green, followed by a Freewheeling Yo La Tengo set.  I’ll admit that I don’t consider that especially noteworthy, but Omar from Lima sees it differently:

1. First memory.  I’m in Lima (Peru), trying to find a new album.  Internet is not as great as it is these days, so I necessarily have to go, every weekend, to the same place to find some new music. It’s 2006, and I walk around with my best friend–who turns out to be my
lifelong partner–and I find Prisoners of Love.  I’m 20, and I have never listened to YLT.  And I play “By the Time It Gets Dark.”  I bought the album immediately.  And I became a fan.  And that’s my favorite song.

2. Second memory.  I’m in Ithaca (NY).  It’s 2012, and I just started a PhD.  I’ve never been in a concert there before.  (In fact, it’s just my second month living in the US!)  And I have a lot of work to do.  But I read that YLT will play at Cornell.  Two blocks from my place.  Have to go.  Second memory,  first American concert.  And you guys play “By the Time It Gets Dark.”   And I smile as . . . as I was at a YLT concert.

Elsewhere on the same day, Ned tells us: mary and ned walked down the aisle to your cover of “the whole of the law” on september 29th, 2012.

 

Twenty-nine years ago today, we’re at Maxwell’s on a bill with the Trypes, Wygals, and Scruffy the Cat, all of whom will join us on the Coyote comp Luxury Condos Coming to Your Neighborhood Soon.  Though  that record didn’t come out till 1986, this can’t be a coincidence, but I don’t remember any more than that.  We include the Lost’s “Maybe More Than You” in our set and then put that number in mothballs for 21 years, dusting it off when Willie Alexander agrees to sing it with us at Hanukkah 2006.  More Boston covers abound on this date: Also in 2006, we perform “Old World” and an instrumental version of “Don’t Give It Up Now” as part of the encore at the Avalon in Boston; and down the road in Providence in 1990 for an in-store at In Your Ear, we pull out “Balancing Act” and “Junk.”

 

 

Ten years ago, the swing state tour arrives in Ann Arbor, with nearly an entirely new lineup–Doug McCombs is the only holdover from our previous show.  Tonight’s cast includes Damon & Naomi, ex-Slumber Party members Gretchen Gonzalez and Leigh Sabo, the absurd nightclub comedy of Eugene Mirman, and an appearance from Dave “Tiny Hands” Gordon.  Not the most eventful day in our history, so instead let’s salute some of the greats no longer with us on their birthday.

 

 

No question what my favorite memory of this date is.  2007: We play a Sounds of Science show in Brookline and decide to make the 4-hour drive home afterwards.  Georgia’s at the wheel, and she’s doing all she can to shave some time off our ETA.  We’ve just entered New York when she roars past a police cruiser, who pulls us over.  “You didn’t even slow down,” is his opening line, at which point you or I might start explaining how yes, I know, I guess I lost track of how fast I was going, or something equally obsequious.  Not Georgia.  Her one-word answers exude, Obviously I’m in a hurry, so could you just get this over with and give me my ticket.  The officer is not so easily deterred.  Noticing our vanful of equipment, he asks if we’re a band.  Yes, says Georgia.  Do we play any Zeppelin, he wants to know.  No, says Georgia.  Kids, don’t try this at home, but somehow he lets us go without a citation.

That’s it for the new business.  On to old business: Mick from Hoboken got in just under the wire for yesterday’s post, and though he tries to butter me up by demonstrating his familiarity with previous entries, I couldn’t bear to make yesterday’s any longer.  So here’s his recollection of five years and one day ago: This probably puts me in your “waits till the last minute to do his book report” club, but . . .  I went to see the Roseland show on Sept. 25, 2009 with my girlfriend Cory and our friends Sherin, Frank, and Amanda, and a fine night it was.  We missed Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die, Co., sadly, but we caught the Black Lips, the comedic stylings of John Oliver, and the amazing Yo La Tengo set, with the added bonus of the full-on Popular Songs string section, and the Joshua White and Gary Panter Light Show was another special treat.  I took note at the time of the reactions to the light show in particular:

Sherin: I love how old-school this light show is – analog everything!

Cory: You can see the hand of the artist, like with Jackson Pollock.

Frank: I feel like I’m at Iron Butterfly.

Amanda: Why isn’t anybody dancing?

We were standing toward the back of the room, but even so, it seems to me that some people were dancing, and the whole show was fantastic – if memory serves, “Blue Line Swinger” was extra-special amazing – one of many fabulous shows over the years.  I’ll try to send some Hanukkah reminiscences with a little more advance notice.  Meanwhile, L’Shanah Tovah, and see you at Town Hall.

A sheynim dank, Mick.  You and your friends might want to mark this on your calendar, if you haven’t already.

 

Ten years ago today, our swing state tour arrives in Cleveland, growing larger with every show.  Tonight is Doug McCombs‘s first appearance with the combo, and William Tyler‘s second.  We acknowledge the end of Yom Kippur by opening with “Hungry,” and before we’re done, we’ve been joined by Will Rigby, Victor Halm, and the showstopping Hazel Rigby.  Quite a memory, but not THE memory of the day, which has to be the Matador 10th anniversary show at Irving Plaza in 1999.  The Other Dimensions horns join us for the beginning and end of our set, and in the middle we play “Cherry Chapstick” for the first time, all a mere amuse-bouche for the encore, for which we’ve worked up “Everything Flows” and “Slack Motherfucker” by Matador emeriti Teenage Fanclub and Superchunk.  When the Blues Explosion has to cancel their appearance, we invite Jon Spencer to sing “Slack Motherfucker.”  No rehearsal needed–we’ve learned our part, he’s a showbiz pro, what could go wrong?  Some time earlier that day, Jon contacts me and asks if we’d mind if he brought a stripper on stage.  I tell him something to the effect of he’s the front man, he should listen to his heart, and I can’t say for sure that I warned either James or Georgia what Jon’s heart was suggesting he do.  Cut to showtime, we start “Slack Motherfucker,” Jon slides onto the stage in a snazzy suit with a price tag attached to the jacket and starts singing many of the song’s original lyrics.  We reach the solo, and he instructs us to bring it down.  We bring it down.  Jon commences a tribute of sorts to Matador, though he points out that they’ve had some help along the way from Atlantic and Capitol Records.  And in fact, he has big news: Matador has signed a deal with Epitaph Records.  Onto the stage comes Brett Gurewitz, who bares an uncanny resemblance to Jon’s friend Rob Kennedy of the Workdogs.  We continue vamping.  At Jon’s insistence, Gerard and Chris make an appearance, and “Brett” fires Gerard.  I’m sure Gerard can’t get off stage fast enough, and Chris is close behind, but Jon stops him.  I don’t remember exactly how we get to the next part, but soon Chris has been seated center stage and there’s a woman giving him a lap dance.  (If this sounds kind of funny and very creepy, then I’m describing it well.)  When the lapdancer executes a particularly impressive flip, her legs ending up in the air, Chris seizes his opportunity to escape.  He stands up, lifting her with him, and walks off.  Jon says goodnight and starts to leave, but now it’s our turn to stop him–he’s still got the final chorus to sing.

In what I can promise is the most inapt segue of this year of reminiscences, we conclude with an email from Steve, sent from somewhere in the UK.  After the preceding tale, I’m printing Steve’s message verbatim–an extra “u” and some British punctuation perhaps being just the thing to class up this post.

Well, what are the chances? Your swinging beat combo is a shared joy for my wife, sophie, and me. During our courtship, we saw you very live in Manchester (7 Nov ’09) on the popular songs tour, way back then. By closer, ‘You can have it all’, we were jointly as smitten with you as we were with each other (aw), so we made the decision to have a YLT song for our first dance.

Being a bit soppy, we decided on ‘Tears are in your eyes’. And then nothing… is my favourite album, from going way on back to my university days (woo Manchester), and Sophie loves a ditty sung by Georgia, and the words are like mega lovely aren’t they – for an indie couple I mean?

So there you go. First dance, 25 September 2010. Tears are in your eyes, the Black Horse, Amberley, Stroud, England.

Perfect.

Keep on freewheelin’,

Steve

 

                                                          (alternate title for today’s post)