Month: October 2014

Our run of shows with Tall Dwarfs comes to a close at J.C. Dobbs in Philadelphia with Chris and Alec joining us during our encore for a big-band rendition of “Crush,” 22 years ago today.  Things go somewhat less swimmingly five years earlier at the same venue.  It’s game 7 of the World Series, and there’s a lot more interest in the Twins victory over the Cardinals than in our opening set for the Windbreakers.  Not that I don’t understand why, but did there have to be a tv in the bar to drive the point home?  Unaware that the Windbreakers are planning a two-hour set (I mean, come on, who plays that long?), we go on surprisingly early and, completely dispirited afterwards, plot our strategy for the next time we feel so taken for granted.  Little do we know that that will be our very next show, three days hence.  See you soon!

 

Georgia and I make the unwise decision to take a tour of the Anchor Brewing Company 19 years ago today, and our show that night at Berkeley Square with Run On is a disaster.  Just looking at the set list, I still cringe.  On the bright side, three of the four pint glasses we acquired not only made it home in one piece, but survive to this day.  More awkwardness at T.T. the Bear in 1992.  I accomplish a personal best by thanking the opening act, the Willows, by two different names, neither of them correct.  Then we bring Steve Michener on stage to perform Big Dipper’s “All Going Out Together,” pulling him away from the final game of the Blue Jays/Braves World Series, having neglected to inform him that our arrangement includes an extended guitar solo.  I’m pretty sure he was offstage in time for the 11th inning, but I couldn’t swear to that.

 

 

 

On this day in 2006 we play at the Henry Fonda Theater in–where else?–Hollywood, the last night of our U.S. tour with Why?  Yoni, Josiah and Doug help us out on “I Wanna Be Your Lover.”  One year later, we’re Freewheeling in Alexandria, Virginia, on a bill with the late, great Jack Rose.  I don’t remember why we decided that “I Hate Hate” would make a good next song–a question about Double Dynamite?  the Swing State tour? or perhaps a political number for the Beltway crowd.  In any case, I was all set to fake the lyrics when it occurred to me that the words were on my computer, which was nearby in the dressing room.  We brought someone out of the audience to make sure my screen didn’t go black in the middle of the song.  And speaking of Washington D.C., in 1992, we play at Maxwell’s with Tall Dwarfs and close our set with the first performance of President Yo La Tengo’s “The Evil That Men Do” since 1989 (the long version, that is), and according to my records we haven’t done it since.

 

 

 

Let’s start with some old business.  My apologies to Becky and Dave.  Due to what the New York Times’ correction page might call an editing error, I neglected to note that they . . . had the YLT version of “My Little Corner of the World” as the first dance at our wedding.  We were married on October 20, 2001 in Sterling Heights, MI.  We live (and lived at that time too) in Carlisle, PA.  Our wedding was not long after 9/11.  Many of our friends and family decided to drive (long distances) to our wedding.  It was a wonderful celebration during an otherwise depressing fall.

On to current events.  Ron writes us a long email, with lots of memories, culminating in his wedding day three years ago today.  My wife was first introduced to the band by me, and I cautiously sized up her reaction (being a musician myself, and a gigantic music nerd, I’m not ashamed to admit if she didn’t “get it,” the impending marriage was off! (my version of “the test” from the great movie, Diner).  Thankfully, she loved it from the start, in particular “Nowhere Near,” which became our song, ringtones and all.  We had a small, intimate and beautiful fall wedding in Vermont, my only disappointment being that YLT was not my wedding band, which I seriously considered trying to make happen, until my musician friends convinced me that would never happen!  (I’m still convinced “never” is too strong a word).  So my disappointment left tucked into my back pocket, we walked down the aisle to the sounds of my former bandmates serenading us with their arrangement of Nick Cave’s “Into My Arms.”  When the time came for our first dance, what other choice did we have to come full circle than “Nowhere Near”!  The way I saw it, hearing YLT as I began my life journey with my true love was the best omen for a lifetime of joy and happiness.  Now when I’m away from my wife and I listen to YLT, I see her lovely face before me, and  ” . . . If I’m ever that lucky, I won’t have to be so sad.”

And I’ve even got an anecdote of my own: In 2009, we play our second favorite Showbox venue in Seattle, the Sodo, with Jackie-O Motherfucker.  No question what the highlight of the night is: The encore, when Howard Kaylan joins us for a trio of Turtles classics.

 

Fourteen years ago today, we are in Brisbane, performing at the Livid Festival.  Lou Reed is headlining our stage, and I get to watch from an ideal vantage point: directly behind the guy scrolling his Teleprompter.  (Will you believe me if I claim that the final words on it are GOOD NIGHT?)   Afterwards, Mark Luecke and I head to the main stage for The Cure, then despite a 4 a.m. lobby call for our flight to Japan, we decide to check out the aftershow doings.  I get back to my hotel room, shower, and put on the tv, figuring it’s too late for sleep.  Mark apparently feels differently, or so we surmise when an hour or so later all of us except him are downstairs, ready to go.  We call his room but the phone doesn’t wake him up; neither does pounding on the door.  It’s not easy, but we finally convince the hotel to unlock his door so we can wake him.  If only all festivals were that entertaining.

 

Seven years ago today, we make our first and to date only visit to Woodstock, for two Freewheeling Yo La Tengo shows.  Speaking of first and only, if I’m not mistaken, the other act on the bill, Bishops at Large–Jesper Eklow, Mike Fellows and Harry Druzd–were making their debut and farewell appearances that night.  Can’t recall all our patter, but none of our musical moments referenced the festival (unless I’ve been misinformed and Herman’s Hermits were part of Friday’s lineup).  Nevertheless there is no shortage of local color, with songs by Bob Dylan, Todd Rundgren and NRBQ dotting our sets.