One month to go till our 30th anniversary, and the evidence shows my energy for this daily report is flagging. This morning I pounded a six-pack of Jolt Cola and discovered that last week I managed to overlook two memories emailed to us, so let’s play catch up.
Amy and Karl currently of Portland, OR wrote: My husband and I danced to “Our Way to Fall” as our first dance on October 27, 2001. We were married in Wilmington, DE, although we lived in Hoboken at the time. A year or two later, we saw you at Maxwell’s and I told you about it, Ira. You said it was the first time you’d ever heard of your songs as a first dance song. We love it still, and dance to it every year.
Another day, another wedding, and (oy) another screwup by me. Our pal Jim from Chicago wrote: My wife Manning and I danced our first wedding dance to the YLT version of ‘You Can Have it All’ — October 28, 2000.
I’m right on time with these two, the first from Leisha in Kansas City. My (now) husband and I went on our first real date to see YLT at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS. This would have been on the Electr-o-Pura tour, so around April 1996? We worked together in Kansas City and skipped out early so we could see their pre-show in-store appearance at Love Garden Records. It was awesome. Our favorite memory is when Georgia came out from behind the drums to play guitar. I don’t remember the song but we were close enough to hear an annoyed Ira whisper to Georgia, “It’s G-C-A.” To this day, whenever one of us messes something up, the other will whisper “It’s G-C–A.” Thank you for 30 years of beautiful music. We’ve been huge fans from the start. Cheers! Boy, would I like to claim this never happened, but I’m afraid the best I can do is provide the actual date (November 2, 1995) and emphasize just how close Leisha must have been to me and how quietly I had to be whispering, because she misheard. The song was undoubtedly “Speeding Motorcycle” and Georgia’s part goes G-E-C. Play along at home!
Let’s not close the mailbag just yet. Myleen and John write from San Francisco. (Two memories of November 2, one from each city from this year’s World Series!) We have a friend in common, Dan Lee in San Francisco. Recently as a wedding present, he gave us an LP of And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out signed by you and Georgia and James! (thank you very much!) We were so touched – he probably told you the story, but yes, one of your songs is “our song.” A lot of your music was constantly playing when John and I first met and fell in love – in those first quiet moments at home, first party moments, first road trips – we’d have a Yo La Tengo record playing . . . John and I first met 13 years ago. We have nothing but sentimental, happy memories associated with YLT. So when Dan gave us the album we were really touched (I cried. I’m a wuss). It was that thoughtful and meaningful to us. John and I got married last year on Saturday, November 2, 2013. Our first dance was “Our Way To Fall” and we made sure to play the very record that you all autographed. Thanks so much again for sharing your music with us for all these years.
We’ve played a dozen times on this date, sharing bills with Chris Knox and Refrigerator in 1993 (and getting hissed at for taking Sam Kinison’s name in vain), Uncle Tupelo in 1987, Nick Tosches in 1996, and Los Lobos in 1990. Georgia and I performed “Pale Blue Eyes” with Hot Chip last year in Paris. But I’m afraid we’re out of time for today. See you tomorrow.
