Author: Ira

Probably the most memorable band experience on this day came in 1986, and I can’t say I exactly remember it.  But our run of dates opening for Camper Van Beethoven took us from Baltimore to Norfolk.  I’d wager that makes August 11 our first visit to Pierce’s Pitt Bar-B-Que in Williamsburg, Virginia, led there by our well-thumbed copy of whichever edition of Jane and Michael Stern’s Roadfood and/or Goodfood was current.  It was tasty enough to make us regulars at Bloomingdale’s during the period in which Pierce’s pulled pork was for some reason available.  We were certainly grateful to Camper Van Beethoven for letting us tag along on five shows, but would it have been too much for them to schedule our Norfolk appearance to coincide with the Tidewater Tides being in town?  Apparently so.

 

Olaf and Angelika send: Greetings from Hamburg.  When we met each other on August 10, 1995, it was at a dance named No Pop, so it seemed consequent that we went to see Yo La Tengo on the same day 10 years later at The Fabrik in Hamburg to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

Support was to us unknown NY band The Scene Is Now and for the encore, singer Chris Nelson came up to the stage, joined the band, and when he jumped/fell off stage, he landed straight on his tailbone.  We felt the pain just looking at it, but he stood up as if it was nothing, continuing his way through the crowd.  (We wondered what he might have felt like the next day. . . .)

A great gig, a great memory–and a perfect evening for an anniversary celebration.

PS: Could you please schedule to play in Hamburg on August 10, 2020? Thanks in advance!

I’ve got to admit I don’t recall Chris breaking the fourth wall, although of course it has the ring of truth.  I’m reminded of an anecdote I didn’t get to on March 16.  In 1990, we were playing Maxwell’s.   Most if not all of those who had heard from us about Chris’s European performances in the spring of 1989 were having trouble reconciling our stories with the person they knew, so we invited Chris to sing “1969” during our encore.  He instantly shattered a beer bottle against the stage left wall, which was enough for Gene Holder, playing bass, who positioned himself as far upstage as he could, and didn’t move till the song was over.  Then Chris entered the audience, and commenced jostling people until he found someone who would push back.   As I write, Chris is recovering from non-singing-induced injuries, and here’s hoping that The Scene Is Now is back in action in the near future.  Until then, you can enjoy his particular savoir faire here.

 

The mailbag overflows with memories of August 9 . . .

The first is from Steve in Baltimore, who presumably is writing about 1986, when we got to open for the Slickee Boys.  “Specific date and year” is tough to recall but it was Yo La Tengo’s first appearance at the original 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.  Standing up against the stage were my friend Mike Goldman and I.  We had recently formed a band with grandiose expectations and all the best musical influences, but a deficit of talent among the two members who weren’t Mike.  If that early incarnation of YLT noticed one person in the 9:30 audience whose response to the performance seemed inordinately enthusiastic, it must have been Mike.

My specific memory: at some point, Mike leaned over toward me and yelled, “They sound like us!”  Anyone who’d heard us play might not consider it a compliment, but I immediately understood and agreed.  At least, it sounded like what I imagined we’d sound like, on a good night, perhaps.  That memory stayed with me through years when I was a less-than-avid YLT fan who nevertheless seemed destined to cross paths with your band intermittently, until I finally wised up and realized that you are one of my favorite artists.  Thanks for three decades of sounding like us, only much better!  

We’ve only played two shows on this date, and both of them elicited emails! Klaus has all the facts:

2005-08-09 Tue: Yo La Tengo, Columbia Fritz, Berlin, Germany

Second time I saw, first time with my girlfriend. Support was “The Scene Is Now”. Can’t remember any songs, [correction: most of the facts] but what started out quiet, turned into something that kept my ears ringing for about a week. Roughly during the third song, Ira activated his distortion pedals for the first time. What a shock and a surge of energy and volume. Very impressive.  Since many people are writing to you about how you and your music affected their love life: Around that time, “prisoners of love” came out, and my girlfriend subsequently bought it. The first and up to now (I think) only time that she bought a record of a band that I already had records of.  All the best!

Finally, we’d like to wish a happy sixth birthday to Georgia from Baltimore!   Chris & Karen write: On August 9, 2008 our second daughter was born.  Inspired by the most badass drummer in rock, we named her Georgia.

 

Twenty-eight years ago today, Georgia, Dave Schramm, Stephan and I get in the station wagon for our first full-fledged tour.  A roaring success it will not be, and things get off to an appropriately inauspicious start on opening night at J.C. Dobbs in Philadelphia.  Headliner Smash Palace (ex-Quincy) did not want to move their drum kit, a common occurrence–we too leave ours in place when the stage size allows.  The small Dobbs stage did not leave that possibility (nor in fact did it fit more than two people standing next to each other), so Georgia was told to use Smash Palace’s drums instead of her own, with the proviso that she wouldn’t change the way they were set up.  Problem: Georgia’s left-handed, and SP’s drummer was righty.  Can’t recall how this situation was resolved, but I’m reasonably sure it involved cheesesteaks at Jim’s and shopping at Philadelphia Record Exchange.   Today, J.C. Dobbs operates as The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia Record Exchange has left its longtime South Street home, but Smash Palace rocks on!

 

Two years and two days ago, Georgia and I had taken advantage of a lull in our recording schedule and were contemplating our navels somewhere, readying ourselves for a temporary return home to play with M. Ward at Prospect Park.  Plans were upended when we got word that James had been hospitalized with appendicitis and would be otherwise occupied on this day in 2012.  Everyone concerned agreed that outright cancellation should be our last resort, so the two remaining band members with appendixes started trying to figure out what to do.  Neither of us thought that a duo performance was ideal, and luckily both Dave Schramm and David Mansfield were available on short notice to take part.  Georgia and I returned to New York, visited James at the second hospital we looked for him at, and made our way to Prospect Park.  We rehearsed with Dave and David pretty much until the moment we went on stage and opened with Dump’s “Slow Down.”  We premiered Fade’s “Is That Enough” and “The Point of It,” played “Coming Home” by David’s Alpha Band-mate T-Bone Burnett, and Dave sang “Stockholm Syndrome.”

Here’s hoping things were going more according to plan in 2010 in Atlanta, from where Brandon writes: My wife Katy walks down the aisle to your version of “My Little Corner of the World”.  Later, “Emulsified” and “Autumn Sweater” could be heard at the reception alongside hits by The Bonzo Dog Band, Magnetic Fields, The Coctails and Chumbawamba.  We will send BMI a check soon, promise.

Here’s to thirty more . . .

 

 

Looking over where we’ve been on August 6, I think instead that today I’ll just keep talking about August 5.  In 2007, we played at Lollapalooza.  We could see the Stooges from our stage while we were setting up, but summertime in Chicago got the best of me, and I went where it was air-conditioned.  As soon as our set ended, I poured a bucket of water over my head in an attempt to cool off, and headed for Wrigley Field.  The Mets were in town, brand-spanking-new Hall of Fame inductee Tom Glavine was going for his 300th career victory against the Cubs, and noted sports blogger Gerard Cosloy and I had tickets.  (This might be a little off topic, but I was shocked to see the Mets’ left fielder that evening, Moises Alou, got only six votes for the Hall of Fame–were I submitting a ballot either of these accomplishments would make him worthy.)  I had some trouble negotiating the stands with a cardboard tray holding two beers and two hot dogs, but other than that, a great night on the town.