Author: Ira

January 7 looms large in the Yo La Tengo lexicon for multiple reasons. In 1994, Matador Records released “From a Motel 6” on the then-popular compact disc format. Meanwhile, a little ways east, we continued traipsing around Holland. My memory is a bit hazy, but we’re fortunate to have James’s actual diary entry for that actual day:

1/07/94
Groningen, en route to Den Haag, NL

We tumble down the steep stairs of the hotel, back over to Vera to load out. We say goodbye to Peter and crawl our way out of town through the cycle-choked streets. I give Ira a George Baker Selection LP for his birthday, and Joe gives him a racy-looking old paperback entitled Georgia Boy. He is happy. We drive along the dyke and stop for coffee at the Aftsluitdijk rest area. We make it to the venue in Den Haag (“I think it’s actually Dutch for ‘The Hog'” – SooYoung Park) in time to hear [REDACTED] soundchecking. Georgia has a cold. Dinner sucks. Our acoustic opening set is really fun, despite the promoter’s reservations, doing versions of songs we never tried this way before (“Shaker,” “Sudden Organ”) and a surprise closer of “1969” – Ira played the acoustic through the Rat, sounded great. Good times, people liked us, we even did an encore. We loaded up the van and left during [REDACTED]’s set. Pouring rain, freezing cold. Hotel, somewhere, is nice and warm and clean. We watch UK darts championships on tv all night long – Bobby George breaks through the pain barrier! A true hero.

Joe has taught himself how to speak Dutch without learning an actual word of the language.

More funny things [soundman] Joe Hickey has said on this trip:
“I was stark bollocks naked”
“Oh fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck”
“(mumble mumble) bunch of butt-fucks” (during [REDACTED] soundcheck)
Referring to underpants as “trolleys”

 

 

Once again we set the Wayback Machine for 1994, as Yo La Tengo continues our carefree meander through the discotheques of Europe.  Twenty years ago today, we pitch our tent at an old favorite, the Vera in Groningen, Holland.  That’s all we’ve got in the Where Were We Then file for January 6.   Back in the here/now, we turn for the second time in two weeks to the art world:  Rowan Okumura Cox acknowledges our 30th year by sharing one of her recent crayon on paper works with us, and now with you.

On this date in 1985 , we played our second show, once again at Maxwell’s, opening for the Turbines.  We opened with our newest song, “The River of Water,” which would eventually be our first single, and encored (encored?) with Bob Dylan’s “I Threw It All Away,” which would eventually close our President Yo La Tengo lp.  Also on January 4, we performed “Sunsquashed” at a 1992 benefit for Hoboken’s Projected Images (do we know how to fundraise or what?) and played our final German show of 1994 with 18th Dye.  But today’s most compelling sight on memory lane is the 1990 date at the Knitting Factory.  The other act on the bill was Bewitched.  Maybe Bob Bert remembers if this happened during their first set or their second, but at some point, they were joined onstage by a complete stranger who started singing “Everybody loves rock ‘n’ roll.”  Naturally that was the final number of the set, after which the band made their way backstage (i.e. the hall leading to the third floor), where their newest member delivered his post-game analysis: “We was good!”

No post tomorrow, as the only sign of activity I can find in our annals is an off-day drive to Holland, and it’s still way to soon to share that story.

Not much to report today. 1994–still autobahning around Germany with 18th Dye, tonight in Frankfurt. Was the appearance of either “Artificial Heart” and/or “Satisfied Mind” on the setlist in tribute to Ray Milland on the anniversary of his birth in 1907? I no longer recall.

 

Speaking of anniversaries, this August will mark 40 years since I saw the Grateful Dead at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City.   Anyway, January 2, 1994 finds us somewhere in Munich (I can’t recall the name of the venue–we’d fire the archivist if it were anyone but me), traveling Europe with 18th Dye.  Looking over our setlists from the tour (the archivist didn’t mess everything up), I had completely forgotten about our most common method of ending the show (played on this night, among others): We’d perform a truncated version  of “Out the Window,” ending right as the drums are at their wildest, before the final chorus, and go right into “Mushroom Cloud of Hiss.”  Without stopping, we’d play “Sudden Organ” . . . concluding with the final chorus of “Out the Window.”  Who saw that coming?  Perhaps anyone who was at Roosevelt Stadium, where the Dead did “He’s Gone,” “Truckin’,” “The Other One” and “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad” after most but not all of “Sugar Magnolia,” closing the show with the latter number’s “Sunshine Daydream” outtro.  Obviously, at least one mind was blown.

Here’s a resolution I’m going to have trouble keeping.

As Yo La Tengo wends our way to our 30th birthday on December 2, 2014, we’re going to utilize this space for a (not necessarily) fond rummaging through the time capsule.  On this date in 1988, we performed at the original Knitting Factory on Houston Street, currently the home of Botanica, opening for Christmas.  Each band played two sets, and we planned to make our first a three-song set, basically two pop songs bracketing 30 minutes or so of guitar noise.  This strategy, though usually called upon out of frustration, was also fun, albeit more popular within the band than without.  Consequently we scheduled it for our first set, expecting that late-comers would make the second show the less empty one.  A larger than expected early turnout led us to swap sets, much to the consternation of Coyote Records impresario, Steve Fallon, who timed his arrival to miss the noise.  I think he’s forgiven us by now, but that might be wishful thinking.

Dateline January 1, 2006: Our Hanukkah shows at Maxwell’s draw to a close with the holiday’s third (and best) rendition of Je T’aime . . . Moi Non Plus, performed by Lois Maffeo and Gaylord Fields.