Category: News

Hi folks,

First things first. Hanukkah, December 8 – 15, Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ. It’s on. Be there or be somewhere else.

If you’re among the many who have asked about this in recent or not-so-recent times and gotten no response or an evasive response, we apologize. We put off the decision to play this year for way too long.

Tickets will cost $35 and go on sale at noon eastern time on Monday. Last year they sold out extremely quickly, so no dilly-dallying. If you’re new to our Hanukkah shenanigans, it goes something like this:

Each night, Yo La Tengo will perform at Maxwell’s. There will be an opening act and a comedian, and who knows, maybe some other surprise. At this juncture, we don’t have any idea who will be joining us, and we wouldn’t tell you even if we did. The proceeds will go to charity. If you want to know what’s happened in years past, check out the various Hanukkah diaries at yolatengo.com. And rest assured that this year is bound to be completely different.

To get tickets, go here. The link will appear at noon (eastern) Friday, and — I’ll repeat that — tickets will go on sale at noon Monday Oct 22. A limited number of tickets will also be available at Tunes in Hoboken and Other Music in Manhattan.

OK?
–Ira, Georgia and James

calling Dr. Howard, calling Dr. Fine, calling Dr. Howard . . .

A year ago in June, we told you about a benefit we were playing for our old pal Danny Amis.  We’re happy to tell you that not only is he doing much better, but he’s even back on the road with Los Straitjackets (we’re less thrilled to know we missed him at the Bell House).  And as the presidential election grows near, this excerpt from his web site is particularly germane:

As many of you know, 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Cancer (Multiple Myeloma) forcing me to stop working and touring. I had been denied health insurance so I was caught uninsured at the time. In the nick of time President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law and I was then permitted to buy my own health insurance. Prior to being insured I couldn’t receive the treatment I needed, and the cancer left my spine badly damaged. I certainly would have died without my Obamacare, but instead the cancer is now under control. I’m forever grateful for that.

Welcome back, Daddy-O Grande!

Turning our attention to the world of bicycling, we are sorry to report that due to this weekend’s Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller shows, we will be unable to take part in this year’s Bike MS ride around Manhattan.  But that won’t stop us from cheering on our team Agoraphone/Other Music and encouraging you to do so too.

 

 

 

Who Asked You?
A Collection of Interviews & Press What-Nots compiled by Nick “Stewey” Morehouse, YLT personal chef/webmaster

Hey, there’s gonna be a new EP released on September 25th in advance of the new full length album to be released in January 2013! I dunno who wrote this, but I’m gonna “quote it directly” (i.e. plagiarize).

The first new music from Yo La Tengo since 2009’s Popular Songs. “Stupid Things” is a different version of a song that will be appearing on their new album coming out in 2013. This limited-edition 12” vinyl release contains the original version of “Stupid Things,” with a vocal completely different from the upcoming album version, along with a clashing, chaotic and randomly beautiful remix by EYƎ of the Boredoms.

The B-side contains the full original 12-minute long instrumental of the track, awash with gorgeous “Autumn Sweater” style organ and some of Ira Kaplan’s most thoughtful and lyrical guitar improvisations yet. Cut at 45 RPM and housed in a heavy cardstock silkscreen sleeve, this strictly limited-edition of 1500 copies is numbered on the back and will be an essential buy for all Yo La Tengo fans. Includes MP3 coupon.

Yo La Tengo Stupid Things EP Track Listing:

1. Stupid Things
2. Stupid Things (remix by EYƎ)
3. Stupid Things (original instrumental)

Pass the javelin, I think I’m Badenov . . .

Turning our attention from baseball, but remaining in the world of sports, one of our UK stringers at the Olympics has filed this report.  John from Bideford alerts us:  The band appear to have inspired this year’s Russian Olympic team via the cover of I’m Not Afraid of You.  Hey John—or anyone else in London right now—if they’re selling these at the merch table, could you pick us up a couple?

 

 

If I’ve learned one thing from my exhaustive study of the Shirelles and Killing Joke, it’s that it’s always darkest before the dawn.   All but resigned to consigning the yo la tengo anecdote to the annals of legend, Ralph Kiner comes to our rescue.  In what we in the scientific community refer to as peer review, Scott from Brooklyn has endorsed our postulation of July 22, 1962 as the Day Most Likely.   And now thanks to  independent research conducted by Christopher from Hoboken, it appears that noted yo la tengo skeptic Frank Thomas may have changed his tune.  Responding to a question posed about Elio Chacon on the Crane Pool forum, Thomas replies (in part):

In my book I mentioned the story and stated that I thought Richie made the whole thing up for its comic appeal, but I recently found photographic evidence that may now support Ashburn’s story. While going through some old boxes of photos I found one of me helping Richie off the field after a collision. Richie is holding his head and I have my arm around his shoulders, and a very sympathetic look on my face. There’s no date or caption on the photo, so I can’t completely say that it confirms Richie’s story, but it definitely adds credibility to his tale.

In late July 1962, the Mets played a three-game series with the Milwaukee Braves, with Ashburn, Thomas and Chacon in place for all three.  Playing left field and first base for the Braves is Arthur Lee Maye, the foremost baseball-playing R&B singer of all time.   Ashburn, Thomas and Chacon’s final appearance together until September happens in the first game of the team’s next series, on July 27 in St. Louis.  Anyone got a copy of that Frank Thomas/Richie Ashburn photo?

 

 

Like the 2012 Mets, the wheels seem to have come off our search for yo la tengo.  Yesterday’s post, a five-days-belated report on a tussle with the Pirates, was a textbook case of what the bard termed missing the forest for the trees.  Not only did I fail to acknowledge missing two other Ashburn/ Thomas/Chacon lineups, but in so doing I blew by the most likely candidate yet for our holy grail.

 

Correspondent Ben from Jersey City, noting this investigation’s complaints about the paucity of detail in accounts by Roger Angell and Jimmy Breslin, alerted us to Ralph Kiner’s version,  published in 1987:

[I]n a game against Cincinnati, the Mets led by two runs but the Reds loaded the bases. The batter was the dreaded Frank Robinson. He hit a high fly to short left-center field. Chacon scurried back and Ashburn raced in. “Yo lo tengo,” Ashburn yelled, and, sure enough, Chacon pulled up. Ashburn settled under the ball and was just about to make the catch when he was bowled over by Frank Thomas, the burly left fielder. Thomas spoke only English. Naturally, the Mets lost.

Now we’re getting somewhere!   The Mets played the Reds 18 times in 1962, and lost 13 times.  Two of those 13 games had our principals in their rightful positions—April 25, dismissed as a contender in our initial post, and July 22.  Digging deeper we see that entering the bottom of the 6th inning, the Mets were leading by three runs.   Frank Robinson is the fourth batter that inning.  When he comes up, the Red have two men on, and one run in, in other words  a mere baserunner  off from Ralph’s scenario.  And yes Robinson hits a single!  (One of the challenges of this project is not knowing whether the play—assuming it ever happened—was scored a hit or an error.) Eureka?

What’s the opposite of eureka?  Reliable sources place Robinson’s hit landing in right field, a dealbreaker.

(Meanwhile, Ashburn, Thomas and Chacon play together four games in a row July 24-27, 1962.  I’ll get back to you on that one.)