Category: News

For the last 20+ years, Danny Amis has been a member of Los Straitjackets, but before that Georgia and I knew him as, in order of appearance, (a) the leader of Minneapolis surf-sensations, the Overtones, (b) a member of the Raybeats, and (c) our roommate in Hoboken.  In fact, if Danny hadn’t sound-proofed our basement on Garden Street (well, “sound proof” might be stretching things, as our ex-neighbors would attest), it’s possible that our lives would be very different today.

 
Tomorrow night at Maxwell’s, a bunch of his old friends will be getting together to help in some small way to defray massive medical expenses he’s incurred.  The Raybeats will be there, as well as the Individuals, the Schramms, and more.  Georgia and I will take part as well.  It’s still too soon to know what we’ll do–I can tell you that we’ll close the show and play for 40 minutes or so, but with so many of our musical pals on hand, the final set is sure to be a game-time decision.  It promises to be a one-of-a-kind evening, I’m sure of that, and we hope you can make it.

 

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

• “They watch baseball. They eat hot dogs.” They sure do! Read more in this interview Ira did with The Quietus.

• Dear Irish Times, it doesn’t sound like “Tomorrow Never Knows” AT ALL.

• And, Ira shares a cool Jad Fair story with the Denver Westword.

Cloudy with a chance of hot dogs . . .

Undeterred by the rain, the fog and other things, Yo La Tengo took to the Eisenhower Interstate System over the weekend in search of food.  Our first stop was at Kauffman’s in Bethel PA, to the best of our knowledge the nation’s premier one-stop BBQ chicken and mini-golf emporium.  The weatherman cooperated long enough for us to play 18 holes (modesty forbids me from saying I won) and then it was time for dinner.   And then it was time to get back on the road.

Saturday morning presented us with a dilemma: tour manager Joe Puleo was picking up sandwiches from Katzinger’s, but we wouldn’t be seeing him till late.  Closer to what was passing for home, Ritzy Lunch is open Monday-Friday only.   Luckily Roadfood pointed us to O’Betty’s Red Hot! Dogs & Sausages in Athens OH.  Committed carnivores, no one could bring themselves to order the vegetarian option, though we were tempted.

Heading back to Hoboken, we had the good luck to pull off the road at a random exit where we encountered Yocco’s 100 — “The Hot Dog King.”  It being band policy to partake of any and all hot dog royalty, our hands were tied.

As we ate at neither the Fun Barn nor the Nelsonville Music Festival, we must leave those two establishments, each estimable in its own right, out of this scene report.

A Friday the 13th cautionary post, reminding you and us alike that some people really hate Yo La Tengo!  (A disgruntled Newt Gingrich supporter, perhaps?)

Click for larger view.

This just in . . . we’re going to play at Maxwell’s on Wednesday, March 23.  Tickets will be $50 and all proceeds will go to Peace Winds Japan.  The show will start at 9 pm.  No other bands, but we’ll see if we can find something to put up our sleeves (please don’t hold us to that).  Due to the short notice, tickets will be available exclusively on line, starting at 10 am EDT Monday March 21, through Ticketfly, who have generously offered to donate all of the fees to Peace Winds Japan.  To order click here.

Photo Credit: Jeff Moore

Thanks to everyone who made a pledge to WFMU during last week’s Mostly-Annual All Request Marathon. You can check out a setlist on the WFMU Blog here. The 2011 Fundraising Marathon ends tonight, so if you haven’t had a chance to make a pledge to WFMU, go do that right now, and then come back here for another round of…

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

• Well, someone asked Georgia what her top ten favorite Criterion movies are, and you can read her list here.

• Ira’s got some reflections on “Sitcom Theater” at the LA Times Blog.

• And click here to listen to an interview the band did for Missoula college radio station KBGA.