With the insane schedule, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a chance to see Yo La Tengo. Sure, they make my list of top five bands of all time, but there’s just much to see out here.
But a couple nights ago, I caught up with an old friend, Brad Albetta (bass player and husband of the lovely and uber-talented songstress, Martha Wainwright). Somehow, we ended up comparing the careers of Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth, two bands led by husband/wife duos, who have been around forever despite avoiding a big, radio friendly sound.
The more we talked, the more I realized that Yo La Tengo is my Sonic Youth. Don’t get me wrong, I love Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. They’re pioneers who deserve all the reverence they receive. But Yo La Tengo don’t seem to get the same credit for their contribution to indie rock. Like SY, they experiment with distortion and sounds. But at the heart of everything, Ira, Georgia, and James are true songwriters. And somehow they’ve managed to stay respected and relevant without any sense of pretension.
So I knew I needed to go to the show.
And I wasn’t disappointed. I found myself singing along to nearly every song. They played the light stuff from I’m Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass and the poppy, grungy tunes from I Can Feel The Heart Beating As One. And with the opening line of Tom Courtenay (”Julie Christie, the rumors are true…”) they let the audience know it was time for the noise to begin.
I’m bummed I missed Thurston Moore’s speech at the SXSW Convention Center. I’m sure I would’ve loved it. But who am I kidding– My Sonic Youth is the one from Hoboken.
*note- Thanks to Alyssa for lending her iPhone to take the picture of Ira Kaplan above
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