Yo La Tengo Bring out Sun Ra Arkestra, Dave Rick, Kimberley Rew,  Lee Cave-Berry and More During Nights Seven and Eight of Hanukkah Run

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Photo Credit: Cheryl Dunn

Yo La Tengo resumed its annual Hanukkah run at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on Dec. 31 and returned last night, Jan. 1, 2025, to cap the festival of lights with a swath of guests that assisted the host band in embellishing choice originals and covers suited for the occasion. 

After six nights of songs, Yo La Tengo ascended into the seventh night of their Hanukkah run; after openers, Sun Ra Arkestra primed the audience with their cosmic display of avant-garde jazz. Taking the stage, the headliners worked through a series of originals before bringing out horn players from the opening act to assist on “Here You Are” and follow up, “Dreaming.”

Breaching the midnight hour and welcoming the New Year with the aptly chosen cover of “A Bomb Bomp,” with featured assistance from the aforementioned horns players and New York guitarist Bruce Bennett, as well as Miriam Linna. Yo La, along with members of Sun Ra, covered the group’s own “Unmask the Batman” and kept their guest present for the remainder of the main frame, which produced “Brain Capers,” a cover of Rex Gavin’s “Emulsified” and a return to the Sun Ra catalog via a potent “Nuclear War.” 

An encore ensued, with Kaplan’s mother and Bennett returning to assist on baby-laden material, offering renditions of Frankie Laine’s “Don’t Make Me Blue Baby,” Randy Newman’s “Have You Seen My Baby?” ahead of The Zantees’ “So Easy Baby.” Two more covers arrived ahead of the band’s highly regarded fan favorite, “Autumn Sweater,” which served as their final offering. 

For last night’s Jan. 1 Hanukkah finale, guitar/bassist and original member Dave Rick assisted his former Yo La Tengo throughout set one, which set course with Urinals’ “Surfin’ With the Shah.” The band followed with Crispy Duck’s “Five-Cornered Drone” before a series of originals that populated pulls from across the band’s discography. 

A high point of last night’s show was a rendition of “I Know You Rider,” which beckoned to Hot Tuna’s arrangement of the traditional tune, with added help from guitarist Tara Key. The latter Antietam band member [Note: the aforementioned band served as the concert’s opener] stuck around for the last batch of primary frame material, culling in Blue Öyster Cult’s “E.T.I.” and Yo La material, such as “Today Is the Day,” “Tom Courtenay,” “The Evil That Men Do” and “Our Way to Fall.” 

The New Year’s Day celebration hoisted itself to encore opener, a cover for Kimberley Rew’’s “Happy New Year,” featuring its composer and added guest Lee Cave-Berry, for full-bodied delivery of Rew’s own “Stomping All Over the World” and Nat King Cole’s “Straighten Up and Fly  Right.” Returning to Rew’s body of work, Yo La and their guests performed the former’s “Going Down to Liverpool” and “Walking on Sunshine” before calling it quits after “My Little Corner of the World,” featuring the return of Kaplan’s mother, who shared lines with his wife, Hubley. 

At this time, Yo La Tengo will take a significant break from touring. The band will resume live shows in late March, when it meets with Sun Ra Arkestra again in Washington, D.C., and will continue with added live dates into mid-May. For tickets and additional information, visit yolatengo.com.

Yo La Tengo [Hanukkah Night 7]

Bowery Ballroom – New York City 

Dec. 31, 2024 

Set: Stupid Things, Upside Down, The Summer, Madeline, Until It Happens, I’m On My Way, Satellite, Here You Are (with Sun Ra Arkestra horns), Dreaming (Sun Ra) (with Arkestra horns)

*midnight* A Bomb Bop (Mike Fern & Del Royals) (with Arkestra horns, Miriam Linna on vocals/percussion, & Bruce Bennett on guitar), Unmask the Batman (Sun Ra) (with Arkestra horns), Brain Capers (with Arkestra horns), Emulsified (Rex Garvin) (with Arkestra horns), Nuclear War (Sun Ra) (with Arkestra horns)

Enc.: Don’t Make My Baby Blue (Cynthia Weill) (with ML & BB), Have You Seen My Baby (Randy Newman, arr. Flamin’ Groovies) (with ML & BB), It’s So Easy (The Zantees) (with ML & BB), Get the Message (The Cyrus Erie) (with ML & BB), Another Girl, Another Planet (The Only Ones) (with ML & BB), Autumn Sweater (acoustic)

Yo La Tengo  [Hanukkah Night 8]

Bowery Ballroom – New York City 

Jan. 1, 2025 

Set: Surfin’ With the Shah (Urinals), Five-Cornered Drone (Crispy Duck), We’re An American Band, Demons, 3 Blocks From Groove Street, Tears Are In Your Eyes, Why Don’t You Smile Now (Lou Reed), I Should Have Known Better, From A Motel 6, I Know You Rider (trad., arr. Hot Tuna) (with Tara Key on guitar), E.T.I. (Blue Oyster Cult) (with TK), Today Is The Day (fast) (with TK), Tom Courtenay (with TK), The Evil That Men Do (Pablo’s Version) (with TK), Our Way To Fall

Enc.: Happy New Year (Kimberley Rew) (with Kimberley Rew on guitar/vocals & Lee Cave-Berry on vocals), Stomping All Over the World (Kimberley Rew) (with KR & LCB), Straighten Up and Fly Right (Nat King Cole/Irving Mills) (with KR & LCB), Going Down to Liverpool (Kimberley Rew) (with KR & LCB), Walking On Sunshine (Kimberley Rew) (with KR & LCB), My Little Corner of the World (Bob Hillard/Lee Pockriss) (with Marilyn Kaplan on vocals)

Setlist credit Frank and Earthy via jessejarnow.com.

Link to the source article – https://jambands.com/news/2025/01/02/yo-la-tengo-bring-out-sun-ra-arkestra-dave-rick-kimberley-rew-lee-cave-berry-and-more-during-nights-seven-and-eight-of-hanukkah-run/

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