Yo La Tengo Rocks This Stupid World

Yo La Tengo performing at the Teragram, Ballroom, LA by Shelby Pfau

NIGHT KICKED OFF THREE DAY RESIDENCY IN LA

In what could only be fate, Saturday night was romantically dreary– streetlights flickering trying to regain power, soft rain fluttering, marquee lights reflecting on the wet pavement, and heavy clouds wrapping a grey blanket over the city– giving every Los Angeleno the rarest of opportunities to outfit themselves in an autumn sweater for the scribes themselves. When it rains, the city is well-accustomed to taking cover and waiting out the storm, so when I walked into Teragram Ballroom to a nearly full room, already I was both shocked and delighted; it wasn’t surprising that Yo La Tengo would fill the venue but to have nearly all your attendees show up so early and despite the weather is a special kind of magnetism.

Fresh off the February 10th release of their latest album, This Stupid World, Yo La Tengo opened with the first track on the record, “Sinatra Drive Breakdown,” a fuzzy, electric jaunt that set an upbeat and eclectic ambiance for the evening. In a way, their signature sound felt like a reflection of the audience, embellished in wire-y scarves and polished puffer jackets creating a perfect juxtaposition of the way the metallic grit of the guitar slid alongside soft, steady percussion. Set one remained mostly This Stupid World repertoire, with a few exceptions and one mid-song insert of “Ack Ack Ack Ack” by the Urinals.

Yo La Tengo performing at the Teragram, Ballroom, LA by Shelby Pfau

Following a brief intermission, the band returned and opened set two with the title track, “This Stupid World,” just before the ever-iconic “Autumn Sweater,” a highly anticipated song for the evening, especially given the fateful weather. The rest of the set became a tapestry of music from other albums throughout the years, before eventually flowing into an encore of covers from the likes of the Velvet Underground and the Cosmic Rays, with a brief interlude to wish the beating heart of Yo La Tengo herself, Georgia Hubley, the happiest of birthdays. 

The evening as a whole had an atmosphere of belonging, and while we all knew it would be impossible for a band like Yo La Tengo with a 15 LP legacy to squeeze their career into two sets, there was a balmy warmth in being so present in the moment. The entire night was illuminated with the same glow one feels when they’re appreciating a moment they know is being ingrained as a forever memory that we all have the privilege to carry with us, with the same camaraderie as lifelong friends standing around a campfire despite being mostly strangers. In both regards, we all love This Stupid World. Check out the setlist here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!