Yo La Tengo moved into the second half of their eight-night Hanukkah run at New York’s Bowery Ballroom last night. Low opened the show, and Fred Armisen served as the night’s guest comedian. Armisen, who regularly joins Yo La Tengo during their Hanukkah celebrations, is, of course, a noted musician as well and played drums with the trio for the majority of their set.

After kicking things off with takes on Crispy Duck’s “Five-Cornered Drone,” “Forever,” and “Detouring America With Horns,” Yo La Tengo brought out Armisen to play drums on “Center of Gravity,” “Black Flowers,” “Fog Over Frisco,” “Don’t Have To Be So Sad,” “Nowhere Near,” T-Rex’s “Baby Strange,” “I Should Have Known Better,” “Big Day Coming,” “Sugarcube,” “Ohm” and “The Story of Yo La Tango.” 

Armisen returned at the start of Yo La Tengo’s encore for The McCoys’ “Sorrow” and remained onstage as Antietam’s Tara Key emerged for her band’s “Orange Song.” (Last night marked Yo La Tengo’s 37th anniversary, and Antietam appeared on the bill at that show at Hoboken, NJ’s Maxwell’s.) Then, Armisen switched to guitar and vocals while Joe Puleo joined in on harmonica for The Clash’s “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais.” Finally, Low’s Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker returned, and Armisen moved back behind the kit for takes on Neil Diamond’s “I Am, I Said” and Flo & Eddie’s “Keep It Warm,” Yo La Tengo will return to Bowery Ballroom this evening.

Here’s a look at last night’s setlist via Jesse Jarnow’s Frank & Earthy: 

Yo La Tengo
Bowery Ballroom, NY
Thursday, December 2, 2021

Surfin’ With the Shah 
Five-Cornered Drone 
Forever
Detouring America With Horns
Center of Gravity
Black Flowers
Fog Over Frisco
Don’t Have To Be So Sad
Nowhere Near
Baby Strange 
I Should Have Known Better
Big Day Coming (fast version)
Sugarcube
Ohm
The Story of Yo La Tango

Encore
Sorrow 
Orange Song  (with Tara Key on guitar/vocals)
(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais  (FA on guitar/vocals, Joe Puleo on harmonica)
I Am, I Said  (with Alan Sparhawk & Mimi Parker of Low on guitar/vocals)
Keep It Warm  (with AS & MP)

whole show minus 1st 3 songs with Fred Armisen on drums