Last night, Dec. 19, Yo La Tengo oxidized off their annual Hanukkah run at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. As always, the show featured a surprise opener, guest comedian sit-ins and an encore devoted to Jewish songwriters and musicians.

Barrence Whitfield & the Savages served as the evening’s opening act, and Liz Miele acted as the evening’s comedian. After the opening segment, Yo La Tengo ushered in the flame that is their Hanukka show, which was to the benefit of the Attic Youth Center.

They opened the show with “Seven Day Weekend,” with the lyrics aptly changed to “Eight Day Weekend.” The music continued to flow with many highlights, including Cj Camerieri and Mike McGinnis adding horns on the opening song along with “Moby Octopod” and “Before We Run,” Kurt Wagner adding vocals on “Or Thousands of Prizes” and Pavement’s Mark Ibold joining on bass for a set-closing “Point That Thing Somewhere Else.”

The encore saw four songs: “Long Gone” with Petter Greenfield on guitar and vocals,” “I Smell A Rat” and “One Bad Stud” with Barrence Whitfield on vocals, Steve Lagrega on saxophone, and Greenfield on guitar, and a show-closing performance of “Shopping For Clothes” with Whitfield, Wagner, Lagrega and Greenfield all lending to the sound.

Yo La Tengo will celebrate the second night of Hanukkah with a return to the Bowery Ballroom tonight.

Yo La Tengo
Bowery Ballroom – New York City
Dec 19, 2022
*(Hanukkah, night 1)*

Set: Seven Day Weekend (Doc Pomus) (sung as “Eight Day Weekend”) (with CJ Camerieri & Mike McGinnis on horns), Moby Octopad (with CJC & MM), Before We Run > (with CJC & MM) She May, She Might > Tiny Birds, Aselestine (with CJC), Eight Candles (Sam Elwitt) (with CJC & MM), Or Thousands of Prizes (Lambchop) (with Kurt Wagner on vocals, CJC & MM), Season of the Shark, The Ballad of Red Buckets, Styles of the Times, Some Kinda Fatigue, Sugarcube, Ohm, Point That Thing Somewhere Else (The Clean) (with Mark Ibold on bass)

Enc.: Long Gone (The Customs) (with Peter Greenfield on guitar & vocals), I Smell A Rat (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller) (with Barrence Whitfield on vocals, Steve Lagrega on saxophone, & PG), One Bad Stud (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller) (with BW, SL, & PG), Shopping For Clothes (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller) with BW, KW, SL, & PG)

Setlist via Frank & Earthy: http://www.jessejarnow.com/category/ylt / @bourgwick