Yo La Tengo celebrated the seventh night of Hanukkah with another cover-heavy show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. Guitarist Ava Mendoza served as the night’s opening act and Janeane Garofolo was the evening’s guest comedian. Since Hanukkah overlaps with Christmas this year, last night’s show was the rare rock performance held on Christmas Eve. 

Mendoza emerged partway through Yo La Tengo’s set for Hot Chicken #1’s “Flying Lesson” and remained onstage for “The Last Days of Disco,” “Serpentine,” a run from “False Alarm” into “Barnaby, Hardly Working,” “Outsmartener” and the set-closing segue from “We’re An American Band” into “I Heard You Looking.” Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan, who alsso founded indie tasmakers Merge records, added percussion to “The Last Days of Disco” and organ to “I Heard You Looking.”

McCaughan returned to Yo La Tengo’s cover-heavy encore, supplying guitar and vocals to an eclectic mix of songs. First, he led the group through his own “Dawn Bends.” Then, he appeared on Bob Dylan’s “You Angel You,” Black Flag’s”Nervous Breakdown,” Superchunk’s “Fishing” and Merge recording artist The Clean’s “Safe In The Rain.” The Clean’s Hamish Kilgour died a few weeks ago, ending the group’s long run.

Yo La Tengo’s Hannukah run concludes this evening.

Here’s a look at last night’s setlist via Jesse Jarnow’s blog

Saturday, December 24, Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY 

Fallout
Our Way To Fall
Beanbag Chair
Ashes
Black Flowers
Don’t Have To Be So Sad
Keep It Warm (Flo & Eddie)
Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1) (with Ava Mendoza on guitar)
The Last Days of Disco (with AM, Mac McCaughan on percussion)
Serpentine (with AM)
False Alarm > (with AM)
Barnaby, Hardly Working (with AM)
Outsmartener (with AM)
We’re An American Band > (with AM)
I Heard You Looking (with AM, MM on organ)

E:
Dawn Bends (Mac McCaughan) (with MM on guitar/vocals)
You Angel You (Bob Dylan) (with MM)
Nervous Breakdown (Black Flag) (with MM)
Fishing (Superchunk) (with MM)
Safe In The Rain (The Clean) (with MM)