Yo La Tengo @ Landmark Loews Theatre, NJ 9/29/06

People really win at Stereogum Dot Com.

On Friday night we met up with Ellen and Jeremy, the winners of Stereogum's I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will FLY Your Ass Sweepstakes. Along with their guests Steve and Mandy, and Adam from Beggars/Matador, we took a private helicopter to Yo La Tengo's Jersey show, circling 'round the Statue Of Liberty on the way. Awesome.

Here are the lucky fliers:

Interesting venue that Landmark Loews. It was apparently once a grand movie theater, and thus smelled like 40 years of popcorn. Yo La Tengo's set was heavy on cuts from I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass, including the sweet waltz "Sometimes I Don't Get You" and the bouncy soul of "Mr. Tough." Mostly we just stared at Ira while he wailed on guitar. Told not to expect "Sugarcube," we were psyched that they actually opened with it! ("Do you think that Mr. Beck got an all-access laminate backstage pass by not learning how to bow his guitar or sample the bowing of a guitar?!" "Probably not.") We were in Hoboken heaven.

Post-show, the band shuffled out to greet the contest winners, the Beggars, and comedian Todd Barry. Ira carried a baggie of "ass cookies" -- butter cookies that said ass on them (they didn't taste like ass) -- and signed some merch for the winners. (It was Ellen's birthday ... awww.)

The setlist:

Not listed in the encore is their blistering cover of "Rocks Off." Here's video:

Thanks rockers! See you at Hanukkah.

Posted at 10:03 AM
Tags: Yo La Tengo

3 Comments

thanks so much for flying my ass to see ylt! it totally rocked!

Posted by: Qbertplaya at 10/02/06 11:25 AM  | Reply
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Now, THIS is great music!

Posted by: Eduardo at 10/02/06 4:58 PM  | Reply
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Todd Barry is like, the Zelig of the 21st century--he turns up EVERYwhere.

Posted by: Scott Bateman at 10/02/06 5:49 PM  | Reply
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