The Soft Boys reunited for Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah Night 4 show (pics, video, setlist)
It was a Hanukkah miracle as Yo La Tengo got Robyn Hitchcock to reunite with his Soft Boys bandmates Kimberley Rew and Morris Windsor to open for them on the fourth night of Hanukkah 2024 at Bowery Ballroom. Lee Cave-Berry, who is married to Rew, joined on bass (The Soft Boys bassist Matthew Seligman died in 2020.) It was a reunion but not an all-Soft-Boys set as they also played a few Robyn Hitchcock songs from the rest of Hitchcock’s career. Still, what a treat!
Yo La Tengo played mostly as a trio Saturday night, a rarity for these Hanukkah shows, apart from Kimberley Rew joining them for “The Race is on Again.” Their set also included “Cherry Chapstick,” “Green Arrow,” “Tiny Birds,” “Beanbag Chair,” “The Story of Yo La Tango,” and the quiet version of “Big Day Coming.”
The encore had Hitchcock, Rew, Windsor and Cave-Berry joining Ira, Georgia and James for Soft Boys classics “I Wanna Destroy You” and “Queen of Eyes,” plus traditional folk song “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down” (famously covered by Bob Dylan), The Velvet Underground’s “Run Run Run” and The Beatles’ “It’s All Too Much.”
Eugene Mirman, who is old friends with both Yo La Tengo and Robyn Hitchcock, was the night’s comedian; YLT’s Georgia Hubley made the mix CD sold at the merch table; and Jodi Artichoke was the post-show DJ. Proceeds benefited Coalition for the Homeless.
Head below for photos from the show by Ben Stas plus video and the setlists for Yo La Tengo and Robyn Hitchcock.
Check out recaps of Yo La Tengo’s 2024 Hanukkah residency here.
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SETLIST: Yo La Tengo @ Bowery Ballroom 12/28/2024 (Hanukkah Night 4) (via Frank & Earthy)
The Story of Yo La Tango
Green Arrow
Sinatra Drive Breakdown
Cherry Chapstick
Ashes
I’ll Be Around
Swing For Life
Gentle Hour (Snapper)
The Point of It
Aselestine
Tiny Birds
The Race Is On Again (with Kimberley Rew on guitar)
Beanbag Chair
Styles of the Town
Decora
The Story of Yo La Tango
Big Day Coming (quiet)
*(encore)* with Robyn Hitchcock (guitar/vocals)/Kimberley Rew (guitar)/Morris Windsor (drums/vocals)/Lee Cave-Berry (vocals)
Queen of Eyes (Soft Boys)
Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (trad., arr. Dylan/Hawks)
Run Run Run (Velvet Underground)
I Wanna Destroy You (Soft Boys)
It’s All Too Much (The Beatles)
SETLIST: Robyn Hitchcock (w/ Kimberly Rew, Morris Windsor, Lee Cave-Berry)
Kingdom of Love
Madonna of the Wasps
Brenda’s Iron Sledge
City of Shame
Sally Was A Legend
Sudden Town
Sounds Great When You’re Dead
The Sir Tommy Shovell
Give It To the Soft Boys
The Pigworker
Insanely Jealous
He’s A Reptile
Underwater Moonlight
