Yo La Tengo wrapped up Hanukkah with Antietam, Kimberley Rew, Ira’s mom & more (pics, setlist, video)
Wednesday was the first day of 2025 and the last day of Hanukkah, and Yo La Tengo wrapped up this year’s celebration residency at Bowery Ballroom with a number of old friends. And family. In what has become a yearly tradition, Ira Kaplan welcomed his mom, Marilyn, to the stage to sing Anita Bryant’s “My Little Corner of the World” which closed out the show and the run.
The night opened with Antietam, who have been guests at a number of Hanukkah shows over the years, and Ira joined them for a bit as did Dave Rick who used to be in YLT (and a whole lot of other indie rocks bands since the ’80s). Rick also joined Yo La Tengo for for their main set, and Antietam’s Tara Key came out for five songs mid-set, including covers of Blue Oyster Cult’s “E.T.I.” and Hot Tuna’s “I Know You Rider.”
The self-imposed rules of the Hanukkah residency are that there are no repeat songs (or at least no repeats of the same version of the song), but they still managed to save a couple fan favorites for last, including “We’re An American Band,” “Tom Courtney” and “Demons.” There were also covers of Urinals’ “Surfin With the Shah,” The All Night Workers’ “Why Don’t You Smile Now” (written by Lou Reed) and more, closing things out with “Our Way to Fall.”
For the encore, before Marilyn Kaplan’s appearance, Yo La Tengo welcomed Kimberley Rew and Lee Cave-Berry for their second appearance this week. (The first was Saturday as part of The Soft Boys reunion.) Kimberley was also in Katrina and The Waves and they played Rew-penned songs “Walking on Sunshine” and “Going Down to Liverpool” (which the Bangles covered as a single in 1984), and more.
The Night 8 comedian was Emily Catalano, Ira made the final mix CD, and Matt Clarke was the post-show DJ. Proceeds from Wednesday benefitted Hitops.
Check out photos from the whole night by Ben Stas, plus the Night 8 setlist (via Jesse Jarnow) and fan-shot video, below.
And that does it for another year. Check out recaps and photos from all eight shows.
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SETLIST: Yo La Tengo @ Bowery Ballroom 1/1/2025 (Hanukkah Night 8)
Surfin’ With the Shah (Urinals)
Five-Cornered Drone (Crispy Duck)
We’re An American Band
Demons
3 Blocks From Groove Street
Tears Are In Your Eyes
Why Don’t You Smile Now (Lou Reed)
I Should Have Known Better
From A Motel 6
I Know You Rider (trad., arr. Hot Tuna) (with Tara Key on guitar)
E.T.I. (Blue Oyster Cult) (with TK)
Today Is The Day (fast) (with TK)
Tom Courtenay (with TK)
The Evil That Men Do (Pablo’s Version) (with TK)
Our Way To Fall
*(encore)*
Happy New Year (Kimberley Rew) (with Kimberley Rew on guitar/vocals & Lee Cave-Berry on vocals)
Stomping All Over the World (Kimberley Rew) (with KR & LCB)
Straighten Up and Fly Right (Nat King Cole/Irving Mills) (with KR & LCB)
Going Down to Liverpool (Kimberley Rew) (with KR & LCB)
Walking On Sunshine (Kimberley Rew) (with KR & LCB)
My Little Corner of the World (Bob Hillard/Lee Pockriss) (with Marilyn Kaplan on vocals)
