Yo La Tengo Kicks Off 2024 Hanukkah Run With Guests Mac McCaughan, David Nagler & More

Yo La Tengo began their annual Hanukkah run on Wednesday at The Bowery Ballroom in New York City. Show number one of the beloved, guest-filled tradition spanning the eight nights of Hanukkah saw an encore sit-in from Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan.

Following warm-up sets from Sloppy Heads and comedian Todd Barry, Yo La Tengo — drummer Georgia Hubley, guitarist Ira Kaplan and bassist James McNew — kicked off their headline set with the title track off their latest studio album, 2023’s This Stupid World.

Brooklyn-based musician David Nagler then joined the band on keyboards beginning with a cover of the KISS classic “Rock and Roll All Nite.” Led by McNew, the band put a YLT Hanukkah run spin on the rocker, changing up the lyrics to, “I wanna rock and roll eight nights, party a week and a day.”

With Nagler in tow — the keyboardist would stay on for the remainder of the set save for the closer — YLT offered “Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House.” The rest of the set saw the band mixing covers and originals, including an appropriate take on Sam Elwitt’s “Eight Candles” and “Alyda,” helmed by Hubley, off 1989’s President Yo La Tengo.

The set came to a close with “Blue Line Swinger,” one of two songs, along with “Pablo and Andrea,” performed from the band’s acclaimed 1995 LP, Electr-O-Pura.

Yo La Tengo launched the encore with Jan Terri’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Santa,” which saw comedian Todd Barry jingling the sleigh bells. YLT then welcomed Mac McCaughan on guitar and lead vocals for the Ramones’ “Listen to My Heart.”

McCaughan stayed on for the remainder of the show and added guitar to Angry Samoans’ “You Stupid Asshole” and Circle Jerks’ “Live Fast Die Young,” with Kaplan on lead vocals for both. McCaughan then fronted the band on a title from the Superchunk catalog, “Slack Motherfucker.” Night one of Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah run wrapped with The Fugs’ “Nothing,” which saw the return of Sloppy Heads on vocals.

Yo La Tengo returns to The Bowery Ballroom tonight. Check out the rest of the band’s Hanukkah run and more below.