Watch Yo La Tengo Cover Beastie Boys With Galaxie 500’s Damon Krukowski & Naomi Yang

The penultimate show of Yo La Tengo’s eight-night Hanukkah run took place on Wednesday at The Bowery Ballroom in New York City. Galaxie 500’s Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang, who were part of Monday’s Hanukkah show at The Bowery backing Meg Baird and sitting in with YLT, were brought out for another guest spot that included a cover of “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” by Beastie Boys.

The Velvet Underground’s music again played a prominent role in the evening, which featured an opening set of VU covers by Foggy Notion and saw the members of YLT sit-in with the openers. Foggy Notion guitarist Steve Gunn and other members of the collective joined YLT during their main set as well.

Named after a Velvet Underground outtake, Foggy Notion features Steve Gunn on guitar, Alan Licht on guitar and keyboards, Sue Garner on bass, Laura Ortman on viola and Ryan Sawyer on drums. The collective’s opening set consisted entirely of VU songs, closing with a cover of their namesake “Foggy Notion.” Comedian/author David Sedaris performed an opening set as well.

After Yo La Tengo opened their set with “Miles Away,” Sawyer was the first Foggy Notion member to join the band, emerging before the second song “Tiny Birds,” and remaining for all but one of the rest of the songs in the set.

Gunn came out next and added another guitar to “Evanescent Psychic Pez Drop,” “Ballad Of Red Buckets” and “One PM Again.” Garner then took the stage to play guitar and sing “Can’t Forget.” Licht then joined on guitar ahead of Garner helming her song “Rose Colored Glue.” Gunn followed by leading a performance of his original song, “Other You.”

Yo La Tengo guitarist Ira Kaplan, drummer Georgia Hubley and bassist James McNew were given the stage for the trio to deliver “Alyda.” Sawyer and Licht were summoned back and accompanied Yo La Tengo for the rest of the main set, amplifying YLT on “Last Days Of Disco,” “Double Dare,” “I Was The Fool Beside You For Too Long” and “Styles Of The Times.” The main set ended with a pairing of YLT staples “We’re An American Band” and “Mushroom Cloud Of Hiss.”

A cover of The Monkees’ “Take A Giant Step,” which was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, began Wednesday’s encore. The band was then augmented by Krukowski (on acoustic guitar) and Yang. The duo shared vocals while leading a cover of Paul Simon’s “The Boxer.” The pair of guests stuck around for covers of “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” and “Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste,” a Jonathan Richman song notably covered by Galaxie 500.

Yo La Tengo’s 2023 Hanukkah run concludes tonight with an eighth and final show at The Bowery Ballroom. View audience-captured video footage of “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” and “The Boxer” from night seven below:

Setlist (via Frank & Earthy)

Set: Miles Away, Tiny Birds, Evanescent Psychic Pez Drop (with Steve Gunn on guitar), Ballad of Red Buckets (with Gunn), One PM Again (with Gunn), Can’t Forget (with Gunn & Sue Garner on vocals guitar), Rose Colored Glue (Sue Garner) (with Gunn, Garner, & Alan Licht on guitar), Other You (Steve Gunn) (with Gunn, Garner, & Licht), Alyda, Last Days of Disco (with Licht), Double Dare (with Licht), I Was the Fool Beside You For Too Long (with Licht), Styles of the Times (with Licht), We’re An American Band (with Licht), Mushroom Cloud of Hiss (with Licht)

Encore: Take A Giant Step (Carole King & Gerry Goffin), The Boxer (Paul Simon) (with Damon Krukowski on guitar/vocals & Naomi Yang on vocals), (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) (Beastie Boys) (with Damon & Naomi), Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste (Jonathan Richman) (with Damon & Naomi)

Notes:

• Whole set (minus “Miles Away” & “Alyda”) with Ryan Sawyer on drums.
• Opening Act: Foggy Notion
• Comedian: David Sedaris
• Mix CD: James
• Benefiting: Trust Women Foundation & Abortion Care Network