DCFC+YLT: Ben Gibbard Joins Yo La Tengo For Hall & Oates Cover & More At Hanukkah Show

Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard was one of Yo La Tengo’s guests on night five of their eight-show Hanukkah run at The Bowery Ballroom in New York City. Monday’s concert saw the DCFC frontman emerge during the encore, joining YLT on a Hall & Oates cover and more.

Monday’s encore began with a cover of The Hollies’ “Bus Stop.” Multi-instrumentalist Meg Baird, who performed an opening set, played percussion along with her guitarist Charlie Saufley on the song Graham Gouldman wrote.

Baird and Saufley exited and Gibbard came out for the remainder of the encore. Gibbard played electric guitar alongside drummer Georgia Hubley, guitarist Ira Kaplan and bassist James McNew and kicked off his guest spot with a cover of The Cramps’ “Drug Train,” written by Lux Interior and Poison Ivy Rorschach.

Gibbard then assisted on a cover of Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams Come True,” which was written by the currently feuding songwriting team of Daryl Hall and John Oates, with Hall’s former partner Sara Allen. Gibbard closed out the night by leading Yo La Tengo through Death Cab For Cutie’s “The Ghosts Of Beverly Drive.”

Monday’s Hanukkah show also featured an opening set by comedian Mia Jackson and the previously mentioned performance by Meg Baird, who was joined by Saufley, and Galaxie 500 drummer Damon Krukowski and bassist Naomi Yang. In addition to “Bus Stop,” Baird and Saufley sat in with Yo La Tengo for much of the headliners’ main set.

A cover of “Goin’ Back” by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, which was recorded by Dusty Springfield and The Byrds, featured Baird, Saufley, Krukowski and Yang. Check out clips of that collaboration and the setlist by scrolling below:

Setlist (via Frank & Earthy)

Set: Big Day Coming (fast), My Heart’s Reflection, Ashes, I’m On My Way, From A Motel 6, Beanbag Chair, The Point of It (with Charlie Saufley on guitar), Sorrow (The McCoys) (with CS & Meg Baird on vocals/percussion), Goin’ Back (Carole King & Gerry Goffin) (with CS, MB, Damon Krukowski on drums, Naomi Yang on keyboards/vocals), Two Trains (with CS & MB), Damage (with CS & MB), This Stupid World (with CS & MB), Nothing To Hide (with CS), Tom Courtenay (with CS), Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind (with CS)

Encore: Bus Stop (The Hollies) (with CS & MB), Drug Train (The Cramps) (with Ben Gibbard on guitar/vocals), You Make My Dreams Come True (Hall & Oates) (with BG), The Ghosts of Beverly Drive (Death Cab For Cutie) (with BG)

Notes:

• Opening Act: Meg Baird
• Comedian: Mia Jackson
• Mix CD: Ira
• Benefiting: Violence Policy Center