Yo La Tengo Welcomes Natural Information Society & The Mekons Members In New York City

Yo La Tengo delivered the penultimate concert of their Hanukkah residency on Saturday at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. Night Seven, which benefitted National Alliance on Mental Illness, saw YLT welcoming opening act Natural Information Society and members of UK collective The Mekons

The concert also featured the comedic stylings of Hari Kondabalu before Yo La Tengo and Natural Information Society kicked off YLT’s set with “Green Arrow” from their 1997 album I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. The three-piece went it alone on Lou Reed’s “I Can’t Stand It,” a song that dates back to Reed’s Velvet Underground days although a version by the band didn’t surface until 2014.

YLT then headed through “Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House,” “Mr. Tough,” “Did I Tell You” and “Is That Enough” before the band welcomed the Natural Information Society once again on “Swing For Life,” “The Last Days Of Disco” and “The Room Got Heavy.” The three-piece then delivered “False Alarm” ahead of a a cover of Angry Samoans’ — YLT covered the L.A. punk band the night previous as well — “Too Animalistic” which saw a sit-in from sound engineer Dutch Worthington. YLT then offered up “Drug Test,” “Upside Down” and “We’re An American Band” ahead of set-closer, “Blue Ling Swinger.”

Yo La Tengo launched the encore with Bob Dylan’s “I Threw It All Away” from his 1969 album, Nashville Skyline. Next, the band welcomed The Mekons’ Jon Langford and Sally Timms for a cover of The Ramones’ “I Don’t Care.” The collaborators then closed out the evening with tunes from The Mekons catalog beginning with “Dan Dare – Out of Space (It’s A Really Nice Place).” Dan Dare was a British comic book from which The Mekons drew their name. Next came “Keep On Hoppin’” ahead of a return to “Dan Dare” to close out Night Seven.

Watch clips from the sit-ins and more below:

Setlist (via Frank & Earthy)

Set: Green Arrow [1], I Can’t Stand It, Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House, Mr. Tough, Did I Tell You, Is That Enough, Swing For Life [1], The Last Days of Disco [1], The Room Got Heavy [1], False Alarm, Too Animalistic [2], Drug Test, Upside Down, We’re An American Band, Blue Ling Swinger

Encore: I Threw It All Away, I Don’t Care [3] Dan Dare – Out of Space (It’s A Really Nice Place) [3], Keep on Hoppin’ [3], Dan Dare – Out of Space (It’s A Really Nice Place) [take 2] [3]

Notes:

[1] – w/Nataural Information Society

[2] – w/Dutch Worthington

[3] – w/The Mekons’ Jon Langford & Sally Timms