Yo La Tengo Salutes Rob Reiner At Hanukkah Show

Yo La Tengo’s tradition of covering songs by Jewish songwriters during their annual Hanukkah run at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom took a somber turn Monday evening. The second night of the eight-show run saw the band honor actor/director Rob Reiner by performing a song from the beloved mockumentary he directed, This Is Spinal Tap.

Built to Spill and comedian Alex Edelman were night two’s openers. Built To Spill drummer Teresa Esguerra played with Yo La Tengo during their set and guitarist Doug Martsch was brought out for a multi-song sit-in culminating with The Velvet Underground’s “Heroin.” Martsch was also brought back at the end of the show for Bob Dylan’s “Jokerman.”

“We’re going to salute a Jewish songwriter, we were not expecting to be saluting this Hanukkah,” Yo La Tengo guitarist Ira Kaplan told the audience before the start of the encore. “And we certainly weren’t expecting to be memorializing him. So we’re going to try do a song and see how this goes.”

Kaplan, drummer Georgia Hubley and bassist James McNew then performed “Gimme Some Money.” The song was performed in This Is Spinal Tap by the folk group The Thamesmen, who later evolved into Spinal Tap.

Reiner also directed the Spinal Tap sequel that came out this year that was produced by his wife, Michelle Singer Reiner. Among his many other directing credits were Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, A Few Good Men and Misery. In addition to directing, Reiner was an accomplished actor, noted for his role as Meathead on the 1970s sitcom All In The Family, among others.

Reiner and his wife died at their home in Los Angeles on December 14. Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, was arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents.

Watch Yo La Tengo pay tribute to Rob Reiner during last night’s encore in NYC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9juCiAqA1o

Setlist (via Frank & Earthy)

Set: Nutricia, Sinatra Drive Breakdown, Stockholm Syndrome, Beanbag Chair, Let’s Do It Wrong, I Was the Fool Beside You For Too Long, Detouring America With Horns (acoustic), Alyda,

Nowhere Near, The Room Got Heavy, Last Days of Disco (with Doug Martsch on guitar), Barnaby, Hardly Working (with DM), Nothing To Hide (with DM), Ohm (with DM), Heroin (Velvet Underground, arr. Roky Erickson) (with DM)

Encore: Gimme Some Money (The Thamesmen), She’s My Best Friend (Velvet Underground), Jokerman (Bob Dylan) (with TE on drums & DM on guitar/vocals)

Notes:

Whole set with Teresa Esguerra of Built to Spill on drums/percussion