Yo La Tengo Performs Socially-Distanced Show At MASS MoCA
By Andy Kahn Aug 8, 2020 • 11:42 am PDT
Yo La Tengo returned to performing live in public on Friday night by playing the first of two limited-capacity shows at the Courtyard D outdoor concert venue at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts. The socially-distanced concert was held in accordance with Massachusettsâ COVID-19 Phase 3 guidelines.
Guitarist Ira Kaplan (on acoustic guitar for portions of the main set), drummer Georgia Hubley and bassist James McNew opted against playing songs from their recently issued, improvised album We Have Amnesia Sometimes. The show began with âBig Day Comingâ off 1993âs Painful.
The rest of the main set was made up of a few covers with originals drawn from throughout the bandâs lengthy career, including âThe Pain of Painâ (Ride the Tiger), âStockholm Syndromeâ and âMoby Octopadâ (I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One), âFrom Black to Blueâ (And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out), âLittle Eyesâ (Summer Sun), âI Feel Like Going Homeâ (I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass), âPeriodically Double Or Tripleâ and âNothing To Hideâ (Popular Songs), âOhmâ (Fade), âFor You Tooâ and âForeverâ (Thereâs a Riot Going On).
Covers performed on Friday included the rarely played âWanted Manâ by Bob Dylan, âIf I Was Your Childâ by Wilco, âSorrowâ by The McCoys and âSmile a Little Smile for Meâ by The Flying Machine, as well as âFor Shame of Doing Wrongâ by Richard & Linda Thompson. Kaplan switched to electric guitar for the encore that began with a cover of The Velvet Undergroundâs âI Heard Her Call My Nameâ and concluded with The Holy Modal Roundersâ âGriselda.â
Yo La Tengo will perform at MASS MoCA again tonight. The show is sold-out. View video clips and photos of Yo La Tengo at MASS MoCA Friday night below:
https://twitter.com/TheLivingMJ/status/1291912292414652423 https://www.instagram.com/p/CDnMMfEjq8p/Setlist
- Big Day Coming
- From Black to Blue
- Wanted Man
- Forever
- Periodically Double or Triple
- If I Ever Was a Child
- For Shame of Doing Wrong
- For You Too
- The Pain of Pain
- Sorrow
- I Feel Like Going Home
- Nothing to Hide
- Double Dare
- Smile a Little Smile for Me
- Little Eyes
- Stockholm Syndrome
- Moby Octopad
- Ohm
- I Heard Her Call My Name
- Griselda