Yo La Tengo Vacillates Between Delicate Odes, Noisy Jams in Stunning Beachland Ballroom Concert

Yo La Tengo at the Beachland Ballrooom in Cleveland Credit: Photo by George Michaels

Early on Monday night, it was clear the sold-out Beachland Ballroom crowd that Yo La Tengo drew was there to listen, something the trio has earned from its years on the road.

This may sound like a given, but not in Cleveland, where talkative audiences can be happy to compete with a band to see who can be louder. Not this time. By the second song, the delicate “I Feel Like Going Home,” the 500-strong audience was silent and rapt, giving this reviewer goosebumps as Georgia Hubley’s singing barely rose above a whisper.

It was a sign of respect, and the trio responded in kind, delivering more than two hours that showcased a range that most bands can only dream of achieving.
The Hoboken, New Jersey-hailing indie rock band has been at it for four decades and has the catalog and deep musical knowledge to show for it. The trio—which has made its affinity for Cleveland clear by making multiple stops here over the years and, earlier Monday, appearing for a signing at Blue Arrow Records—is just as likely to play an original as it is to bust out an obscurity.

The show, which was part of a celebration of the Beachland’s 25th anniversary, vacillated between delicate songs and noisier jams, fan favorites and deeper cuts.
Opening with a burst of noise on “This Stupid World,” Hubley, leader/guitarist Ira Kaplan and bassist James McNew (though all members sang and played multiple instruments) delivered a bit of a red herring. Most of the first set was on the quieter side. Still, that didn’t stop Kaplan from introducing a bit of well-placed distortion on songs like “The Crying of Lot G.”

The second set was noisier, from the pounding drums and noisy guitar of “Sinatra Drive Breakdown” to the hypnotic main-set closer “Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind.” Kaplan, during the latter, contorted his body and swung his guitar to elicit feedback from his amplifiers.

In between were songs that featured the “oohs” and “ba ba bas” that sounded straight out of 1960s bubblegum. And “Mr. Tough” was a bouncy slice of piano pop that featured Kaplan and McNew’s falsettos.

During the encore, Kaplan elicited cheers after he said that “we are well aware that (Vice President) J.D. Vance is not the entirety of Ohio.” The band then proceeded to highlight music from the “greater Cleveland area.”

Only, as expected, these weren’t the songs most Cleveland music fans expect.

“I hope you know this song. I don’t think you do but it’s much better than the version we’re about to do,” Kaplan said before the band launched into garage rockers The Wombats’ “The Reason Why,” a song that, as far as I can tell, only appeared on a 1981 compilation album.

Then came the Devo rarity “Bottled Up” before wrapping up with The Nightcrawlers’ “The Little Black Egg,” a song covered by Cleveland punks The Pagans. It was a joyous, slightly shambolic end to a night by a band that, by then, had earned it.

Setlist (via setlist.fm and my own recollection):

Set 1
1. This Stupid World
2. I Feel Like Going Home
3. Black Flowers
4. Until It Happens
5. Aselestine
6. Is That Enough
7. The Summer
8. The Crying of Lot G
9. Miles Away

Set 2
10. Sinatra Drive Breakdown
11. Evanescent Psychic Pez Drop
12. For You Too
13. We’re an American Band
14. Mr. Tough
15. Fallout
16. Brain Capers
17. Drug Test
18. Tom Courtenay
19. Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind

Encore:
20. The Reason Why (The Wombats cover)
21. Bottled Up (Devo cover)
22. The Little Black Egg (The Nightcrawlers cover)

Eric Heisig is a freelance writer in Cleveland. He can be reached at eheisig@gmail.com.

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