Yo La Tengo Re-Enact 'Seinfeld' Episode in Chicago

Posted on Feb 5th 2011 12:15PM by Garin Pirnia
Comments

Redferns

This winter, New Jersey trio Yo La Tengo brings a new concept to their tour: let a Wheel of Fortune-esque wheel decide what their set entails. At the Metro in Chicago Friday night (Feb. 4), labeled with eight different categories like Condo F---s (their alter ego band), Sitcom Theater, The Sounds of the Sounds of Science (the score they did for documentary shorts) and James McNew's old band Dump, a lucky audience member spun the wheel and landed on Spinner's Choice, which enabled "the contestant" to choose whatever category he wanted. With game show music blaring in the background, he picked Sitcom Theater and thus the Yo La Tengo Players were born.

After the band gave the contestant an organic banana and Yo La paraphernalia as a parting gift, the band whipped out their scripts. Georgia Hubley, James McNew and Ira Kaplan all lined up in front of their mics and read what turned out to be the Chinese restaurant episode from 'Seinfeld.' At first the crowd relished the novelty, but soon they became restless when they realized the band was performing the entire episode. "Play the music!" some people shouted, but undaunted, the band continued to do their comedy thing. Kaplan did a great impression of Seinfeld, and the band invited their crew to read other bit parts.

Once a 15-minute intermission concluded, Yo La came back and actually played some music -- 16 songs to be exact. Discordant beats, bongos and an organ powered up for the lengthy 'Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind' from their album 'I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass.' The band performed a menagerie of dulcet songs including 'The Weakest Part,' 'Stockholm Syndrome,' 'Gentle Hour' from their Dark Night of the Soul contribution and 'Don't Have to Be So Sad' before they revved it up with the head-nodding 'Sugarcube' and 'Periodically Double or Triple' from their last record, 'Popular Songs.'

Kaplan got on his knees and busily turned knobs and scraped the strings on his guitar while high frequencies enveloped the venue. The five-minute instrumental eventually receded into 'Blue Line Swinger.' Yo La came back for a six-song encore of mainly quiet and harmonious acoustic diddies 'When It's Dark' and 'Did I Tell You,' which made the crowd fall to a hush. Even though Sitcom Theater eclipsed the chance for Yo La to perform more obscure material, they still managed to delve into their varied discography.