the incomparable jamaican rhythms of georgia dubplate and james mcselassie (ylt, night 6)
An utterly surprising set, featuring former Rolling Thunder Revue multi-instrumentalist David Mansfield on violin ("the boy with the Botticelli face" -- Allen Ginsberg) and all the quiet folkiness and obscure covers that've been conspicously scarce for much of the run. Nearly every selection felt like a forgotten (or newly remembered) treat, from the Camp Yo La Tengo "Tom Courtenay" to a random-ass T-Bone Burrnett cover to Georgia's beautiful, beautiful, beautiful take on the Blonde on Blonde outtake "I'll Keep It With Mine."
Yo La Tengo at Maxwell's
30 December 2005
*(Hanukah, night 6)*
The Volcano Suns and Raisin opened.
Mix disc by Ira.
(entire set with David Mansfield on violin)
Night Falls on Hoboken
Tom Courtenay (quiet version)
Did I Tell You?
Griselda (Peter Stampfel)
Pablo and Andrea
Black Hole (The Urinals)
Something To Do
We're An American Band
I'm Coming Home (T-Bone Burnett)
Alyda
From Black to Blue
How Much I've Lied (Gram Parsons)
Little Eyes
For Shame of Doing Wrong (Richard Thompson)
Sugarcube
I Heard You Looking
I'll Keep It With Mine (Bob Dylan)
*(encore)*
Autumn Sweater
Can't Make It On Time (The Ramones, with Volcano Suns guitarist)
Definitely Clean (Steve Wynn, with Volcano Suns guitarist and Peter Prescott on vocals)
Comments
This was the closest I think I've ever been for a YLT show - not quite pressed up against the stage, but within arm's length of the monitors - and it was the perfect night for it, what with all the exquisite quiet songs. It was very reminiscent of last year's Tonic benefit (which in turn was reminiscent of the Anthology Film Archives shows from a few years previous, which I wasn't at but have heard recordings of), but with the added attraction of "Sugarcube" and the encores to get our noise-jam rocks off.
Volcano Suns were great, too - having only heard Yo La's super-quiet cover of "Balancing Act," I was expecting mellowness, and got 45 minutes of great melodic loud punk rock. Added bonus entertainment: Terre T of WFMU practically crawling onto the stage to take photos of the band with her tiny digital camera, and cursing to herself every time she mis-framed a shot of their setlist. (Georgia was front and center for most of their set as well.)
I've only made it to one Hanukkah show each of the past years, and now that I went to two, I wish I'd gone to three... But I can quit anytime. I swear.
Posted by: neil d | January 1, 2006 1:05 AM