Yo La Tengo + The Urinals - Wonder Ballroom (Portland, OR; Feb. 18, 2011)

Whee, punk rock!

In true punk tradition, the initial lyrics are unintelligible, but the Urinals play their instruments fast and hard. The crowd merely stares. Can’t you hear these infectious beats? Dance, people! The Urinals’ songs are polished, and played with a precise focus that is uncommon in the genre. They sound a bit like the Vaselines, with a tongue-in-cheek sneer and a youthful exuberance despite a 30+ year career. Unfortunately, this performance is plagued by equipment difficulties. An amp blows out, and they are graciously loaned a new one by Yo La Tengo. Later, Rob Roberge’s guitar begins to misbehave. It gets tossed angrily to the floor and replaced by a new one. Challenges aside, the band perseveres, and makes the noise elements of their performance work without being shrill or oppressive. They cover some Yo La Tengo songs, and play several of their own without further gear problems [Editor’s note: the Urinals played songs that Yo La Tengo has covered in the past, but they didn’t cover any Yo La Tengo songs]. As their set comes to a close, Roberge throws his instrument in the air, causing a momentary panic that it will crash down on his head. It misses by an inch or two, and the Urinals wave goodbye.

The rumors are true. Whispers have traveled across the country, carrying tales of a spinning wheel that will determine the course of Yo La Tengo’s first set. One recent turn of this wheel allegedly resulted in the band reenacting an episode of Seinfeld in its entirety. Intriguing though this concept may be, I am hoping for a normal set of songs as the wheel is dragged to center stage. The band calls for a volunteer to be the spinner. A blond girl from the front row eagerly hoists herself over the edge and up to meet the band. With an expression that makes it clear that this is the greatest moment of her life, she gives the wheel a good, strong turn. It ticks past the Seinfeld episode and lands on “Sounds of Science, Part 1.” The band gives the volunteer a t-shirt, and without further explanation, leaves the room for a few minutes to determine the forthcoming set. What’s in store for us? Could it be an entire collection of songs about science? Another option was a set of songs with proper names in the titles, so it’s possible. This is a mystery.

Reappearing, Yo La Tengo begins a long and winding warm-up as the Wonder Ballroom hums with curious anticipation. The jam meanders, wordless, for a good ten minutes. In the front row, people rest their elbows on the stage, heads in hands, and wait for change. Audience members stare ahead with rapt attention. More time passes, and at the risk of insulting the band, this is beginning to mimic a Sharper Image white noise machine. I half expect artificial frogs to begin croaking in the din. There’s no turning back, it seems. We are captive to an hour-long experiment – a test of patience. What else is to be said for a sixty minute jam session? The band members are exceptionally talented and play their instruments quite well, but I need more structure to my live music. While pushing the envelope is important for all artists, this is pushing the entire post office. Toward the end, guitarist Ira Kaplan begins coaxing piercing shreds of sound from his instrument, waking us from our daze. He swings the guitar in the air, stopping inches from the floor. He grabs violently at the strings and rips them from their resting places, ending the set. They bid us temporarily adieu, to return for a second, more conventional performance after a break.

The second half of the evening begins with “Mr. Tough,” and the mood in the room immediately shifts. Audience apathy dissipates as people shimmy, cheer, and sing along. Kaplan gyrates forcefully and smashes at the keyboard. Once they begin “Stockholm Syndrome,” this becomes a completely normal performance that can be appreciated without a furrowed brow. Drummer Georgia Hubley approaches the microphone to sing the next song, “Tears Are In Your Eyes.” Her voice is quiet and subdued. The crowd is still, absorbing the lovely, heartfelt notes emanating from the stage. Acoustic guitars appear. These mellow, dreamy tunes are nearest to my heart, holding me captive. As quickly as they came, though, the slow dances are gone and the band explodes back into something strong and bold. The noise, shreds, and effects pedal experiments return. Yo La Tengo plays with our energy, pulling us down and bringing us back in a sonic steeplechase. Kaplan tweaks the many pedals to alter the vibrations. They begin winding down, and the final song bleeds into another jam.

Notoriously fond of covers, the band begins its encore with three of them. First up is Richard Hell’s “The Kid with the Replaceable Head.” Joyful tunes ring out at a quick pace, inciting the first true movement in the crowd all night. People jump and thrash, clearly enjoying the variation. Next is a Neil Young song, “Barstool Blues.” They close out the first encore with simple, beautiful harmonies on Brian Wilson’s “The Farmer’s Daughter,” and disappear backstage again. The two-song second encore begins with “Can’t Forget,” sung at a near whisper and bringing closure to the range of decibels present in this performance. Their final number is all strums and echoes, like a campfire song from long ago. True entertainers, Yo La Tengo have managed to stave off boredom, even after decades together, by constantly reinventing themselves and never being afraid to try something new. 

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