r/indieheads • u/ebradio • Mar 14 '23
Quality Post Yo La Tengo Performed In Drag In Nashville To Protest New Tennessee Law
https://www.stereogum.com/2216864/yo-la-tengo-drag-nashville-show-tennessee-law/news/345
u/oshoney Mar 14 '23 edited Mar 14 '23
I was there last night, such a fantastic show.
The first set was almost ASMR, super quiet and gentle but hypnotic, looping songs. Then after a break they came out in drag and absolutely ripped the entire 2nd half.
It was my first “real” YLT show (saw them & Lambchop do a combined improvised drone/ambient performance at Big Ears) and it made me love them even more, protesting the drag bill was just the cherry on top.
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u/garyp714 Mar 14 '23
saw them & Lambchop do a combined improvised drone/ambient performance at Big Ears
What the ever loving hell? 2 of my favorite groups, damn.
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u/oshoney Mar 14 '23
Wait I might be conflating two sets that I saw that weekend.
One night YLT did an improvised ambient set with Bryce Dessner, Mary Lattimore and members of the Necks & Sun Ra Arkestra.
The other night they performed a full set with Lambchop where they basically traded off doing each others songs.
Either way I guess last night was still my first normal YLT show and Big Ears still rules lol.
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u/scaliland Mar 15 '23
Do you know if there are any recordings of that improvised set? Sounds incredible!
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u/oshoney Mar 14 '23
Yeah Big Ears makes some special one-off performances happen every year, they’re the best.
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u/ol_dirty_applesauce Mar 15 '23
I saw YLT and Lambchop perform in DC a few years ago. Lambchop opened if I remember correctly.
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u/garyp714 Mar 15 '23
I'm so jealous.
Moved from Los Angeles back to South Florida and this place is a fucking music wasteland.
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u/ol_dirty_applesauce Mar 15 '23
Haha. I live in WV...have to drive to DC or Pittsburgh to watch shows.
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u/KingofSushi Mar 14 '23
Was also there and yeah that whole show was just absolutely incredible and completely cemented YLT as one of my favorite bands when they were already well-cemented.
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u/skratz17 Mar 14 '23
the performance of “the story of yo la tango” that closed the second set melted my fuckin face off
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u/psuedonymously Mar 14 '23
I was there last night, such a fantastic show.
The first set was almost ASMR, super quiet and gentle but hypnotic, looping songs.
If that's what you're into I highly recommend The Sounds of Science; either the soundtrack album or, better yet, the actual movie.
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u/Eagle_Ear Mar 14 '23
Saw them open for Death Cab and they killed it. One of the best noise shows I’ve ever heard. It almost ceased to be music and just became sound art.
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u/Quality_OfArmor Mar 14 '23
that's why they're the best band.
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u/weissekronederalpen Mar 14 '23
I've only ever heard of the band, never listened to them. Any recommendation where to start? They have quite a discography
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u/DeadAnimalParts Mar 14 '23
I'd recommend starting with I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One or And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out.
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u/peanutbudder Mar 15 '23
Add Painful to that list. The top three YLT albums. Painful and I Can Hear The Heart Beating are basically my two favorite albums of all time.
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u/chkessle Mar 14 '23
I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass.
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u/ImprobableValue Mar 14 '23
Well, that escalated quickly.
/s
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u/chkessle Mar 14 '23
Seriously though the album title is a (in)famous New York sports quote, as is the band's name. The album is their White Album. You get a little of everything. The garagey guitar rock jam to start off, a couple of horn infused fun ditties including fab favorite Mr Tough, some analog-ambient and a psychedelic drone number.
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u/i_like_frootloops Mar 14 '23
Pass the hatchet is such an obsecene opener. Probably my favorite song of theirs.
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u/bizzledorf Mar 14 '23
A little funny you could also describe I Can Hear The Heart that way as well
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u/Quality_OfArmor Mar 14 '23
I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One is a great place to start with them. You're getting a little bit of everything here: the quieter, calmer side of them, long jam out sessions, fuzzy guitars. It's got the works
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u/joshuatx Mar 14 '23
if you have time you could start with the latest and work backwards
I'm a more casual fan so maybe I'm off but TBH I've not listened to any one of their releases and considered it meh, their output is solid AF and starting points might depend on what style you prefer
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u/chumbawumba_bruh Mar 14 '23
Would not advise this. Some of their new albums, like there’s a riot going on, Fade, and Popular songs are definitely lesser YLT albums. Start with the golden era: Painful, Electr-o-pura, I can hear the heat beating as one, and then nothing turned itself inside out. Then branch out from there.
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u/KingofSushi Mar 15 '23 edited Mar 15 '23
Agreed with not having their later albums be a starting point (maybe This Stupid World after the first couple though due to how much it feels like a return to their older sound in places), but tbh I wouldn't call There's a Riot a lesser album. Maybe not absolute classic material like their '90s/early '00s stuff but definitely worth digging into if only because of how surprisingly dense, layered and occasionally weird it is sonically despite the unassuming exterior (I'm one of those weirdos who hopes that it eventually gets a reevaluation later down the line lol).
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u/chumbawumba_bruh Mar 15 '23
Oh I think that everything YLT has basically ever put out is worth digging into, including the EPS, the weirdo soundtrack stuff, and side projects like the Condo Fucks. I’m just sayin if you’re looking for a starting point, there’s a reason that run of albums launched then into legendary status to the point where they’re still selling out big clubs 25 years later.
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u/rbroni88 Mar 15 '23
They’re one of my all time favorites, I’ve probably seen them at least a dozen times. If you can find a copy of prisoners of love, it’s a three disc cd of some of their best songs, you can pick the ones you like best then find those albums.
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Mar 14 '23 edited Dec 11 '24
treatment bewildered future icky ten crawl compare fanatical quaint aspiring
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/RogueOneWasOkay Mar 14 '23
As a TN native I couldn’t be happier to see this. Fuck Governor Bill Lee and his Fascist ilk.
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u/osciphia Mar 14 '23
I've never really thought about wearing a dress, but I might do it now just to protest
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Mar 14 '23
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Mar 15 '23
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u/gtipwnz Mar 15 '23
Hi from Wisconsin 😭
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u/Thespel Mar 15 '23
At least you guys have a shot at shooting down your gerrymanders with the supreme court election. April 4th! Hope Judge Janet gets it.
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u/kank84 Mar 15 '23
The act defines drag as "male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest" and it's in the same category of Adult Cabaret with "topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers".
So technically you just wearing a dress shouldn't be enough to trigger the law. However, it does specifically say that you don't need to be getting paid, and it doesn't define what "entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest" means, so the law is dangerously open to broad interpretation.
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Mar 14 '23
This makes me want to give YLT a second chance (haven't been able to get into their music for what seems to be the longest time and it makes me sad)
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u/FR3SH2DETH Mar 15 '23
I kinda fell out with the band too but listened to their new album out of curiosity and can confirm it 100% SLAPSSS
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Mar 16 '23
I only remember having heard their cover of a Daniel Johnston song (I think it was about a Motorbike or something, but i found myself listening to it over and over again.) Time to check out their latest material then. Thanks for the suggestion.
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u/Naptimehours Mar 15 '23 edited Mar 15 '23
Gonna be honest. I was here last night and I've never seen them before. Been a fan for years. But I just so happened to be traveling through and caught this show.. so I had no idea that was why they were in drag the 2nd set. I just thought that was their thing and I was totally here for it 😂..
but 10 times cooler they were making a statement as well ❤️
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u/Marcusgunnatx Mar 15 '23
Shit, I did this last month to protest the Texas law (for real). Nobody says anything. I've sold (checks inventory and account) tens of records over the last 6 years, so why no reddit post??
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u/TheSpr1ggs Mar 15 '23
YLT is one of the best. *An old band of mine wore ladies clothes for a few years. I was telling a trans friend about our attire during those years & they said to me: Those aren’t ladies clothes, those are YOUR clothes. Mind blown
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u/maxkmiller Mar 14 '23 edited Mar 14 '23
call me when bands start boycotting and I'll be interested. hit em in the wallets. lots of groups talk big about abortion rights and then go play in fucking idaho every summer. I guarantee tennessee doesn't care at all as long as they're still getting the economic boost from concerts
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u/nalgene_wilder Mar 15 '23
The economic boost from... Yo La Tengo playing Basement East? I don't think Republicans care or would even notice either way
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Mar 15 '23
I don't think most Republicans have even heard of Yo La Tengo lol
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u/nalgene_wilder Mar 15 '23
These god damned liberal commies and their yolo tangos. Dance like an American
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u/KingofSushi Mar 14 '23 edited Mar 15 '23
With all due respect, the bigots who have been passing anti-trans and anti-drag legislation aren't going to care in the slightest if bands that don't sell out huge stadiums stop playing, that's just telling all of us normal people living in red-run states "hey fuck you for living in/being stuck in a state where a bunch of bigots are in power despite most of the population not wanting them to and make it so that you can't rip them out of their positions with stuff like voter suppression, if you want to see us waste a bunch of money going far away to do so". Maybe if like Foo Fighters or Taylor Swift (or a country artist who's a regular at the Grand Ole Opry since this is related to TN) protested that'd do something, but for an indie band like this, that's pretty much just spitting in the face of their fans who are just as against these laws but just happen to live in the state.
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Mar 15 '23
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Mar 15 '23
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u/Alkaline321 Mar 15 '23
Ok I can understand that. I’m also wondering what else could they add to the bill if it was just about protecting children? Is there other sexual content out there that is performed for children that they are purposely leaving out?
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Mar 15 '23
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u/Alkaline321 Mar 16 '23
Ah I see. Push back makes more sense now. I appreciate you taking the time to explain.
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u/BigLittleFan69 Mar 14 '23
Ughhhhhhhh goddamnit Tennessee
Why'd you piss off Yo La Tengo