Yo La Tengo
Live @ Het Depot, Leuven, 12.11.09

THE REVIEW

For those who follow American indie rock, Yo La Tengo are a staple, given the excellent quality of their releases (spanning over more than two decades). Yet another confirmation came after seeing them live.

The concert began with an entirely unusual tension (necessary to face the stage? who knows) which gradually melted away as the setlist progressed. The songs from the latest "Popular Songs" took center stage (performed almost in full) along with Ira Kaplan on the guitar. Watching him in action is worth the price of admission: a true giant, striking a masterful balance between technique (the choice and management of sounds) and emotion (you should have seen what he did to that poor six-string).

Among the memorable moments: the particularly adrenaline-fueled start with "Cherry Chapstick", an intense "I Feel like Going Home" - sung by Georgia Hubley with the audience in reverent silence - "Our Way to Fall" loudly requested and served as the first encore. And then also "Sugarcube", "Little Eyes", "Autumn Sweater" - in an acoustic guitar version, to close the two hours (!) of the concert - and others I didn’t recognize, but it's not such a big deal.

In the end - given so many good vibrations, it’s apt to say - the titles aren’t that important after all.
Almost twenty-five years in the business, and Yo La Tengo don’t seem to want to stop at all. Fortunately.