Yo La Tengo @ SWG3, Glasgow, 29 Apr
The ease and confidence with which Yo La Tengo roll through their two sets tonight is a thing to behold; the three-piece are unwaveringly doing what they want and doing it very well
Having maintained the same three-piece line-up for the past 26 years, it's safe to say Yo La Tengo are a band comfortable on stage together. The ease and confidence with which they roll through their two sets in the dark, industrial SWG3 is a thing to behold; a masterful performance of precision, innovation and raw talent.
The first set is a little heavier on songs from their new album There's a Riot Going On, with You Are Here and Here You Are bookending the set, while gentle cuts like She May, She Might and Ashes show the vulnerable heart beneath the intricate compositions. However, the oldies prove to be the real gems, like the James McNew-led Black Flowers where the guitars are ditched for keys and double bass, or Georgia Hubley's star turn on Tears Are in Your Eyes.
The second set has a bit more oomph to it, opening with an ecstatic Out of the Pool and proceeding into more extended experiments, with Ira Kaplan flinging his guitar wildly at one point creating a veritable squall of feedback. Autumn Sweater arrives halfway through this set – probably the biggest “hit” the band have – to a few shouts and cheers (the closest this polite crowd get to raucous), and its sweet tale of romance-induced anxiety is absolutely gorgeous.
Kaplan gives a shout-out to Belle & Sebastian in the encore, before delivering a couple of spirited and typically obscure covers, as well as a beautiful acoustic rendition of You Can Have It All following an audience request. The stage tonight is bedecked with hanging records and tape-reels, all twirling and twinkling as the show goes on, invoking a sense of nostalgia with its antiquity, but it also creates a sort of DIY mobile for the band, safely cocooned by their influences. However, the performance is far from backward-looking, but timeless in its combination of abrasive feedback, lullaby-esque melodies and delicate vocal harmonising; Yo La Tengo are far removed from any scene or trend, unwaveringly doing what they want and doing it very well.