Online review and photos by Brooklyn Vegan
It was a Hanukkah miracle as Yo La Tengo got Robyn Hitchcock to reunite with his Soft Boys bandmates Kimberley Rew and Morris Windsor to open for them on the fourth night of Hanukkah 2024 at Bowery Ballroom. Lee Cave-Berry, who is married to Rew, joined on bass (The Soft Boys bassist Matthew Seligman died in 2020.) It was a reunion but not an all-Soft-Boys set as they also played a few Robyn Hitchcock songs from the rest of Hitchcock’s career. Still, what a treat!

Yo La Tengo played mostly as a trio Saturday night, a rarity for these Hanukkah shows, apart from Kimberley Rew joining them for “The Race is on Again.” Their set also included “Cherry Chapstick,” “Green Arrow,” “Tiny Birds,” “Beanbag Chair,” “The Story of Yo La Tango,” and the quiet version of “Big Day Coming.”

The encore had Hitchcock, Rew, Windsor and Cave-Berry joining Ira, Georgia and James for Soft Boys classics “I Wanna Destroy You” and “Queen of Eyes,” plus Dylan’s “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down,” the Velvet Underground’s “Run Run Run” and The Beatles’ “It’s All Too Much.”

Eugene Mirman, who is old friends with both Yo La Tengo and Robyn Hitchcock, was the night’s comedian; YLT’s Georgia Hubley made the mix CD sold at the merch table; and Jodi Artichoke was the post-show DJ. Proceeds benefited Coalition for the Homeless.

Online review, photos and videos on Stereogum
Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah residency is currently under way at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. This year’s iteration of the annual tradition has already given us some news to write home about — for example, Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan joined them to do “Slack Motherfucker” on Night One — and Saturday night, Yo La Tengo got Robyn Hitchcock to reunite the Soft Boys.

Hitchcock opened the show with his bandmates Kimberley Rew and Morris Windsor, with whom he also played a handful of shows in England earlier this year. (Brooklyn Vegan points out that Rew’s spouse Lee Cave-Berry stepped in to play bass, as Soft Boy bassist Matthew Seligman passed away from COVID complications in 2020.) They played songs both from the Soft Boys’ discography, as well as highlights from Hitchcock’s solo career.

Yo La Tengo played as a trio. After their set — during which Rew joined for “The Race Is On Again” — they brought the Soft Boys back onstage for the encore, where they did “Queen Of Eyes” and “I Wanna Destroy You” together. They also did covers of the Velvet Underground and the Beatles.

Nights Two and Three of Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah residency featured guests like Fred Armisen and Wilco’s Pat Sansone. On Night Four, friend of the band Eugene Mirman did some comedy, while Jodi Artichoke did a post-show DJ set. Proceeds went to Coalition For The Homeless. See audience clips and the full Night Four setlists below.

THE SOFT BOYS SETLIST:
“Kingdom Of Love”
“Madonna Of The Wasps”
“Brenda’s Iron Sledge”
“City Of Shame”
“Sally Was A Legend”
“Sudden Town”
“Sounds Great When You’re Dead”
“The Sir Tommy Shovell”
“Give It To The Soft Boys”
“The Pigworker”
“Insanely Jealous”
“He’s A Reptile”
“Underwater Moonlight”

YO LA TENGO SETLIST:
“Green Arrow”
“Sinatra Drive Breakdown”
“Cherry Chapstick”
“Ashes”
“I’ll Be Around”
“Swing For Life”
“Gentle Hour” (Snapper Cover)
“The Point Of It”
“Aselestine”
“Tiny Birds”
“The Race Is On Again”
“Beanbag Chair”
“Styles Of The Times”
“Decora”
“The Story Of Yo La Tango”
“Big Day Coming”

ENCORE:
“Queen Of Eyes” (The Soft Boys Cover)
“Baby, Let Me Follow You Down”
“Run Run Run” (The Velvet Underground Cover)
“I Wanna Destroy You” (The Soft Boys Cover)
“It’s All Too Much” (The Beatles Cover)