Less than a year since they last played at the late Starr Hill, the Band From Hoboken returned to Charlottesville to play a seated, “Freewheeling” show at Satellite Ballroom, and the anticipation was palpable. There were no stragglers, and the room was packed by just a little after 9pm.
The show began suddenly: In the dark, Kurt Wagner walked to the stage through the audience, singing “Give It” a capella. Wagner is the lead vocalist for Lambchop, a band with a dozen regular members, but the acoustic set revealed that Wagner’s voice is their best instrument: a low, authoritative growl that wavers with vulnerability as he reaches for higher notes. He only played a few songs, with minimal accompaniment on his custom Gibson, but the set still seemed full.
 Last Tengo in Charlottesville? New Jersey indie rockers Yo La Tengo performed a wide-ranging set of subtle to noisy tunes for a packed Satellite Ballroom. |
Yo La Tengo opened their set with “Sudden Organ” and finished their encore with “Yellow Sarong,” the same songs that opened and closed their last show in town. But everything in between was completely different in tone, focus and performance. Ira Kaplan and crew spent almost as much time answering the audience’s questions as actually playing music.
Not that the music really got short shrift. The best part about an acoustic performance is that familiar songs become unfamiliar. The band played “Tom Courtenay” more quietly than normal as drummer Georgia Hubley sang the lyrics, making the song even more thoughtful and lovesick than usual. “Autumn Sweater,” normally instantly recognizable for the kick drum beat that starts it, surprised the audience with a different opening, gaining cheers only after the band was a few bars in.
After the second song, Kaplan announced that the rest of the show would grow from interaction with the audience. A few amazing covers followed: Bassist (and former Corner parking lot employee—read more about McNew in this week’s Feedback column) James McNew rocked Prince’s “When You Were Mine” in a furious falsetto, and the band spent most of the encore on The Stooges’ “Raw Power,” even if it was strange to hear straight-ahead rock (and so good!) after the softer attitude of the night.
The only problem with the show was that Charlottesville show-goers aren’t used to sitting down for so long: Yo La Tengo’s set was nearly two hours, and the audience’s attention sometimes wandered (though the band’s banter usually brought them back). Still, “The Freewheeling Yo La Tengo” showcased the band’s amazing eclecticism and musicianship. At the end, Kaplan mentioned, “We’ve sold out two shows in Charlottesville, so we can’t come back.” Hopefully that won’t be the case.
