Yo La Tengo gets personal at Buskirk-Chumley show

Yo La Tengo performed at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Wednesday to a near-capacity audience comprised predominantly of students who were encouraged to interact with band members while they were on stage.\n“We have nothing planned,” said guitarist Ira Kaplan jokingly after the band took the stage.\nSet up at the very front of the stage, the trio played only an acoustic guitar, a stripped-down drum set and an electric bass. For the almost entirely acoustic show, the band began the set with “Stockholm Syndrome,” one of the more energetic songs of the night. The band is known for improvising and never playing the same show twice. During the opening song, this was evident in Kaplan’s guitar, which alternated between a screeching solo and a mellowed acoustic guitar.\n“I’ve seen them 12 times, and every time it’s been different,” said Ben Mikesell, a fan who came from Lexington, Ky. to see the performance.\nWhen the band finished with the first few songs, the audience took that as a cue that the band was at a loss for songs to play and began to get more insistent with requests.\n“You don’t have to yell,” Kaplan exclaimed in jest. “We heard you.”\nAudience members yelled out their requests throughout the performance. At one point, Kaplan responded to a particular request by saying the band played the song too often. By not playing it, Kaplan explained, “that’s more of a tribute to that song than playing it would be.”\nThe band mixed in a few rare songs, from unfinished works to the intimate “Black Flowers.”\n“I feel like there’s a lot of emotion in that song (Black Flowers),” said freshman Robby Racette. “He said it was written for someone going through some hard times.”\nThe band stayed mostly on the relaxed side, but occasionally changed the pace with upbeat songs. \nEnding with “I Feel Like Going Home” off their new album “I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass,” drummer Georgia Hubley whispered the vocals over a soft guitar and bass while she kept a steady pulse on the drums.\n“I guess it’s good to (interact with) them and see how they communicate,” said sophomore Jenna Beasley. “I wish they would have rocked out more though,” she added.\nAfter a night of Yo La Tengo’s vast musical styles and stories about everything from naked men to their performance on “The Simpsons,” the audience left in good spirits.\n“For me, it was the first time I heard the band, and I really loved it,” said Maria Kennedy, a graduate student. \nAs a first-time listener, Kennedy gave advice to someone who has never heard the band: “Get ready to be nostalgic, sad, happy and excited about being passionate ... and ready to rock out.”