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photo by Ellen Qbertplaya
photo by Ellen Qbertplaya
It’s that time of year again — snow is falling, bells are jingling, and Yo La Tengo is embarking on their annual Hanukkah run at Bowery Ballroom, where they’ll play all eight crazy nights. The whole 2025 run (December 14-21) is currently sold out, but they often release tickets during the week so it’s worth checking back.
Each night is unique: they don’t repeat any songs for the entire run, every show is opened by a surprise comedian and musical artist, other guests join Ira, Georgia and James for the main set, and there are often other surprises for the covers-filled encore. Nobody knows what they’re going to get until they walk in and see the flyer on the door.
That, of course, never stops us from trying to guess who might be playing. The closest to a sure thing is Sun Ra Arkestra, who have played just about every year and collaborate with Yo La Tengo during their set. There’s also Ira’s mom, Marylin, who closes the final night every year by singing “My Little Corner of the World.”
Artists who are in town playing shows during the run include recent tourmates Built to Spill, Susanna Hoffs, Protomartyr, UK group The Bug Club, and Ben Folds. Sam Smith wraps up their extended residency at Warsaw the night before Hanukkah starts and, hey, Lorde‘s in town too. Why not?
There are also the friends, locals and labelmates. Might 2025’s hottest band, Geese, make an appearance? What about Steve Gunn, Water From Your Eyes (or This is Lorelei?), Horsegirl, Lifeguard (or Kai Slater’s Sharp Pins solo project), Model/Actriz, MJ Lenderman, The Feelies, various members of Sonic Youth, various members of Tortoise (maybe ALL of Tortoise?), Arooj Aftab, Stuart Bogie, John Zorn, The Ladybug Transistor, Joanna Sternberg, Bush Tetras, Jad Fair, Antietam, Jon Spencer, Shahzad Ismaily, Nick Lowe, Winged Wheel, Sam Amidon, Ava Mendoza, Alan Licht, Michael Shannon, Stephin Merritt, Oneida, Wreckless Eric, Kurt Vile, J Mascis, Robyn Hitchcock, Bill Callahan, Kid Congo, Mary Halvorson, Mary Lattimore, Nels Cline, Joe Pernice, or others?
Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah shows have also gotten surprise reunions (The Soft Boys, Christmas, The Aislers Set) and acts who flew in just for the occasion. David Byrne? Elvis Costello? The Bangles? Destroyer? The New Pornographers? Could this be the year Phish open for Yo La Tengo? Weirder things have happened.
As for comedians, Todd Barry, Eugene Mirman, David Cross, Jo Firestone, David Sedaris, Janeane Garofalo, and Fred Armisen (who often also sits in with Yo La Tengo on drums) are all Hanukkah regulars, and really almost anyone in town seems like a possibility (they’ve gotten big names like Ronny Chieng, Jim Gaffigan and John Mulaney in years past).
Who do you think might show up? We can’t wait to find out.
Check out photos from Yo La Tengo’s 2024 Hanukkah run below.
In other news, the reissue of Yo La Tengo’s 1998 collaborative album with Jad Fair, Strange But True, is out today via Joyful Noise and also hits streaming for the first time. Listen below.
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
The Soft Boys (photo by Ben Stas)
Eugene Mirman (photo by Ben Stas)
Eugene Mirman (photo by Ben Stas)
Eugene Mirman (photo by Ben Stas)
Eugene Mirman (photo by Ben Stas)
Eugene Mirman (photo by Ben Stas)
Eugene Mirman (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ben Stas)
photo by Ellen Qbertplaya
photo by Ellen Qbertplaya
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Jena Friedman (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Jena Friedman (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Dawn Richard (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Dawn Richard (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Dawn Richard (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Dawn Richard (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Pat Sansone (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Ernie Brooks (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Ernie Brooks (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Ernie Brooks (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Ernie Brooks (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Yo La Tengo with Ernie Brooks (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
photo by Ellen Qbertplaya
photo by Ellen Qbertplaya
photo by Ellen Qbertplaya
photo by Ellen Qbertplaya
photo by Ellen Qbertplaya
photo by Ellen Qbertplaya
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