Hoboken, N.J.’s Yo La Tengo have battled the slow suck of agingsince the release of their greatest album, the career-capping I CanHear the Heart Beating as One in 1997.
At the Crystal Ballroom Wednesday night, the paternal indie triotore through a broad selection of songs from their eleven albums.The performance felt like Yo La Tengo at their peak. Unfortunately,the atmosphere of the Ballroom that night was very much that of1997 rather than 2004.
“We might be indie,” lead vocalist and guitarist Ira Kaplan saidto the crowd Wednesday night, “but we’re indie performers.”
With that the crowd cheered and Kaplan continued, “You know whatDavid Bowie has said a million times over, ‘You have to keepchanging or be left behind.’ Well, we had a band meeting and thisis what we came up with.”
With that, Kaplan and company played a song that walked the linebetween Chicago post-rock and neo-soul. TNT meets 1999. Princewould be proud, at least the Prince of today.