The This Stupid World tour is a 2023 concert tour by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo in support of their studio albumThis Stupid World. The tour has received positive reviews from critics and has taken the band across the world, playing mostly domestic dates, but also several Asian and European gigs, particularly on the festival circuit. The five-song EP The Bunker Sessions was recorded live on this tour and released on November 8, 2023.[1]
Announcement and structure
Yo La Tengo announced a tour of the United States and Europe from February to May 2023 to promote This Stupid World in January 2023.[2] In April, the band announced a second leg of dates,[3] followed by a third in June 2023.[4]
The tour included many songs from the album, alongside older Yo La Tengo songs and the band's signature mix of cover versions.[5] Setlists change every night and shows are broken up between quieter initial sets and louder rock sets,[6] with an intermission in between.[7] The tour has not featured opening acts, but the final Los Angeles date included a surprise appearance by Mike Belitsky and Travis Good of The Sadies,[8] a Chicago performance featured Wilco for four covers,[9]Alan Sparhawk joined on keyboards at a Minneapolis gig,[6] and Glenn Mercer guested to perform Tom Verlaine songs in Jersey City.[10] At the March 13, 2023 show, the band cross-dressed to protest Tennessee Senate Bill 3.[11] On February 8, 2204, the Sun Ra Arkestra joined the band to play a cover of "New Speedway Boogie".[12] They played an additional promotional performance for a Live On KEXP set at Seattle radio station KEXP.[13]
In August 2023, the band announced that dates for the following month would be rescheduled so drummer and vocalist Georgia Hubley could have knee surgery.[14]
Reception
Several performances have been positively reviewed by critics. Paige Walter of WXPN called the two sets performed at Union Transfer in Philadelphia "breathtaking", leaving the crowd "breathless" due to the first setlist and noting that the second set was different enough to sound like a new band had come onstage.[15] In Variety, William Earl reviewed the band's Brooklyn Steel performance, noting that "their improvisational spark seems to burn brighter with each tour" and praising each performer's musicianship.[16] Piet Levy of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called the band's Milwaukee show "one-of-a-kind" for the diverse sounds that the band manages onstage and for Kaplan surprising the audience by passing around his guitar for them to play,[7] and in the Shepherd Express, Blaine Schultz noted that "there was no shortage of deep cuts and nods to influences", calling attention to the band's deep roster of covers.[17] At Racket, Keith Harris gave an extensive review of the Minneapolis performance, noting that the band had retained their vitality for decades and that "each show now takes on the air of a special event".[6] The Pittsburgh performance was critiqued by Scott Tady for The Beaver County Times, calling it "a bob and sway and let the music wash over your experience" that had perfect sound.[18] In The Detroit News, Samin Hassan called the Majestic Theatre performance "timeless" and "an intimate experience".[19]
Dates
The tour to promote This Stupid World kicked off at Seattle's Neptune TheatreIra Kaplan onstage at a Los Angeles show
The Bunker Sessions is a 2023 extended play recorded on this tour.[23]
Writing for Uproxx, Grant Sharples included this among the best indie music of the week, writing that it "reifies Yo La Tengo’s live performances for the at-home listener" and "feels like a gift".[22]
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