Band Preview for Metromix: Yo La Tengo

Years before the hyperbolic music-blog movement, the cool kids, and the trendy, double-digit band roster, Yo La Tengo, a Hoboken-based band, entered the indie scene with a sound that tugged at our memory of the Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth and the Kinks. Understated but always respected, they were cool even when they weren't trying. Three people deep—with husband/wife duo Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley on guitar and drums, respectively, and James McNew on bass—Yo La Tengo has embarked on its latest tour, "Freewheeling," attesting to 23 years of indie rock longevity.

In the past, they’ve played epic, eight-night-long Hanukkah shows or provided a live, dreamy-pop soundtrack to Jean Painlevé’s documentaries on underwater life. In Hollywood Friday, Nov. 2, they’ve opted for accessibility in the form of the petite strip club-turned-playhouse Ivar Theatre; audience participation is encouraged. Channeling the days of sitting Indian style and hand raising, they intend to accompany their “almost acoustic” set with tales that span the life of the band, from Ira's days doubling as a rock scribe in '84 til now. With a 15-album repertoire that stretches from feedback-induced noise rock to melodic, weepy pop to jazz-influenced jams, their storytelling is sure to be equally erratic. Their latest release, "I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass," provides the starting blocks for this intimate affair. Look out for the jingly “Mr. Tough” and the scratchy, garage-punk “Watch Out for Me Ronnie.” Perhaps they'll even throw in some impromptu cover songs from the same vein as their 2006 album, "Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics." And of course, true to Yo La Tengo form, expect additional surprises along the way. Could anything less be expected from the band that never plays the same show twice?

--Jessica Tong