John Prine Lake Marie

What's Happenin': Tuesday, June 7, through Wednesday, June 22

Music

Yo La Tengo

Englert Theatre

Tuesday, June 21, 8 p.m.

The experimental alternative rockers of Yo La Tengo perform a concert at Iowa City’s Englert Theatre on June 21, and the All Music Guide has described the group as “the quintessential critics’ band.” I’m assuming that’s all the motivation you need to purchase tickets, as personal experience has proven that the public always agrees with the critics.

Whenever you’re done laughing, I’ll continue.

Composed, since 1992, of guitarist/pianist/vocalist Ira Kaplan, drummer/pianist/vocalist Georgia Hubley (Kaplan’s wife), and bassist/vocalist James McNew, Yo La Tengo has secured itself a unique place in music history. Performing everything from roaring art rock and jangling pop songs to electronic soundscapes and hushed lullabies, the group – which originated in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984 – has spent almost three decades remaining steadfastly impossible to categorize. Acclaimed for its original compositions and its wildly eclectic repertoire of cover songs, Yo La Tengo has garnered both mainstream success and a huge cult following, and in recent years, has also written the musical scores for a number of independent cinema’s most lauded titles. (Four of which are proud inclusions in my own DVD cabinet: Adventureland, Junebug, Old Joy, and Shortbus .)

No less a periodical than Rolling Stone has written of the musicians: “Incorporating everything from cocktail jazz to psychedelic noise freakouts to gorgeous acoustic tunes into their albums, Yo La Tengo have been one of the most restless and most consistently good bands of the past 25 years.

John Prine – Lake Marie — To Save Marriage

I saw John live in Evansville IN about 5 or 6 years ago, and he was with one other guitarist and a stand up bass player. He finished his main set with Lake Marie and it sent chills up my spine. Possibly the greatest live performance of any song I have ever heard. It was a smaller venue and just priceless. I took my son for his first concert and it is a moment I will always remember. Thanks for the post.

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