Now Reading: Yo La Tengo wrapped up Hanukkah 2025 with Susanna Hoffs, Jon Benjamin, Florry, Ira’s mom & more (pics, setlist, video)
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Yo La Tengo wrapped up Hanukkah 2025 with Susanna Hoffs, Jon Benjamin, Florry, Ira’s mom & more (pics, setlist, video)
Yo La Tengo wrapped up Hanukkah 2025 with Susanna Hoffs, Jon Benjamin, Florry, Ira’s mom & more (pics, setlist, video)
That’s another Hanukkah on the books, and Yo La Tengo wrapped up their eight-night run at Bowery Ballroom with new friends, old friends and a few of their own traditions.
The night’s openers were Philadelphia indie country greats Florry, who made one of our favorite albums of 2025, and who said that getting to play one of these Hanukkah shows was a “true honor.” Jon Benjamin, of Bob’s Burgers, Archer and more — not to mention a YLT Hanukkah regular — was the night’s comedy act. Admitting he was a little out of practice doing standup, Jon brought his son Judah on stage to play rimshots just so everyone knew when the punchline was delivered. Very Henny Youngman.
The first half of Yo La Tengo’s set featured a horn section — CJ Camerieri (trumpet/French horn), Mike McGinnis (saxophone), Cheryl Kingan (baritone saxophone) — and later fiddle players Peter Stampfel (Holy Modal Rounders) and Stephanie Coleman came out to help the band pay tribute to the great Michael Hurley, who died in April. Yo La Tengo’s set included “Everyday,” “Moby Octopad,” “Before We Run,” “Cherry Chapstick,” “Upside Down,” and more before closing with “Blue Line Swinger.”
For the encore, Yo La Tengo welcomed Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles to the stage to cover Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Keep It With Mine” (which she sang on the indie classic Rainy Day album), followed by The Bangles’ “In Your Room.” Susanna stuck around for covers of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs Robinson” and The Grass Roots’ “Things I Should Have Said,” before wrapping up with the Prince-written “Manic Monday” that was a hit for The Bangles in 1986.
Finally, as has become a Hanukkah tradition, Yo La Tengo welcomed Ira’s mom, Marilyn Kaplan, to the stage to sing. Stampfel and Coleman came back out, too, to play fiddles on another Michael Hurley tribute, “Griselda,” and then as always they closed out Hanukkah 2025 with a cover of “My Little Corner of the World.”
Night 8’s mix CD was made by DJ Trouble, the post-show DJ was Vee Vee, and proceeds went to New York Immigration Coalition.
Check out photos from Night 7 by Ellen Qbertplaya, the setlist (via Jesse Jarnow), and fan-shot video, below.
We’ve got recaps of all eight night of Yo La Tengo Hanukkah 2025, with pics, setlists and video, here.
SETLIST: Yo La Tengo @ Bowery Ballroom 12/21/2025 (Hanukkah Night 8) (via)
“Hanukkah Time” through “Before We Run” with CJ Camerieri (trumpet/French horn), Mike McGinnis (saxophone), Cheryl Kingan (baritone saxophone)
It’s Hanukkah Time (Al Johnson)
Everyday
Moby Octopad
Eight Candles (Sam Elwitt)
Swing For Life
Mr. Tough
Watch Out For Me, Ronnie
Before We Run
Hog of the Forsaken (Michael Hurley) (with Peter Stampfel & Stephanie Coleman on fiddles)
Polynesia #1 (Michael Hurley) (with PS & SC)
Cherry Chapstick
Fallout
Styles of the times
Upside Down
Blue Line Swinger
*(encore)*
I’ll Keep It With Mine (Bob Dylan) (with Susanna Hoffs)
In Your Room (The Bangles) (with SH)
Mrs. Robinson (Paul Simon) (with SH & CJ Camerieri on bongos)
Things I Should Have Said (The Grass Roots, wr. P.F. Sloan/Steve Barri) (with SH & CC)
Manic Monday (Prince, as Christopher) (with SH)
Griselda (Antonia) (with Marilyn Kaplan on vocals, PS, & SC)
My Little Corner of the World (Lee Pockriss/Bob Hilliard) (with MK, PS, & SC)
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