5.29.11
This is an Archival Site
There is now a new Rogovoy Report home
5.18.11
Weekend Preview May 19-24
Bob Dylan tributes, Deborah Voigt, Tom Paxton, Bill Kirchen, John Kirk and Trish Miller
5.18.11
Celebrating Bob Dylan's 70th Birthday in Style
Paying tribute to the greatest rock songwriter ever
5.17.11
FILM REVIEW: In a Better World and Of Gods and Men
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.17.11
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5.12.11
Deborah Voigt Headlines Mahaiwe Gala
Opera star to sing arias, show tunes on Saturday, May 21
5.15.11
Famed Spiritual Teacher to Speak on Nonviolence
Mother Maya in free talk at Sruti Yoga in Great Barrington, Mass., on Friday May 20 at 7pm
5.12.11
Special Effects Wizard to Be Honored by Film Festival
Doug Trumbull to be Feted by BIFF
5.11.11
Weekend Preview May 12-16
Cultural Highlights of the Berkshire Weekend
6.4.09
Talk about a small world
Elaine and I grew up together, but only just recently met....
5.8.11
Berkshire Living to Cease Publication
A Farewell from Publisher Michael Zivyak
5.8.11
twiGs Branches Out
Lenox boutique launches new e-tail site
5.8.11
[MUSIC REVIEW] Avalon Quartet in Close Encounters at Mahaiwe
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.8.11
[MUSIC REVIEW] Avalon Quartet in Close Encounters at Mahaiwe
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.7.11
[FILM REVIEW] Bill Cunningham New York
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.7.11
[FILM REVIEW] Bill Cunningham New York
Review by Seth Rogovoy
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(Concert Review) Yo La Tengo
7.10.05
Yo La Tengo is undoubtedly one of the best rock bands of the past two decades. The group's sly, understated approach to songwriting and recording has resulted in a terrific body of work that while avoiding trendiness and momentary fashion is still always cutting-edge and state-of-the-art. What the group lacks in big vision -- not every band needs to be Coldplay or U2 -- it more than makes up for in cozy domesticity. And we all need that.
Which is why the trio's live performance at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass., last night was somewhat disappointing. Not that it was wholly the band's fault. The gig was set up as a live soundtrack to Jean Painleve's experimental underwater films -- not a Yo La Tengo concert -- and the group gave the audience exactly what was promised: atmospheric jamming to a lot of vintage footage of slimy underwater crustaceans, including some lovely dancing seahorses.
And sometimes the music was very playful and cozily domestic in its own right, hinting at the Yo La Tengo many of us have come to love.
Unfortunately, too often it was just a lot of background noise to crappy film footage, which is probably why about halfway through, a steady stream (pun intended) of concertgoers could be seen fleeing the theater.
This has actually been a perennial problem at MASS MoCA -- the venue brings terrific talents to town to perform their weirdest, most experimental works, and audiences therefore miss them at their strongest (although this certainly isn't ALWAYS the case -- They Might Be Giants and Patti Smith both put on concerts that will be remembered into the grave).
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