From left, Georgia Hubley, James McNew and Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo.
The veteran indie-rock band Yo La Tengo announced today that it will play “intimate acoustic concerts” for people willing to make “sizable” donations to the Kamala Harris/Tim Walz campaign. Proposals can be made at yolatengo.com/submissions.
Here is the text of the band’s announcement on Instagram:
In 40 years of touring, we have performed in a wide array of venues: clubs of all sizes, festival stages, minor league baseball stadiums, festival side-stages, an amusement park, the odd pavilion, and a zoo (in Seattle tomorrow!), as well as the occasional empty room, including once by design (see Hanukkah 2020). We have, however, performed only a small handful of “house shows.” Until now!
We’re announcing our availability for a series of intimate acoustic concerts for individuals willing to make a sizable donation to the Harris / Walz U.S. presidential ticket.
Proposals will be sorted and prioritized privately by us based on the amount of your intended contribution, your location, and our availability. These shows will be private with no filming allowed. So long as we’re not performing, you can photograph to your heart’s content. The audience will be at the discretion of the bidder.
The other details are up to you, Mx. Big $pender.
Using the form (at the link in bio and at yolatengo.com), tell us what type of event you would like to hold — the specific location, proposed guest capacity, and anything else you want to add.
It would be helpful — though not entirely necessary — for proposed events to align with our upcoming tour dates, which include bookings on both the east and west coasts.
Bring us to your backyard for a quiet get-together with your closest friends! Book us in your living room, basement, barn, or local VFW hall for an audience of people you’ve never met in your life! The logistics are (mostly) your problem, but if you’re willing to spend big to support the Democratic ticket in 2024, Yo La Tengo will come to you.
Yo La Tengo was formed in Hoboken in the mid-’80s. The band’s current schedule includes regular concerts (not fundraisers) at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, Sept. 23-24.
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