Saturday brought longtime fans, locals and new listeners to wait outside for a highly anticipated Yo La Tengo show in downtown Fort Collins.

The show was originally supposed to happen in September of 2023, however singer and drummer Georgia Hubley had to have knee surgery. After months of waiting and wondering what the band had to offer in a live setting, the lights dimmed and thus began the musical journey of Yo La Tengo.

When opening with the self-titled track of their new album, “This Stupid World”, the front man and lead guitarist, Ira Kaplan, announced to the audience that this would be the first ever show they did in Fort Collins. The crowd roared with applause, welcoming the band to a new realm of Colorado.

After playing a variety of songs scattered across their discography, the band shocked the audience with a fan favorite.

The first note of “Nowhere Near” struck the room as eyes and ears were lit up from the smooth, soft sound of the indie rock ballad. A band that can go from 10-minute jam sessions of hard rock songs to embracing slow melodies in one concert holds special musical power.

The song “Miles Away” closed the first set, leaving the audience with a short break to process the emotions of Yo La Tengo. The diversity in the band’s range of musical capabilities left the crowd wanting more.

Once the lights faded yet again, the room was filled with woos, shouts and cheers.

The uniqueness of the band’s sound and lyrics shined from each member in their own way. Bassist James McNew uses the rhythm to produce an energy that keeps the band grounded and harmonious. Meanwhile, Ira choses to use instruments to create distorted audios, implementing chaos on stage; the kind of chaos that can break the strings of a guitar mid song, requiring a tech manager to find another one in time. Then there’s Georgia, who’s voice sounds similar to iconic artists such as Joni Mitchell and Nico from The Velvet Underground. Georgia makes her way around the stage from carrying the beats of the drums, adding key notes on the synth and wowing the crowd with her vocals.

The second set ignited the crowd with rock elements from songs such as “Fallout”, “Sugarcube” and “Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind”. The entire setlist found online from both Boulder and Fort Collins was curated by fans.

The encore consisted of three covers allowing each band member to express their own love of different artists. Carole King, Neil Young and the band “NRBQ” were all played as an ode to Colorado’s energy, as Ira described it.

The story of Yo La Tengo takes listeners on a journey of melancholy anthems to avant-garde rock instrumentals. For almost 40 years, Yo La Tengo has brought the world a range of music within the indie genre of rock.