Yo La Tengo + Built To Spill
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ARTIST PROFILE | Yo La Tengo • Built to Spill
Time keeps moving and things keep changing, but that doesn’t mean we can't fight back. Yo La Tengo have raced time for nearly four decades and, to my ears, they just keep winning. The trio’s latest victory is called This Stupid World, a spellbinding set of reflective songs that resist the ever-ticking clock. This is music that’s not so much timeless as time-defiant. “I want to fall out of time,” Ira Kaplan sings in “Fallout.” “Reach back, unwind.”
Part of how Kaplan, Georgia Hubley, and James McNew escape time is by watching it pass, even accepting it when they must. “I see clearly how it ends / I see the moon rise as the sun descends,” they sing during opener “Sinatra Drive Breakdown.” In the séance-like "Until it Happens,” Kaplan plainly intones, “Prepare to die / Prepare yourself while there’s still time.” But This Stupid World is also filled with calls to reject time – bide it, ignore it, waste it. "Stay alive," he adds later in the same song. "Look away from the hands of time.”
Of course, times have changed for Yo La Tengo as much as they have for everyone else. In the past, the band has often worked with outside producers and mixers. Yo La Tengo made This Stupid World all by themselves, though. And their time-tested judgment is both sturdy enough to keep things to the band’s high standards, and nimble enough to make things new.
Another new thing about This Stupid World: it’s the most live-sounding Yo La Tengo album in a while. At the base of nearly every track is the trio playing all at once, giving everything a right-now feel. Take the signature combination of hypnotic rhythm and spontaneous guitar on “Sinatra Drive Breakdown,” or the steady chug of “Tonight’s Episode,” a blinkered tunnel of forward-moving sound. There’s an immediacy to the music, as if the distance between the first pass and the final product has been made a touch more direct.
The songs on This Stupid World were still journeys, though. An example is the absorbing, three-dimensional “Brain Capers.” To construct this swirl, the band blends guitar chords, bass loops, drum punches, and various iterations of Hubley and Kaplan's voices into shifting layers. Simpler but just as dense is closer “Miles Away." A dubby rhythm lurks below Hubley’s vocal, which brushes across the song like paint leaving bright blurs. Throughout the album, these touches, accents, and surprises intensify each piece. It’s a rarity – a raw-sounding record that gives you plenty of headphone-worthy detail to chew on.
This Stupid World gives your brain a lot to digest, too. All the battles with time drive toward some heavy conclusions. In the gripping “Aselestine,” Hubley sings about what sounds like a friend on death's door: “The clock won’t tick / I can’t predict / I can’t sell your books, though you asked me to.” In “Apology Letter,” time turns simple communication into something fraught and confusing: "The words / Derail on the way from me to you.” Not everything is so serious, though. The absurdist “Tonight’s Episode" helps McNew learn to milk cows, steal faces, and treat guacamole as a verb. And somehow Alice Cooper, Ray Davies, and Rick Moranis show up in “Brain Capers,” all telling us time isn’t finished yet.
So I guess everyone on This Stupid World grapples with how time keeps steamrolling and how we keep trying to do something about it. It’s there in the title, a weary but clear-eyed pejorative that suggests determined resignation, a will to fight despite the grim odds. It’s there in the title track too: “This stupid world – it’s killing me / This stupid world – is all we have.” Such realism leads to the resolute optimism of This Stupid World’s parting shot, “Miles Away,” which sees time’s passage and life's impermanence as things to deal with rather than reasons to despair. “You feel alone / Friends are all gone," Hubley prays softly. "Keep wiping the dust from your eyes.”
Marc Masters
READ MORE >>
Supporting Acts
SHOW BY SIMILAR ARTISTS
About Nickel Plate Amphitheater | Fishers, IN
The Nickel Plate District Amphitheater is one of the midwest’s premier outdoor music and event venues. Concerts and events at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater (also knows as the NPD AMP) and offer something for everyone – from Fishers and Greater Indianapolis to the Midwest region – including global and national acts, family and community favorites, festivals, and so much more. The outdoor venue is open year-round and is capable of holding a variety of performances, from a simple acoustic set to a 6,000-person concert. During the Summer months, Nickel Plate District Amp is home to the popular Fishers Farmer’s Market every Saturday.
Getting Around the Venue
Frequently Asked Questions About Nickel Plate Amphitheater | Fishers, IN
What are the age restrictions at this venue?
Nickel Plate Amphitheater is typically an all-ages venue. However, some shows may not be appropriate for children. To find out more about program content, please email: parks@fishers.in.us
For all-ages events, children 2 years old or under will be admitted at no charge with a paid adult ticket to the General Admission Lawn area. If your event features reserved or pit area and lawn seating, you must purchase a reserved ticket for them to accompany you in the reserved seating or Pit area. Children must be supervised at all times.
What items are permitted or prohibited at this venue?
Permitted Items & Activities
Permitted and restricted items may vary by show. Below is a general list of permitted and non-permitted items and activities. Ticket buyers will receive information prior to the show with any updates.
- Lawn Chairs (1 per person) and ONLY in designated lawn area – More info on lawn chairs HERE
- Blankets / Towels and ONLY in designated lawn area. Must be under 60″ x 30″ – No extra large beach towels
- Small purse and personal bags will be allowed (no larger than 12″x 12″ / No Backpacks or Camelbacks) – ALL bags are subject to inspection
- Small, handheld umbrellas
- Empty, reusable water bottles (refill station near bathrooms)
- Strollers
- Binoculars
- Poster tubes
- Documented service animals
Non-Permitted Items & Activities
- No pass-outs or re-entry
- No outside food or beverages, unless it’s for an infant
- No coolers
- No backpacks, duffle bags, CamelBaks or other bags larger than 12″ x 12″
- No glass of any kind
- No firearms or weapons of any kind which includes pocket knives, pepper spray, mace, multi-tools etc.
- No illegal substances, drugs, smoking or vaping (in compliance with governing ordinances)
- No audio or video recording devices (personal or professional) which also includes selfie sticks, tripods and monopods
- No pets or non-documented service animals
- No air horns or noisemakers of any type
- No fireworks or flares
- No flash photography, professional cameras or removable lenses (without an approved media credential)
- No laser pens or laser products of any type
- No skateboards, scooters, hoverboards, rollerblades, bikes (bike parking is located throughout Nickel Plate District)
- No large, oversized signs or signs on sticks (must be 11×17 or smaller)
- No fighting, public drunkenness or threatening behavior
- No throwing objects
- No soliciting, commercial activities (including vending) or distribution of promotional materials without a permit or written consent from event/venue management
Can I bring a bag into the show?
Small purse and personal bags will be allowed (no larger than 12″x 12″ / No Backpacks or Camelbacks) – ALL bags are subject to inspection
What’s the parking situation like?
- Public parking is available at several garage locations around the venue. Refer to our parking page for maps and the latest updates.
- No alcoholic beverages should be consumed in the parking lots are garages
- Pick up your trash, please
- Do your part to leave the grounds as in the same condition as when you arrived – we appreciate you and your support!
What is the camera/photo policy for this venue?
No flash photography, professional cameras or removable lenses (without an approved media credential). Contact Nickel Plate District Amphitheater if you are interested in securing media credentials for the show.
Is there food and drink at this venue?
Guests can enjoy a sampling of local food trucks, all ages beverage station and full bar options (21+ with valid ID). Official event vendors accept cash and credit.
To purchase alcohol, you must visit an ID check/information tent to show proof of age and receive a wristband. If you do not get a wristband before attempting to purchase, the vendor will send you back to and ID check tent, and you will lose your place in line.
Empty, reusable water bottles are permitted, as there is a water bottle filling station located inside the Pavilion building at the south end of the venue.
NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOL IS PERMITTED AT ANY TIME DUE TO INDIANA EXCISE LAW (Indiana Code 7.1-5-8-4).
View seating maps for this venue
Most concerts at NPD Amp are general admission. Some shows may offer additional reserved seating options or upgrades. Be sure to check the event listing for your show before you arrive.
For some shows, General Admission Pit OR Reserved Section may be available. If your event has this option, and you purchased this ticket type, this area is located in the main area in front of the stage. When arriving, enter the main entrance and then proceed to the pit area, a member of the security team will issue you a pit wristband if your ticket grants access to this area. Once inside the pit area, it is a general admission area on a first come first served basis. There are no seats in this area and chairs/towls are not permitted. Standing room only.
Can I leave and re-enter the venue?
Once your ticket has been scanned, and you have entered the event grounds, re-entry will NOT be permitted. Have a question? Contact parks@fishers.in.us
Do you offer ADA, handicap or special needs options?
The Nickel Plate District Amphitheater is accessible for all abilities.
- Parking: Accessible parking is located in the surface parking lot at 3 Municipal Drive, directly adjacent to the venue at the southeast edge. Overflow parking is located in the Fishers Police Department garage at 4 Municipal Dr.. Visit our parking page to see the map of options.
- Restrooms: Portable accessible restrooms will be available on both the East and West sides of the lawn
- Seating: Accessible picnic table seating is available at the back of the front lawn on a first-come, first served basis.
- Sensory Bags + Assisted Listening Devices: Sensory resource bags and assisted-listening devices are available for checkout at the ID check tent.
Where is the box office located?
The box office is located next to the Splash Park building near the back of the venue (just to the left of the main event entrance) and is accessible from either side of Municipal Drive. The box office opens 1 hour before the scheduled door time for ticket sales, questions and support.
I lost something at the show. Who do I contact?
The NPD AMP is not be responsible for any personal belongings or items of any type. However, any item turned into staff or security will be placed at lost and found at the Fishers Police Department headquarters at 4 Municipal Drive (just east of the venue).
What is your refund policy?
Refund policies may vary from show to show. For MOKB Presents shows, refer to MOKB’s refund policy for cancelled and postponed shows. For information on Nickel Plate District Amphitheater’s refund policy, please contact parks@fishers.in.us
Visit HERE for weather updates.
Beware of counterfeit tickets. How do I tell if my ticket is valid?
The only tickets accepted for this event are authorized tickets from Tixr. We cannot guarantee tickets bought from third party sites and brokers including Vivid Seats, Facebook Marketplace, Stub Hub, etc.
Buyers beware! There are many folks out there selling fake tickets and we do not want you to be taken advantage of. Unauthorized or invalid tickets will NOT be admitted to the event.
Can I purchase tickets in person without fees?
Tickets for MOKB Presents concerts can be purchased in person at our Fountain Square Box Office inside Virginia Ave Mercantile. Hours of operation are Fridays from 10am to 6pm and Saturdays from 9am to 5pm.
Yo La Tengo + Built To Spill
Start Time: 7:00 pm
Buy Tickets
ARTIST PROFILE | Yo La Tengo
Time keeps moving and things keep changing, but that doesn’t mean we can't fight back. Yo La Tengo have raced time for nearly four decades and, to my ears, they just keep winning. The trio’s latest victory is called This Stupid World, a spellbinding set of reflective songs that resist the ever-ticking clock. This is music that’s not so much timeless as time-defiant. “I want to fall out of time,” Ira Kaplan sings in “Fallout.” “Reach back, unwind.”
Part of how Kaplan, Georgia Hubley, and James McNew escape time is by watching it pass, even accepting it when they must. “I see clearly how it ends / I see the moon rise as the sun descends,” they sing during opener “Sinatra Drive Breakdown.” In the séance-like "Until it Happens,” Kaplan plainly intones, “Prepare to die / Prepare yourself while there’s still time.” But This Stupid World is also filled with calls to reject time – bide it, ignore it, waste it. "Stay alive," he adds later in the same song. "Look away from the hands of time.”
Of course, times have changed for Yo La Tengo as much as they have for everyone else. In the past, the band has often worked with outside producers and mixers. Yo La Tengo made This Stupid World all by themselves, though. And their time-tested judgment is both sturdy enough to keep things to the band’s high standards, and nimble enough to make things new.
Another new thing about This Stupid World: it’s the most live-sounding Yo La Tengo album in a while. At the base of nearly every track is the trio playing all at once, giving everything a right-now feel. Take the signature combination of hypnotic rhythm and spontaneous guitar on “Sinatra Drive Breakdown,” or the steady chug of “Tonight’s Episode,” a blinkered tunnel of forward-moving sound. There’s an immediacy to the music, as if the distance between the first pass and the final product has been made a touch more direct.
The songs on This Stupid World were still journeys, though. An example is the absorbing, three-dimensional “Brain Capers.” To construct this swirl, the band blends guitar chords, bass loops, drum punches, and various iterations of Hubley and Kaplan's voices into shifting layers. Simpler but just as dense is closer “Miles Away." A dubby rhythm lurks below Hubley’s vocal, which brushes across the song like paint leaving bright blurs. Throughout the album, these touches, accents, and surprises intensify each piece. It’s a rarity – a raw-sounding record that gives you plenty of headphone-worthy detail to chew on.
This Stupid World gives your brain a lot to digest, too. All the battles with time drive toward some heavy conclusions. In the gripping “Aselestine,” Hubley sings about what sounds like a friend on death's door: “The clock won’t tick / I can’t predict / I can’t sell your books, though you asked me to.” In “Apology Letter,” time turns simple communication into something fraught and confusing: "The words / Derail on the way from me to you.” Not everything is so serious, though. The absurdist “Tonight’s Episode" helps McNew learn to milk cows, steal faces, and treat guacamole as a verb. And somehow Alice Cooper, Ray Davies, and Rick Moranis show up in “Brain Capers,” all telling us time isn’t finished yet.
So I guess everyone on This Stupid World grapples with how time keeps steamrolling and how we keep trying to do something about it. It’s there in the title, a weary but clear-eyed pejorative that suggests determined resignation, a will to fight despite the grim odds. It’s there in the title track too: “This stupid world – it’s killing me / This stupid world – is all we have.” Such realism leads to the resolute optimism of This Stupid World’s parting shot, “Miles Away,” which sees time’s passage and life's impermanence as things to deal with rather than reasons to despair. “You feel alone / Friends are all gone," Hubley prays softly. "Keep wiping the dust from your eyes.”
Marc Masters
READ MORE >>Supporting Acts
About the Venue
Ticket Support: Box Office opens 1 hour before published door time. For ticket related questions please email boxoffice@mokbpresents.com.
Parking: Surface and garage parking are available throughout the Nickel Plate District. View the parking map to locate your best options close to the venue.
Reminder: Depending on the size, scope or expected attendance of the event, access to specific parking lots and garages may vary.
Visit HERE for weather updates and postponement/cancellation policy.
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