Yo La Tengo kicked off their eight-night Hanukkah run at New York’s Bowery Ballroom last night. This is the first time since 2012 the group has hosted their guest-heavy holiday celebration and first not at their old haunt, Hoboken, NJ’s Maxwell’s. Last night’s unannounced guest openers were Miriam & Nobody’s Babies led by original Cramps member and Norton records founder Miriam Linna, and comedian Todd Barry. Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk also made a surprise appearance, reading the meaning of Christmas onstage with Yo La Tengo’s Georgia Hubley.

Yo La opened their set with a take on Kiss’ “Back in the New York Groove, with the lyrics rearanged to say “Back With the New York Jews.” Mary Halvorson (guitar) and Zeena Parkins (harp) also sat in throughout their set. Continuing a tradition of covering Jewish musicians, they took on Richard Hell’s “The Kid With the Replaceable Head.”

At the top of Yo La’s encore, both Linna and The A-Bones’ Bruce Bennett, who also plays in Nobody’s Babies, emerged for So Easy Baby. Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan, who played in The A-Bones, sued the moment to honor the seminal group and pay tribute to The A-Bones’ Billy Miller—Linna’s husband—who died last year. A song later, Nick Lowe offered the night’s final sit in, helping the indie stalwarts through “Cruel To Be Kind,” “Baby, It’s You,” “Here Comes the Night” and his own “Shake That Rat” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding?”

Here’s a look at the setlist:

Yo La Tengo
Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY

Back In the New York Groove, Before We Run > Everyday, From a Motel 6, Walking Away From You, Last Days of Disco, Saturday, The Kid with the Replaceable Head, Moby Octopad, Artificial Heart, Tom Courtenay, I Heard You Looking

Enc: So Easy Baby**, Cruel to be Kind*, Baby, It’s You*, Here Comes the Night*, Shake That Rat*, (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding*

Notes: *w/Nick Lowe, **w/Miriam Linna & Bruce Bennett

Setlist via Frank & Earthy