The indie rock band Yo La Tengo paid homage to the late Rob Reiner with a spirited Spinal Tap cover during their annual Hanukkah concert at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on Monday night.
“As if that wasn’t ragged enough, this will be the most ragged one of all,” said frontman Ira Kaplan, 70, after performing a Velvet Underground cover. “We’re saluting a Jewish songwriter we didn’t expect to be memorializing this Hanukkah.”
Yo La Tengo proceeded with a lively rendition of “Gimme Some Money,” a song popularized by Reiner’s 1984 mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap.”
The film, Reiner’s directorial debut, featured Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Reiner himself as the documentary filmmaker Marty DiBergi.
Reiner’s last film, released in September, was “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” a sequel that reunited the original cast for a reunion concert in New Orleans.
The sequel also featured cameos by music legends Paul McCartney and Elton John. Reiner discussed the film’s development in an interview with USA Today, expressing joy in collaborating with old friends.
Following the tragic deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, Guest, 77, and Shearer, 81, released heartfelt statements expressing their grief.
“We are numb and saddened by the violent loss of our dear friends Rob and Michele,” Guest and his wife, Jamie Lee Curtis, shared.
Shearer described their deaths as “unspeakable” and praised Reiner as a talented collaborator and friend.
Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, were found dead at their Brentwood, California home. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been arrested and is being held without bail. He faces charges of first-degree murder.
The family released a statement expressing their heartbreak and requesting privacy during this difficult time.
