★ PHOTO ESSAY // WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHANCE DIBBEN Longevity is always mentioned with the band Yo La Tengo. During their January 26 show at the Granada, guitarist and vocalist Ira Kaplan even joked about it. "We've been together for what 12, 13 years?" he asked the other members jokingly. Try 26 years. Most bands are lucky to have a successful 10, but like that other alternative rock institution Sonic Youth, YLT remains resilient as the years let on, improving with age. It's not so much maturity the overused term that seeks to explain late-period flourishes in artists' career — but rather instinct and insight. In fact, like their youthful cohorts and tourmates, Times New Viking, YLT were decidedly noisy, tight, and expressive, playing a two-hour set that never waned. 02 04 10 8