SAN FRANCISCO -- Yo La Tengo are one of those bands that don't really do anything spectacular when they play live; no superstar stage antics, no special props, no video collages.

It's just not their style. Their recent show at the Fillmore in San Francisco demonstrated this to perfection.

They had just played the city a few months ago at the Great American Music Hall, and this show wasn't terribly different. Even the set list was similar. As always, they didn't jump and bounce around the stage, they didn't play any videos, they didn't change their clothes after every other song like many rock stars feel compelled to nowadays.

They did, however, play fantastic music.

They started the sold-out Sept. 5 show with "Speeding Motorcycle" and moved from that directly into "Wig-Out" with little room for applause between songs. During "Wig-Out," they introduced what seemed to be the lighting theme for the night -- some spirograph-influenced swirly patterns projected onto the curtains behind the band, adding to the mood.

But that's as colorful as it got. The music did the rest.

The third song they played was "Autumn Sweater" off this year's I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One, which began with a sampled voice announcing "OK girl, now let's see what you can do." In the middle of the song, they stopped playing for a moment to let the sample repeat before they launched into the song's conclusion.

The audience chuckled lightly in approval.

"Sugarcube" followed, after which lead singer Ira Kaplan finally spoke. He informed the crowd that they were now going play some of their softer songs. "This is not exactly the rock 'n' roll segment of the show," he said. Then it was into "We're An American Band," followed by Georgia Hubley's softly sung "Shadows." Hubley's voice was audible without straining, as it shyly climbed above the hushed instruments.

For "Alyda," Georgia came out from behind her drums to play keyboards and join her husband, Kaplan, and James McNew on vocals. The result was beautiful, gaining thunderous applause and hoots from the audience.

Soon Yo La Tengo decided to start rockin' again, as they threw

themselves into "Center of Gravity," "Artificial Heart," "From a Motel 6," "Sudden Organ" and "Deeper Into Movies." They have a strangely distant onstage presence as they intently play their instruments. Kaplan is often bent over, twitching and shaking with every sound he conjures from his guitar.

Yo La Tengo seem to withdraw into their own realm, while allowing you to watch.

Their crowds typically respond by remaining attentive, almost hypnotized (although there were those who felt obligated to shout out for "Freebird," a request that is almost always made at the Fillmore).

The band ended its regular set with "I Heard You Looking," and returned for a double encore after the crowd erupted into deafening applause. During the first encore, they pulled members from the opening band David Kilgour onto the stage, just as D. Kilgour had persuaded audience member and rock songstress Barbara Manning to join them onstage during their last song of the night. [Mon., Sept. 15, 1997, 9 a.m. PST]