November 7, 2015
Getty Center, Los Angeles
For thirty years, Lee Ranaldo was the lead guitarist of Sonic Youth, one of the most influential and artistically sophisticated alternative rock bands of the recent era. Since the band's end in 2011, Ranaldo has been exploring new roles as a solo performer, leader of his new band The Dust, and beyond, to interdisciplinary collaborations in alternative venues like cathedrals and museums, often with his partner Leah Singer. Their recent live performances have been large-scale, multi-projection quadraphonic sound and cinema events. From performing on an electric guitar suspended from the ceiling and swinging over the audience, to rediscovering his love of acoustic folk music, Ranaldo's experimentalist spirit connects with music lovers across the spectrum, from classic rock to avant-garde.
Ranaldo gave a solo performance on electric guitar at 7:30 p.m. in the Harold M. Williams Auditorium accompanied by video-based visuals (reserved tickets required). Preceding this performance, he performed two sound interventions in the Museum Courtyards, at 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm. These brief pop-up performances create a new experience of the Getty Center’s architecture, putting it in conversation with Ranaldo’s skillful musical experimentation.
