A Soul Location: The Crowd Swoons for Geographer at J. Paul Getty Museum’s “Saturdays off the 405!”

(Originally published in Nationalist Magazine, September 2013)

When a friend introduced me to Geographer a few months back, I took it in stride that I’d probably never get to see the indie-rock band live. That was until I found out about the J. Paul Getty Museum’s free public program, called “Saturdays off the 405,” which hosts “undiscovered” bands at its Los Angeles location.

As fate would have it, the soulful trio was scheduled to play the summer series this past July. I dropped everything to ensure I’d be in attendance.

“Saturdays off the 405” is a unique experience in that it combines a concert vibe with the educational and spirited ambience of the historic Getty Museum. Like its other location – the Getty Villa in Malibu, California – the Getty’s Los Angeles center provides hours upon hours of enjoyment by offering sculpture, paintings, and gardens, and other forms of artsy goodness, both visual and audio. Throw a hip and trendy concert-going crowd into the mix and you have a wonderful confluence of fashion, passion, knowledge, and art.

More than two hours before the band was set to perform, the Getty parking lot was filled with culture seekers interested in All The Things: the summer series in general, the museum itself, and those like myself who were interested in witnessing Geographer play. Off-site parking was just as amped, and there were droves of people walking – almost rushing, it seemed – to make it into the long queue for the Getty Museum’s shuttle, a free service that ferries visitors up to the museum.

The Getty gets a gold star for informing the public about the frenzy. The museum warns those wishing to take part in the “Saturdays off the 405” experience to avoid the crowds by arriving early enough to visit a few of the galleries and attractions first. By doing so, you can beat a lot of the traffic that descends on the town just before the event. Also, you can peep a few of the galleries, and check out the new and rotating exhibits, to whet your creative/cultural whistle.

I made it in time to stake out the grounds and see where the best view of the stage would be. There was a bevy of families with blankets and picnic baskets and children in tow. At the same time, various groups of the young, the old, and the trendy buzzed around the grounds, excited to be out in the beautiful Southern California weather. The lines for libations began filling up quickly, so I double-fisted on wine and headed back to my perch with a chocolate-chip cookie clenched in my mouth. The general feel of the museum grounds was so electric with anticipation, like the proverbial calm before the storm.

And what a storm it was! The stage lights greeted the crowd, and the DJ, who plays both before and after the main performance – in this case DJ Mario Cotto – began pumping up the crowd with groovy sounds and maddening beat drops.

After invoking my inner raver for a bit, it was time for what we had all descended upon the Getty Museum to witness: the earth-shattering sounds of Geographer. And the band did not disappoint. From vocalist Michael Deni’s hauntingly breathtaking notes and fantastic stage presence to Nathan Blaz and Brian Ostreic’s ridiculously impressive use of their instruments, the cello, drums and synthesizers, the band put on one of the most energetic and engaging shows I’ve seen this summer.

The crowd swooned, clapped, and danced enthusiastically to beat after beat and sound after edifying sound. With favorite songs on the setlist, including “Blinders” and “Kites,” the crowd swelled and roared in approval. There were concertgoers, myself included, singing along with the lyrics, while others simply hummed or moved in time to the undeniable beauty of Geographer’s audible art, the overwhelming presence of words set to music and the countless meanings that these words held for those present that night.

“Saturdays of the 405” was the perfect end to an artful day, and a great way of reminding myself about the various cultural and creative activities that Southern California has to offer, activities that many people travel from parts unknown just to take part in.

Geographer set up near the merch table and groups of ravenous fans, myself included, mobbed the tables to get pictures, albums, shirts, and stickers. One of the most amazing moments that night was hearing Michael Deni tell the ecstatic crowd that the band was working on a new album.

I can’t wait for the new album to drop. Just as I once thought that I’d perhaps never get to see Geographer live, as the artsy-fartsy fate of the Getty Museum’s “Saturday’s of the 405” revealed, I might one day in the future see them again, and this time with new songs to sing along with and – ahem! – fanboy to.

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