L.A. Intersections: Tortoise + Ale Cohen
Overview
TORTOISE RECORD RELEASE EVENT & CONCERT UNDER THE STARS WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, JULY 18, 10 AM PST
Tortoise, the stalwart five-piece Pitchfork described as “weirdly beautiful and impossible to pin down,” kick off a series of special concerts in support of Touch, their first new LP in nine years. Originally formed in Chicago, IL, the birthplace of “post-rock,” bandmembers John Herndon and Jeff Parker are now firmly embedded in the Los Angeles music scene and consistent contributors to the music community, fostering new partnerships and collaborations at the crossroads of jazz, rock, punk, and thoughtful experimentation – while Dan Bitney and Douglas McCombs live in Chicago and John McEntire resides in Portland, OR. Be the first to hear Touch performed live on our outdoor East West Bank Plaza and purchase physical copies of the record before they are officially released Sunday, October 19.
Alejandro (Ale) Cohen, Music Director at KCRW, will be spinning vinyl from the station’s library of Los Angeles bands to open the event.
L.A. Intersections highlights the organic and historically significant music and spoken word scenes that have emerged in Los Angeles since the 1960s, including punk, poetry, jazz, rap, noise, and much more. The series was originally conceived as a way for audiences to return virtually to The Broad and rediscover the joy of connecting with visual art and performers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as a three-part video series. The performances for video celebrate a diverse and vibrant array of Los Angeles-based musicians, poets, and dancers who activate the architecture and distinct physical spaces within the museum.
Photo by Todd Weaver
Please note this event is outdoors and standing room only, except for designated ADA seating and an accessible mat area on the grass for mobility devices.
Tickets include access to The Broad's rotating third floor collection galleries during the event; our first-floor galleries will be closed for installation.
Tickets to this event do not include access to Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away (2013), and must be booked separately.
To learn more and plan your trip, visit Know Before You Go & FAQ. Visitor policies are subject to change.
Schedule
Biographies
Tortoise
Tortoise is widely considered one of the most influential music groups of the last 40 years, with a wide-reaching impact on the contemporary music scene. Pitchfork says: “Imagine a graphic showing all the bands the five members of Tortoise were in before they came together and then all the bands they went on to play with after. At the top of the funnel, you have groups ranging from dreamy psych-rock to earthy post-punk crunch, including Eleventh Dream Day, Bastro, Slint, and the Poster Children; on the 'post-Tortoise' end are groups focusing on electro-jazz and twangy instrumental rock like Isotope 217, Chicago Underground, and Brokeback. In this graphic, Tortoise is the choke point, the one project that has elements of all these sounds but is never defined by nor committed to any of them. Instead, Tortoise floats free, a planchette moving over a Ouija board guided by 10 sets of fingers, where everyone watches the arrow float in one direction but no one is quite sure how it gets there or who is doing the pushing.”
The band, which originally formed in Chicago, comprises Jeff Parker, Dan Bitney, Douglas McCombs, John Herndon, and John McEntire.
Initially hailed as pace-setters of the then-emerging, so-called “post-rock” sound, the Chicago Tribune called Tortoise’s sound “mood music that refuses to be shoved into the background, as inviting as it is challenging.” Releasing just seven albums since 1990 — including classics like 1996’s Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1998’s TNT, and 2001’s Standards —Tortoise has steadily and intuitively evolved across its life, creating genreless music that is as timeless as it is ahead of the curve. The band’s legacy goes beyond its recorded output, as well. Per The New York Times: “While Tortoise's albums have experimented with the editing and overdubbing possibilities of the studio, the band thrives performing in real time.” Rolling Stone deems Tortoise “a live marvel,” while Pitchfork further says the band’s performances reveal that “at heart, they’re a supremely fun band, wide open to all sorts of sonic possibilities.”
Photo by Todd Weaver
Alejandro (Ale) Cohen
Alejandro (Ale) Cohen is the Music Director at KCRW and has been part of the music and cultural fabric of Los Angeles for over 25 years. A musician at heart, Alejandro has played in many local bands over the years, including Languis and Pharaohs. Ale is also a Film and television composer, and Emmy® Award-winning producer that has collaborated with countless artists, cultural institutions, events, and multimedia projects. His role as the Executive Director at dublab, a non-profit community radio station based in Los Angeles, has shaped his vision and approach to programming for public radio. As the Music Director at KCRW, Ale oversees the general direction of the station's music programming.
Photo by Sam Lee
About L.A. Intersections
L.A. Intersections highlights the organic and historically significant music and spoken word scenes that have emerged in Los Angeles since the 1960s including punk, poetry, jazz, rap, noise, and much more. The series was originally conceived as a way for audiences to return virtually to The Broad and rediscover the joy of connecting with visual art and performers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as a three-part video series. The performances for video celebrate a diverse and vibrant array of Los Angeles-based musicians, poets, and dancers who activate the architecture and distinct physical spaces within the museum.
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