Getty Center to offer Saturdays Off the 405

Fridays Off the 405 are now Saturdays Off the 405! The free outdoor performance series is back on Saturday nights this summer with a lively mix of today’s most exciting emerging bands and DJ sets to open and close the night. And starting this summer, parking is free at the Getty Center on Saturdays after 5pm.

Starting off the new series in June is Brooklyn-based trio Chairlift. They are best known for their hit single “Bruises,” which was featured in the latest iPod Nano commercial. Band members Aaron Pfenning, Caroline Polachek, and Patrick Wimberly perform a unique blend of synth-pop that weaves together keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, and tambourines. The night includes sets from Dublab DJs Frosty and Ale.

The series continues in July with Mas Exitos, a talented group of DJs known for their legendary twice-a-month event held at the Verdugo Bar in Highland Park. Their performance of international music selections, from the Andes of Peru to the streets of Mexico City to the East Side of Los Angeles, will transform the Museum Courtyard into a hot spot south of the border. Their eclectic sound includes cumbias, low-rider music, afro beat, tropicalia, and funky jazz oddities.

A performance by The Dodos keeps the series going in August with the energetic sound of guitar and drums. The band features drummer Logan Kroeber, who came out of progressive metal, and the acoustic artistry of Meric Long, who launched his career gigging around San Francisco playing folky guitar with a combination of loops, ambient keyboards, West African Ewe drumming, and country-blues fingerpicking. Their psych-folk sound has been described as "joyously taut indie-rock" reminiscent of the Violent Femmes, Clinic, and Roxy Music. Sets from DJ Turquoise Wisdom complement the night.

Other performances will be announced soon.

Saturdays Off the 405 Schedule
All performances take place in the Museum Courtyard from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. A cash bar will be available with Getty-tinis and more, and the Garden Terrace Cafe will offer sandwiches, salads, and other snacks (both until 8:30 p.m.).

Saturday, June 20, 2009
Chairlift and DJs Frosty and Ale

Saturday, July 11, 2009
Mas Exitos featuring DJs Chico Sonido, Lengua, Hoseh, Ganas, and Enorbito

Saturday, July 25, 2009
Artists T.B.D.

Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Dodos and DJ Turquoise Temple

Saturday, September 26, 2009
Artists T.B.D.

Saturday, October 24, 2009
Artists T.B.D.

The J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts that features the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Foundation. The J. Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs serve a varied audience from two locations: the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu.

Visiting the Getty Center:
The Getty Center is open Tuesday through Friday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Monday and major holidays. Admission to the Getty Center is always free. Parking is $15 effective July 1; free after 5pm on Saturdays and for special events. No reservation is required for parking or general admission. Reservations are required for event seating and groups of 15 or more. Please call 310-440-7300 (English or Spanish) for reservations and information. The TTY line for callers who are deaf or hearing impaired is 310-440-7305.