Sonic Youth guitarist reads ‘Bloomington’ poem at Landlocked Music

Across the street from Landlocked Music, a passerby yelled the name of Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo, who sat on the curb of North Walnut Street.

It’s been 22 years since the 56 year old has visited Bloomington. In October 1990, Sonic Youth — the alternative rock band that gained recognition in the ’90s — played at Alumni Hall.

During that time, Ranaldo was inspired to write the poem “Bloomington, Indiana: Autumn.”

On Monday evening at Landlocked Music, Ranaldo read his poem and gave an acoustic performance of six songs from his recent album, “Between the Times & The Tides.” This is Ranaldo’s first mainstream solo record.

Landlocked Music owners Heath Byers and Jason Nickey contacted the albums’ label, Matador Records, to ask that Ranaldo read his poem and play songs between tour dates in Atlanta and Chicago.

Sonic Youth devotees and Ranaldo fans filled Landlocked Music from front to back. Ranaldo, sitting on a chair with an acoustic guitar, spoke about the inspiration of his album. Alan Licht played the electric guitar and Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley played percussion.

Ranaldo also read poems from his poetry books “How Not To Get Played On The Radio” and “Hello from The American Desert.” The Bloomington poem was read from a scroll of glossy paper.

“I cannot concentrate/Everything before me blurs together/until nothing is sharp, or simple.”

Sonic Youth was touring internationally when Ranaldo wrote the poem and met his current wife, Leah Singer.

“I was kind of here, kind of displaced, thinking about her, and wrote that poem,” he said. “So somehow this place has always had this weird resonance for me since then.”

Ranaldo has since embarked on his first mainstream, 10-track album “Between the Times & The Tides,” which was released in March. In April, Ranaldo and his band members have been touring with American singer-songwriter M. Ward and rock band Disappears.

Bloomington resident Thom Hartnett, 34, is a longtime Sonic Youth and Lee Ranaldo fan, attended the free show Monday after work.

Hartnett, who has seen Sonic Youth live six times and was 16 when he first discovered the band, said he has always appreciated Ranaldo’s contributions to the band’s albums.

“I think the fact that he has a mainstream album is a good sign,” he said. “It’s good to see him get more recognition and to see his songs get more breathing room.”

Ranaldo has been quoted as saying that the band’s future is up in the air, and with several more shows to be played, Ranaldo will likely continue focusing on his art — which is displayed internationally in galleries — and music.

“I think anybody that is deep into Sonic Youth knows that we all do a lot of different stuff,” he said. “It’s still weird to think that where we are all going to go if, for instance, Sonic Youth is over, which we don’t know that that’s the case, but if it is, then yeah, people will have to start taking us in a different light now.”

Shelley called Ranaldo’s album “not Sonic Youth,” although critics have pointed out similarities between Ranaldo’s album and Sonic Youth music.

Landlocked co-owner Nickey said he knew he would like Ranaldo’s album before he listened to it. Nickey also credits Sonic Youth for its broad influence on independent rock music since the band’s inception.

“There are so many bands whose careers were sort of made by, like, you know, getting the nod from Sonic Youth,” he said. “So yeah, it’s just cool to have someone from the band and hanging out for a while, playing some songs.”

Ranaldo talked to fans before stepping outside of Landlocked to discuss his artistic pursuits, his new album and potentially returning to Bloomington in the future.

“It’s been a long road, and it’s been so amazing,” he said. “You know, I’d love to come back more often. It’s a beautiful town. I really love it.”