Los Angeles psychedelic rockers Spindrift have never shied away from proclaiming their love of cinema, particularly spaghetti westerns, noir, exploitation, and other cult genres.
Their previous album The Legend of God’s Gun became the soundtrack to a movie after its initial release, thanks to the intervention of director Mike Bruce. For their next album, the band chose to work with several different filmmakers, creating soundtracks to a series of short films. The result was Classic Soundtracks Vol. 1.
Two of these films debuted last Thursday when Spindrift took over the Echoplex to celebrate the release of the album. Jean Balest and Sam Garnett’s Ghost Patrol was a fun ode to Ed Wood and film noir, with an appropriately reverb-drenched soundtrack. Drifter’s Pass by Abigail Bean was chock full of 1960s outlaw references including spaghetti westerns and iconic mod flick Girl On a Motorcycle, set to a fuzzed-out psych groove.
This set the tone for Spindrift’s live performance. Kirpatrick Thomas led the band on a musical odyssey that bridged the gap between the cinematic soundscapes of Ennio Morricone and the churning space rock of Hawkwind. The band debuted several tunes from Classic Soundtracks as the respective films flickered onscreen behind them, before launching into some older God’s Gun-era material. The show gradually built to an epic climax of tribal chanting, flashing lights, and flowing confetti, as audience members danced and shouted along with the band.
Also on hand to celebrate were The Country, featuring members of Joshua Tree’s Gram Rabbit, and L.A. favorites The Icarus Line. Spindrift, The Icarus Line, and The Country will be sharing the stage again this month at the Clean Air Clear Stars festival in Pioneertown. The show takes place September 23 and 24, with proceeds to benefit the Arbor Day Foundation.
Photo: Cecilia Orvis
