The Moonshine Conspiracy is back Together Again

Jack Johnson and a whole bunch of friends returned to Santa Barbara for a sold-out, intimate evening at the iconic Arlington Theatre to celebrate his classic surf films Thicker Than Water and The September Sessions, alongside a special concert featuring Hermanos Gutiérrez, G. Love, Adam Topol, Merlo Podlewski, Zach Gill, Todd Hannigan, Xocoyotzin Moraza and Rob Machado.

For the first time ever, both films were screened in beautifully remastered 4K on the big screen, drawing a crowd eager to revisit the era that sparked a cultural shift in surf cinematography and helped to launch Jack’s career in music, with original songs written for these projects.

More than two decades later these films have stood the test of time, still every bit as iconic, inspiring, and creatively groundbreaking as the day they premiered. Featuring Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, the Malloy Brothers, Shane Dorian, Brad Gerlach, and more, they captured surf trips and once-in-a-lifetime friendships that were preserved on film for generations to revisit. A bunch of those old friends made it on stage to talk about the films and those trips.

Following Thicker Than Water, Jack and the band recreated the soundtrack to The September Sessions live, creating an immersive “soundtrack meets cinema” experience. It was a night to look forward, as well as back, with the debut of the trailer for his upcoming film, titled SURFILMUSIC. The musical portion of the evening was highlighted by the debut live performance of Jack’s new song “Hold On To the Light,” featuring Hermanos Gutiérrez. The track offers the first glimpse into the music and score from SURFILMUSIC, set for release next year.

The celebration continues tonight in Laguna Beach, where the Coast Film & Music Festival will host two sold-out screening and concert nights with Jack Johnson & Friends with Thicker Than Water and The September Sessions on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Mahalo to everyone who joined us!