Christmas Day made for a very special holiday edition of my radio show, "The Freak Power Ticket," as I welcomed back to the KCSB-FM studios local-music legend Spencer Barnitz of Spencer the Gardener — a group he has self-described as “a Latin Big Band Spy Movie Set on a Moody Tropical Beach.” 

https://www.spencerthegardener.com

Also of note is Spencer’s jangly Pop-Surf band The Tan, which burnt brightly in Santa Barbara’s early 1980s’ New Wave scene.

https://thetan1.bandcamp.com/album/7-song-ep

Spencer Barnitz was last a guest on this radio show in 2015. Of late, he's been promoting Spencer the Gardener’s most recent LP, SHINE ON, which was released in late November on the Hotel San Luis Records label.

https://www.spencerthegardener.com/music

There is also a new feature documentary about this indie Santa Barbara music legend, MORE THAN JUST A PARTY BAND: THE JOURNEY OF SANTA BARBARA MUSICIAN SPENCER BARNITZ, which debuted to big crowds since last spring, and has screened three times locally, including November at the Ojai Film Festival. 

Its next public screening is coming up on Saturday, February 24th, at the Alhecama Theater, 215 A E Canon Perdido St., behind La Playa Azul Café on Santa Barbara St.

https://morethanjustapartybandfilm.com

During our most recent conversation, Spencer and I revisit the interesting (and disappointing) near-miss story of Rock 'n' Roll band, The Tan, and that era’s innovative music community here in the 805, followed by the tale of Spencer’s decades ever since, as he has made his mark as one of this town’s most impactful musicians ever.

We also learned about the impetus for this feature film, and about all of its tie-ins and corollary events. More broadly, we also of course touch on life in one’s ultra-desirable resort hometown. And much more. 

Finally, this program weaves three music selections from SHINE ON into the hourlong session.

Spencer Barnitz on The FPT 2023

A 'Wondrous Boat Ride' — Rock’n'Roll, Cinema, Counter Culture, Pop Culture, Oddities, etc.

"The Freak Power Ticket" airs each Monday from 11am-12noon PT on KCSB-FM 91.9 in Santa Barbara, streaming live at KCSB.org/listen.

An on-demand archival recording follows for two weeks after each broadcast at this URL: spinitron.com/KCSB/show/169203/Freak-Power-Ticket

This Soundcloud account is designed to preserve some of this content that deserves a longer shelf-life. Enjoy!