Review | Surf, Film, and Music Come Together for a Special Evening with Jack Johnson and His Like-Minded Posse

It’s hard to feel anything but good vibes when Jack Johnson’s in the house. Such was the case on Thursday, November 6 at his much-anticipated and quickly sold-out show at the Arlington (see story here). It was a long, laid-back evening with a packed house that felt more like hanging out with friends than a rock concert — exactly as Jack and his crew of musician, surfer, filmmaker friends, who call themselves The Moonshine Conspiracy, intended. 

The night began with instrumental music by Todd Hannigan and Xoco, followed by a talk with Johnson and his surf film compadres Chris Malloy and Emmett Malloy. Then there were screenings of two landmark, remastered and restored surf films that (ironically as he once wanted to dedicate himself to film) helped launch Johnson’s career in music: Thicker than Water (1999) and The September Sessions (2000).

Thicker than Water, made by that trio, was filmed across the globe and captured the beauty, camaraderie, and wanderlust of surf exploration at the turn of the millennium. The film’s soundtrack introduced audiences to Johnson’s music for the first time, sparking a career that would soon reach audiences worldwide. 

Following that screening was another talk session that included some of the participating surfers in both films, including Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Luke Egan, Brad Gerlach, and Dan Malloy (Chris’s brother and another accomplished surfer), among others. Old friends who share a love for both music and the ocean, it was a fun conversation about the making of the both films and those old surf trips back in the days before cell phones, GPS, and many of the things we now take for granted. 

The September Sessions, filmed by Jack Johnson during a spontaneous trip to Indonesia, remains one of the most intimate portraits of surf legend Kelly Slater ever put to film. The restored version screened with a special surprise when Jack and the band (featuring Goleta local Zach Gill) recreated the soundtrack to The September Sessions live with special guests G. Love, Hermanos Gutierrez, Todd Hannigan, Xoco, and Rob Machado joining in on the fun.

The film is already a very cool one, with unforgettable waves from Kelly, Rob Machado, Brad Gerlach, Shane Dorian, Ross Williams, and Luke Egan, but having the live accompaniment make it even more special. 

Johnson also debuted the trailer for his upcoming film, SURFILMUSIC, and offered a first glimpse into the music and score from that film (set for release next year) with the debut live performance of a new song “Hold On to the Light,” featuring Hermanos Gutiérrez. Other highlights of the set included “Inaudible Melodies” (originally called “Slow Down Bruce” as a reference to Bruce Lee, shared Johnson), “Banana Pancakes,” “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing,” “Bubble Toes,” “Badfish” (a Sublime cover), “Good People,” and “Do You Remember.” 

He ended the show by calling the whole crew up to the stage to sing “Better Together” — a perfect ending to a fun night with Jack and the Moonshine Conspiracy, who had so many friends gathered together, they were eager to get out to some shenanigans after the four hour plus show.

Count me in with the rest of Santa Barbara, which can’t ever get enough of Jack Johnson. Luckily for us, the Santa Barbara Bowl just announced that he’ll return with special guest G. Love for two back-to-back shows on October 3 and 4, 2026. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 14, and you can register for the artist presale here.