Spiritualized frontman Jason Spaceman, a.k.a. Jason Pierce,commingled the “taking drugs to make music to take drugs to” mantrawith gospel tinges sans Spacemen 3, and after spending a decade-pluscrafting psychedelic space rock with Spiritualized, he’s no longerfloating in a drug-induced sonic space. Taking to North America for theband’s first outing in four years, Spiritualized’s Acoustic Mainlinetour stopped at Los Angeles’ Vista Theater last night (Nov. 12).Opening act Simple Kid, seemingly grateful to be there, prepped themostly elder indie rock crowd with his acoustic guitar-drivenfuzzed-out folk, which also included an adorable cover of Kermit theFrog’s “It’s Not Easy Being Green” (because he’s Irish, and ‘green isIrish’). But it wasn’t until Spaceman (donning black shades, of course)himself took the stage when the widescreen crimson curtains of thetheater glowed to their full capacity.
Accompanied by afour-piece string section and a trio of ladies, Spiritualized redefinedsuch songs like Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You in the End,”and offered majestic renditions of “Anything More” and the epic “Ladiesand Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space.” At the end of the song,Spiritualized received its third — and not last — standing ovation ofthe evening, regardless of whether the audience was present to recounttheir old junkie days or to celebrate a successful transmutation ofheavenly drone.
Either way, the choir and their preacher, Spaceman, illuminated gospel-heavy Amazing Gracetunes like “Lord Let It Rain On Me” before sending the crowd into sonicoblivion during the show’s closer, “Oh Happy Day.” Spaceman stood upand raised his acoustic guitar to the ceiling before graciously biddinghis collected fan base farewell.
We asked: Which of the band’s songs make you feel most Spiritualized?
