60 Watt Kid
I first heard 60 Watt Kid, a band once described as “a strange amalgam of Robert Fripp and Stereolab,” on KXLU a few years ago. The song was Ocsicnarf Nas, which is San Francisco spelled backwards. Their sound-scape immediately exploded my cinematic imagination. To me, their music is emblematic of the modern California experience. You can sense the moody fog rolling over Twin Peaks in San Francisco where the band was stationed for a few years. The adventurous, punk side of their Southern California upbringing also contributes to their mighty force. It only felt natural that surfing became a motif throughout this video.
Taken from the sweeping We Come From The Bright Side, the song “Take the Pain Out Of Your Chest” is the album’s magnum opus. Kevin, who stars in the video as a suburban husband and father, is like a firebrand preacher when he performs as the band’s frontman. His vocals on this track are notable for their soaring desperation. When he sings, the emotion pours out of him and you can feel it in the 60 Watt Kid recordings as well. I thought it would be interesting to repress that energy for the sake of this story. The camera magnifies things, and with the song as the sound-track, I knew we would feel this man’s pain just by looking at him engage in everyday activities. By separating him from the band, I hoped there would be an immediate tension at play. I asked Kevin to watch John Cassavetes “Husbands” before he arrived on set; notice the early ’70′s style reflected in his wardrobe. While we filmed in the house only one day, the three actors quickly became that family you see in the video. Jack, the 10 year old, was actually calling some shots by the day’s end, telling me what was a good take when he saw it.
Over the years, 60 Watt Kid and I have become friends. The band has traditionally performed at our office parties and the pure energy they provide never fails to move the room. Sitting here now in the office I can remember the party crowding around the band as their thunderous playing rattled the floorboards. There is a great source of inspiration inside the swirling textures and intricate patterns of 60 Watt Kid. It’s music that celebrates the experience of being alive while embracing all the complexities of it.