"The name's Plissken!" prompted a packed house at the Masonic Temple to erupt in cheers on Friday night after screening John Carpenter's Escape from New York. Carpenter’s low-budget cult classic set the standard for its time and, like many in the room, it was exciting to see this on a big screen with a full audience for the first time.
The screening was simply the opening act, however, for Carpenter’s first ever live music tour, a celebration and performance of his work. The band included Carpenter’s son and godson, who also worked on his debut studio albums, Lost Themes/Lost Themes II, released on Sacred Bones Records. The music of Lost Themes appeared intermittently in the set list, as the band performed their way through cinematic history.
“I’m John Carpenter”, he announced, as if any introduction was needed, before presenting music from all of his seminal works. Without stopping we traversed through every fan favorite, from The Fog, They Live, EFNY, and of course, Halloween, etc. live against a backdrop of film scenes, light projections and the occasional fog. More like an exhibition than a concert, this rare opportunity was a fan’s dream come true.
