If you were anything like me, watching the Curious George film as a kid, you would know “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson is a staple in Gen Z’s childhood. The singer-songwriter made an appearance at this year’s SXSW as part of the promotion for his newest film, Jack Johnson: SURFILMUSIC.
Performing at the Stubb’s Bar-B-Q in Austin, TX, Johnson performed a 24-song set. Opening for Johnson were Hermanos Gutiérrez. A duo made up of Ecuadorian-Swiss brothers, the pair performed instrumental guitar tracks. Much of the set consisted of the brothers playing intricate guitar passages as shades of blue, yellow, and purple light washed over them. Elements of psychedelia and latin were present as the guitars bathed in reverb and tremolo. 
Once Hermanos Gutiérrez left the stage, the audience gave a warm welcome to Jack Johnson. Similar to his songs, the positivity and warmth emitting from Johnson could not be understated. With a calm and gentle demeanor, Johnson stepped up to the microphone and started off his set with “Mudfootball (For Moe Lerner).”The dynamic between Johnson and his backing band was effective with a simple arrangement of instruments that placed acoustic instrumentation at the center of the performance. I was impressed by Johnson’s vocals; they sounded exactly as they did on studio recordings 20+ years ago. Songs like “Banana Pancakes” and “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” felt at home in a concert that displayed the communal aspects of a campfire. Hearing the crowd sing a multitude of songs back to Johnson felt intimate despite the size of the crowd.
Occasionally, the band would opt for more grandiose instrumentation on tracks like “Holes to Heaven,” featuring the likes of heavenly organs, while other songs would feature solos from an accordion and a melodica.
Johnson’s personality would shine through between songs, telling the audience stories behind the songs he was performing. Johnson recounted the story of how he crafted the chorus for “Inaudible Melodies.” Johnson cited a professor as the inspiration behind the lines “Slow down everyone / You're moving too fast / Frames can't catch you when / You're moving like that that” as he recalled the professor saying that “Every 24 frames is in one second of film… and Bruce Lee is too fast for the frames.” Another anecdote was the creation of “Tomorrow Morning,” originating from a voicemail he sent to his wife, then-girlfriend, that he transformed into a song on his debut album, On and On.
What made this performance unique to SXSW was Johnson’s break from his catalog. Johnson and his backing band performed a 15-minute improvised jam session to the visuals of his film, SURFILMUSIC, resulting in one of the most unique moments of any concert I’ve been to. Gazing up at the ceiling of Stubb’s outdoor venue, I and many in the crowd were entranced by the visuals of surfboards and extravagant waves.
Despite releasing his first album in 2003, Johnson’s songwriting remains timelessly compassionate as he continues to build community through his messages of love and kindness. People of all ages attended the show; the most diverse crowd in terms of generations, with Gen Z shoulder-to-shoulder with boomers and everything in between. Johnson is a reminder that in 2026, “we got everything we need right here
