Spaceface: Space Lions with Lasers, Groovy Tunes, Parachutes and Tricks From the Future.

Memphis-based Spaceface will swing through Philly on Saturday, bringing their psychedelic surf pop sounds and elaborate stage presence to Boot & Saddle. They’ll perform alongside the costumed and painted crew from Needle Points as well as gods, from New Jersey. It will be a trippy night.

Spaceface was started by Jake Ingalls, who also performs with The Flaming Lips. Eric Martin, Matt Strong, Peter Armstrong, Daniel Quinlan and Miles Young round out the band that is on a three week tour on the East Coast, including a few stops in Canada.

We spoke with Matt Strong, the bass player, while the band was traveling between gigs.

Who are you guys and where did Spaceface come from? 

Spaceface began when Eric, Jake and I shared a house together near the University of Memphis.

The name, which is from David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream,” was actually originated by one of Jake’s friends on The Flaming Lips crew. He had a band, but they didn’t have any of that mybook/spaceface junk so they didn’t get far. The name seemed fun and dorky enough to fit our sound and personalities.

You guys have a big sound. What are the influences that inspired them?

When we were all living together, we would be pretty consistently jamming with each other, bouncing ideas around and so on. Our “sound” happened pretty organically, shifting between more heavy rock influences and melodic pop. We met somewhere in between Black Sabbath and the Beach Boys and found an even ground of psychedelia that we all enjoyed playing.

Our major emphasis has always been on providing a stellar live show, and I believe that influences the music to be more impactful and full. A lot of contemporary indie bands seem to fall short when performing. I think that’s where we really thrive.

What’s the Memphis scene like?

There’s a surprisingly decent variety in the Memphis music scene. It’s tough to break away from the mold of “Beale Street Blues” here, but I think most Memphians are pretty tired of that scene. Goner Records does a great job of contributing to the Memphis punk scene in an unapologetically genuine way. Most bars in Memphis will have a band playing every night of the week and music is in its bloodstream. I couldn’t have asked for a more inspirational city as a musician.

What do you know about the Philly scene?

We’ve only been through Philadelphia once, and it was fantastic! I remember we were about halfway through our last East Coast tour, and it had been a lot of firsts for me. First time in Chicago, first time in New York, and I got my first real Philly cheesesteak! We partied on 6th street until our show. One of our favorite bands, Dr. Dog, rocks their Philly roots pretty hard.

How did you get to know the Needle Points crew?

After having an awesome time exploring Philadelphia, we got to Ortlieb’s where we were playing a show with Needle Points. I remember thinking “Holy shit, finally!” when I saw this awesome group of glittery freaks come on stage.

We had played so many shows with so many bands but none of them really fit our style quite like Needle Points did. They played an amazing set and we got to hang for a bit after the show.

I’ve got a Dr. Dog tattoo that I showed Brian Langan and our bands have been star-crossed lovers ever since!

What should people expect from the show on Saturday?

This show is going to be an exceptional psychedelic soiree. We’ve got space lions with lasers, groovy tunes, parachutes and other tricks from the future. If you’re not at this show, you’re missing out.