Growing up in the idyllic 1970s Santa Barbara, a surfing basketball-playing tango-dancing musician effortlessly achieves a flash of early fame but is then forced to rewrite his definition of success when faced with a harsh music industry, unrelenting personal obstacles, and cultural shifts. The result is 40 years of his own enduring and quirky brand of music and entertainment style that some say sounds like the soul of Santa Barbara.

The documentary film, More Than Just A Party Band, explores the meaning of creative success and community and celebrates the power of fun in the colorful life and times of Spencer Barnitz, of Spencer The Gardener, a Santa Barbara cultural and musical icon.